Airline/Airport/Travel questions and queries

LoonyLovegood

Has anyone ever travelled through Halifax airport? My company has booked me on flights back to Ireland through YHZ, and I've a 2 hour layover that involves going through US preclearance. Is that enough time, or has anyone had issues with it before? I'll be coming in on a domestic Canadian flight.

humberklog

Great, didn't realise Ryanair flew Athens.

HeidiHeidi

LoonyLovegood wrote: »

Has anyone ever travelled through Halifax airport? My company has booked me on flights back to Ireland through YHZ, and I've a 2 hour layover that involves going through US preclearance. Is that enough time, or has anyone had issues with it before? I'll be coming in on a domestic Canadian flight.

Is Halifax not in Canada? Maybe I've misunderstood the question....

LoonyLovegood

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Is Halifax not in Canada? Maybe I've misunderstood the question....

Yeah, it is. I'm going Ottawa - Halifax - Boston - Dublin, so I've to do US Preclearance in Halifax for the Boston flight

LXFlyer

LoonyLovegood wrote: »

Yeah, it is. I'm going Ottawa - Halifax - Boston - Dublin, so I've to do US Preclearance in Halifax for the Boston flight

What a bizarre routing given that there are direct flights to Dublin from both Montreal and Toronto!

Who in their right mind would book flights for someone requiring 3 legs instead of 2 and go through the USA unnecessarily???

mx5ire

Not sure if this is the right thread for this Q, but i'll ask it here anyway. Is there a website etc that you can locate what gate a flight is actually departing from or has historically departed from ?My usual travel is US bound so obviously i know where in Dublin i am going from, downstairs T2 etc, and the actual gate doesnt make a lot of difference. 

However, flying to Europe, half the the time i check in/clear security in T2 but have to walk to T1 for an actual gate. Just curious in terms of arranging to meet someone in lounge, coffee shop etc. When flying United in the US their website always tells you what gate, so this info must be known ?

LXFlyer

mx5ire wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right thread for this Q, but i'll ask it here anyway. Is there a website etc that you can locate what gate a flight is actually departing from or has historically departed from ?My usual travel is US bound so obviously i know where in Dublin i am going from, downstairs T2 etc, and the actual gate doesnt make a lot of difference. 

However, flying to Europe, half the the time i check in/clear security in T2 but have to walk to T1 for an actual gate. Just curious in terms of arranging to meet someone in lounge, coffee shop etc. When flying United in the US their website always tells you what gate, so this info must be known ?

The Dublin Airport app will have this information insofar as it is available in advance of departure.

LoonyLovegood

LXFlyer wrote: »

What a bizarre routing given that there are direct flights to Dublin from both Montreal and Toronto!

Who in their right mind would book flights for someone requiring 3 legs instead of 2 and go through the USA unnecessarily???

Money! It's better than what they wanted me to do, which was Ottawa - Detroit - Atlanta - Dublin!

LXFlyer

LoonyLovegood wrote: »

Money! It's better than what they wanted me to do, which was Ottawa - Detroit - Atlanta - Dublin!

It is still an insane routing.

mx5ire

LXFlyer wrote: »

The Dublin Airport app will have this information insofar as it is available in advance of departure.

Thanks for that - just installed it, never even thought to look for it!  Not sure how far in advance it shows gates - but a couple of hours out from now it has lots of populated info, which is just fine. It's a pity that they don't show some of this info on the main website though.

LXFlyer

mx5ire wrote: »

Thanks for that - just installed it, never even thought to look for it!  Not sure how far in advance it shows gates - but a couple of hours out from now it has lots of populated info, which is just fine. It's a pity that they don't show some of this info on the main website though.

The app has as much information as you’ll get in the public domain.

mx5ire

LXFlyer wrote: »

mx5ire wrote: »

Thanks for that - just installed it, never even thought to look for it!  Not sure how far in advance it shows gates - but a couple of hours out from now it has lots of populated info, which is just fine. It's a pity that they don't show some of this info on the main website though.

The app has as much information as you’ll get in the public domain.

Now it is a case of too much info causing irritation ! The flight that i am taking next appears to be going from the 335 gate - i.e. the bus out to that glorified shed that they use for more gates, ala Ryanair 10+ years ago.

boccy23

mx5ire wrote: »

Now it is a case of too much info causing irritation ! The flight that i am taking next appears to be going from the 335 gate - i.e. the bus out to that glorified shed that they use for more gates, ala Ryanair 10+ years ago.

Had that debacle recently. Very poor service IMO.

rio1

I think it’s hard to see a pattern. I fly to Frankfurt with Aer Lingus a couple of times a month, there is no pattern to which gate we depart from.

Tenger

rio1 wrote: »

I think it’s hard to see a pattern. I fly to Frankfurt with Aer Lingus a couple of times a month, there is no pattern to which gate we depart from.

