Airline/Airport/Travel questions and queries

sk8board

Sitting here on the plane - passed through no problem at all,
thanks

ongarboy

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

You'd want to meet an awful arse at the gate to stop you, you'll be fine I'm sure.

I never include my godawful middle name on my airline tickets and that has been fine for every flight I've ever taken (including a couple of dozen trips to the US over the last 30 years) except one journey a few years ago where one random Border Control official at a US airport asked me to explain why the name on my ticket did not match my passport (passport had my middle name, boarding pass didn't) and cautioned me about it saying they should match (he did let me through however).

Googling it now, the first few results imply you do not need to include middle names in flight tickets as long as first and surname match official ID so it seems like he was misinformed.

ozzy jr

I'm flying DUB - FRA - GIG (Rio) in a few weeks time with Lufthansa. When I do a long haul flight I like to have an aisle seat. To pre book this seat at the moment is €35 each way (I'm not bothered about the short leg of flight).

Every so often I go onto the Lufthansa site to check the seat map and there's hardly anyone with a reserved seat so far. I'm thinking then of risking it and booking for free 24 hours before departure.

So, I'm wondering is it possible to find out what sort of loads normally happen on a route, just to give me an idea of what to expect. I'd hate to spend an extra €70 only to find there's loads of empty seats available.

Sitting in the middle on the long flight would be hell though and I'd hate to take the chance to find everyone else has the same idea about booking for free 24 hours beforehand.

Decisions, decisions

atilladehun

Book it.

Locker10a

Can you check in online for this flight? If so, when? And can you reserve a seat during online check in like Aer Lingus? or is it auto assigned?
You could set a reminder on your phone and check in immediately when check in opens and select your aisle seat.
Alternatively you could ask at the check in deck in Dublin when dropping luggage for an aisle seat on the long haul leg.

embraer170

Blu express/Panorama (Italy) are extremely strict on people having middle names included in the ticket. It's the only airline I know that does this.

sk8board

embraer170 wrote: »

Blu express/Panorama (Italy) are extremely strict on people having middle names included in the ticket. It's the only airline I know that does this.

I spent years post-college travelling in odd countries on a passport with my middle name, but never putting it on tickets.

When it came to renewing, I said to the Garda signing the form that it was a pain in my ass, and the renewal form said to strictly copy the name from your current passport, so the merry-go-round was starting again.

He suggested i copy in the middle name and draw a line through it - low and behold my new passport arrived without the middle name.

trellheim

Last week I was in a similar position flying Air Canada from Toronto back to Dublin. 48 hours before departure very few reserved, nearer departure very full up, was glad I booked it.

Van.Bosch

ozzy jr wrote: »

I'm flying DUB - FRA - GIG (Rio) in a few weeks time with Lufthansa. When I do a long haul flight I like to have an aisle seat. To pre book this seat at the moment is €35 each way (I'm not bothered about the short leg of flight).

Every so often I go onto the Lufthansa site to check the seat map and there's hardly anyone with a reserved seat so far. I'm thinking then of risking it and booking for free 24 hours before departure.

So, I'm wondering is it possible to find out what sort of loads normally happen on a route, just to give me an idea of what to expect. I'd hate to spend an extra €70 only to find there's loads of empty seats available.

Sitting in the middle on the long flight would be hell though and I'd hate to take the chance to find everyone else has the same idea about booking for free 24 hours beforehand.

Decisions, decisions

Ring them, book airport assistance in Frankfurt for your dodgy leg and ask can you have an aisle seat!

Locker10a

Van.Bosch wrote: »

Ring them, book airport assistance in Frankfurt for your dodgy leg and ask can you have an aisle seat!

I hope you’re actually joking!

Van.Bosch

Locker10a wrote: »

I hope you’re actually joking!

I am!

But I’d say you’d get away with it. Just don’t use the assistance in Frankfurt, that’d be unfair😀

sk8board

Flew back home tonight - the (I think Spanish) person at the boarding gate checked with the other English lady if both names were the same and she said “yeh it’s ok”.

faceman

The website/app Expert Flyer can tell you seating arrangements for many airlines. Not sure about Lufthansa but worth checking it out.

There is a paid and free version. Can’t remember the thresholds

BigMoose

Assuming you can pick any seat during check-in, check in online the moment it opens. You'd be incredibly unlucky for a whole plane of aisle seats to be paid for in advance. But dont leave it late to check in or they will be gone.

If it picks a random seat for you at check-in, then pay now

VG31

Generally I find there is a good selection of seats at online check-in. There can be exceptions though. I flew with Swiss from Dublin to Zurich recently and I was among the first 20 people to check-in but there were only a few rows at the back available. On my connecting flight on Austrian to Vienna there were loads of seats available.

Lufthansa allow you to select from whatever seats are available on check-in.

Noxegon

embraer170 wrote: »

Blu express/Panorama (Italy) are extremely strict on people having middle names included in the ticket. It's the only airline I know that does this.

I had a problem with this flying with VietJet – it was solvable at checkin, but it caused a ruckus.

Podge_irl

You will be able to check in 23 hours before your first leg (I think 23 hours is Lufthansa, but check). This will let you pick a seat for the second leg so you will have one over on people flying direct. I take connecting flights with Lufthansa a lot (though generally not long haul) and I always tend to get better seats on the second leg when checking in cause of this.

VG31

Podge_irl wrote: »

You will be able to check in 23 hours before your first leg (I think 23 hours is Lufthansa, but check).