Indeed. I do like the US system that has the same flight from the same gate most days. However that system is due to the fact that the airline lease/own the actual gates. Whereas in Ireland (am not sure about Europe) the airport allocates the gates to the airline at relatively short notice.

rameire

Just wondering on Cathay.
Has anybody used their service to Hong Kong yet.
Travelling 2 adults 1 child age 8.
Child is ok to travelling long distance.
Would people recommend their non stop service over a 1 stopper with SAS or other operator.
Is the service comfortable and worth it.

In addition when returning will be coming from Shanghai and if using Cathay will be transferring through HKG, testing flights and details but would 1hr30 be enough to transfer or should I just go for the longer time of 4hrs stopover time?
cheers.

mx5ire

rameire wrote: »

Just wondering on Cathay.
Has anybody used their service to Hong Kong yet.
Travelling 2 adults 1 child age 8.
Child is ok to travelling long distance.
Would people recommend their non stop service over a 1 stopper with SAS or other operator.
Is the service comfortable and worth it.

In addition when returning will be coming from Shanghai and if using Cathay will be transferring through HKG, testing flights and details but would 1hr30 be enough to transfer or should I just go for the longer time of 4hrs stopover time?
cheers.

Haven't done it yet but will be doing it next March, so would love to hear your comments! My view & preference is to do the longest flight to far east, then a short transfer thereafter. The routes through the gulf are fine but direct to HK with 1 plane, then a day or two there to adjust to timezone is brilliant. I find the hardest bit of long haul is on/off multiple connecting flights, more security, hanging around, eat / don't eat etc. One plane, a few movies and a snooze and its done.

In terms of Cathay themselves, did them last year to HK via AMS and found them very nice to deal with and fly with. I think they compare very well with the usual suspects, Emirates, Qatar etc. Good IFE system, older 777 but still very comfortable and enough room  If you subtract the AMS connection, i would far prefer the direct option than the usual gulf stopover. And Dub-HK is an nice new A350, so i would jump on it to be honest.

On the HK transfer, 1.5 hours is fine IF the inbound flight is on time, but out of hard experience learned the hard way, i would suck up the 4 hour connection to be safe. I have sweated on (and missed) Abu Dhabi Etihad 1 and 1.5 hour connections too many times, so now i just pick a longer one if possible.

Duff

Quick question with regard to the ESTA for US travel. I set up an ESTA this time last year before I flew to LAX. Heading back in 2 weeks and just want to make sure my ESTA is still in date. They last for 2 years from date of registration is that correct? Any way I can check online or anything?

Cheers.

Captain_Crash

Duff wrote: »

Quick question with regard to the ESTA for US travel. I set up an ESTA this time last year before I flew to LAX. Heading back in 2 weeks and just want to make sure my ESTA is still in date. They last for 2 years from date of registration is that correct? Any way I can check online or anything?

Cheers.

Yes they last for 2 years. If you log onto the ESTA site and enter your passport number it think it is, you can see your ESTA and its expiry date.

Duff

Perfect. Thanks for the reply.

horse7

Will that work for a Canadian ETA also?

HeidiHeidi

Question re Fast Track if I may.....


I booked flights (Ryanair) and fast track at the same time, ages ago. I've only ever booked fast track separately before.


Now that the flight date is approaching, I can't for the life of me figure out where to find the blooming fast track to print it off (I know they scan it every time). Every time I've booked it separately I've got an email with a pdf to print.


Will this magically appear when I check in online? Or should I have got an email separately to the booking confirmation?


Flight is at stupid o'clock in the morning, so all the time I can spend in bed and not in a queue is precious!



My booking confirmation does show that I've booked the fast track, but I need something with a bar code afaik.....

rio1

Will it not be on the boarding pass?

L1011

horse7 wrote: »

Will that work for a Canadian ETA also?

Completely different system so that process can't work. There may be an equivalent.

HeidiHeidi

rio1 wrote: »

Will it not be on the boarding pass?

I don't know!


And by the time I print my boarding pass it'll be too late to do anything about it, probably.


Just wondering if anyone else had booked flights and fast track in the same transaction and can tell me.

rio1

Why can you not check in and look at your boarding card now if the flight is in the morning?

rio1

Just checked an old boarding card, it was on it.

HeidiHeidi

rio1 wrote: »

Why can you not check in and look at your boarding card now if the flight is in the morning?

Flight is next week, not tomorrow. I realise now that wasn't clear from my post.

rio1 wrote: »

Just checked an old boarding card, it was on it.

Thanks!

KBD85

I recently had 3 connecting flights with one booking number and my bags were transferred for me.

I booked the journey through lastminute.com

I'm wondering what the rules are for future trips.

What are the requirements to be able to take 2 or 3 connecting flights and have your bags show up at your final destination without having to check in the bags yourself after each leg?

Thanks.

Keedowah

It is normally fine when it is under the one booking. However, I have in the past had to collect my bags at the first entry point into the US - but after that they should be put through to your final destination.