Officially it is 23 hours but often you can check-in even earlier.

mikemac2

I flew Ryanair Dublin Luxembourg. It´s a new flight route, well 8 months old I guess and despite the godawful time of 6:15 Sunday morning is consistently sold out so I predict a long and profitable future

A lady was sat in 1A with crutches and a knee brace and was asked to move seats by the crew. As I understand people with physical impairments cannot take these seats though I understand if she paid extra as she wants to stretch out

Well holy hell broke lose and the polite and insistent cabin crew member got cursed out of it. Eventually the passenger moved for take off and moved back and was allowed to retake her seat during cruising. The same argument started again on descent as she was told to move back again out of this seat.

I believe the cabin crew were correct? If you are in a cast or crutches or knee brace the emergency exit is not for you even if you paid for it and staff can tell you to move?

Locker10a

mikemac2 wrote: »

I flew Ryanair Dublin Luxembourg. It´s a new flight route, well 8 months old I guess and despite the godawful time of 6:15 Sunday morning is consistently sold out so I predict a long and profitable future

A lady was sat in 1A with crutches and a knee brace and was asked to move seats by the crew. As I understand people with physical impairments cannot take these seats though I understand if she paid extra as she wants to stretch out

Well holy hell broke lose and the polite and insistent cabin crew member got cursed out of it. Eventually the passenger moved for take off and moved back and was allowed to retake her seat during cruising. The same argument started again on descent as she was told to move back again out of this seat.

I believe the cabin crew were correct? If you are in a cast or crutches or knee brace the emergency exit is not for you even if you paid for it and staff can tell you to move?

Yeah absolutely the crew have the final say. She probably shouldn’t haven been even allowed back during the cruise, but that’s a bit of a grey area.
It’s all part of the terms and conditions of booking an “extra legroom” exit row, if you fail to read them like most do then you’ll be met with the hassle of the above mentioned situation.

smurfjed

It’s all part of the terms and conditions of booking an “extra legroom” exit row

Isnt the person who sits beside the emergency exit supposed to be an "abled bodied person", ie they are supposed to assist others ?

killbillvol2

smurfjed wrote: »

Isnt the person who sits beside the emergency exit supposed to be an "abled bodied person", ie they are supposed to assist others ?

Yep. And that should have been clear when she booked the seat. She also shouldn't have been allowed back to the seat during the flight.

Mortelaro

What's the procedure connecting from EI at T2 LHR these days to BA at T5 ?
Haven't done it since the old T1 days and usually do BA into T5 but timings working better for an EI to BA this time

Is there a connections bus and what route do you take for that? Presumably theres a connections route to a bus that's signed and will this drop you at the stairs up to re clear security at T5 like was the case in the T1 days?
Thank you

Skuxx

Sent you a PM OP!

Cloudio9

Mortelaro wrote: »

What's the procedure connecting from EI at T2 LHR these days to BA at T5 ?
Haven't done it since the old T1 days and usually do BA into T5 but timings working better for an EI to BA this time

Is there a connections bus and what route do you take for that? Presumably theres a connections route to a bus that's signed and will this drop you at the stairs up to re clear security at T5 like was the case in the T1 days?
Thank you

yep, follow purple signs for flight connections. take the bus. re-clear security.

knockon

Called EI 3 weeks ago 3 days before DUB-LAX departure. I said “I can’t find any free seats left and I would love an aisle seat as I get a bit “claustrophobic” . Guy said no problem and assigned an aisle seat. Might be worth just giving a call.

LoonyLovegood

mikemac2 wrote: »

I flew Ryanair Dublin Luxembourg. It´s a new flight route, well 8 months old I guess and despite the godawful time of 6:15 Sunday morning is consistently sold out so I predict a long and profitable future

A lady was sat in 1A with crutches and a knee brace and was asked to move seats by the crew. As I understand people with physical impairments cannot take these seats though I understand if she paid extra as she wants to stretch out

Well holy hell broke lose and the polite and insistent cabin crew member got cursed out of it. Eventually the passenger moved for take off and moved back and was allowed to retake her seat during cruising. The same argument started again on descent as she was told to move back again out of this seat.

I believe the cabin crew were correct? If you are in a cast or crutches or knee brace the emergency exit is not for you even if you paid for it and staff can tell you to move?

I was that person before on a Ryanair flight, broke my ankle a week before travelling but had to go on it. Booked 1A, there was nothing on it saying I couldn't sit there, till I was brought to the gate by the accessibility folks and Ryanair took a look at my boarding card. In the end, they moved me to 2D, and the woman in 2D took my seat. Did the same on the return flight, and it worked a charm - apart from coming in down the end of Pier D on arrival, and my booked assistance not turning up!

redcard

I'm travelling to Málaga in Sept with aer Lingus, I booked flights ages ago and went online last night with the intention to pay extra to reserve our seats together but I couldn't do it! Seems if your flying with an infant you can't book seats online. My question is will I ring and pay extra and book seats or would I have a chance of getting seats together if I wait till 30hrs checking in window and get the seats for free? I would need 2 seats together and an other 3 together also

Locker10a

If you’re good an early to online check in, literally-30 hours I’d say your in with a good chance.
I’m not sure why they don’t let you select seats with an infant, obviously certain rows can’t have an infant(emergency exit etc) maybe that’s why, I’d give a ring a query if you can even select seats online with an intact on the booking

goingnowhere

There is a limit on the number of infants per row and certain rows are off limits

The morning flight to Malaga is normally a wide bodied jet with dedicated rows for infants

Call Aer Lingus and likely they will sort it out.