Airport Tips&Tricks (incl baggage-drop;connecting-flight & terminal-info)

RubyK

jackinthemix94 wrote: »

Yes you can .

Thank you jackinthemix94, that's great to know, as it will save us a bit of time hopefully

cobham

Yes we do "carry on" luggage for winter hols... One snag is the check in window of 30 hours prior to flight so cant check in for return or have your return boarding pass printed off. We do it online and holiday place will print off for us for a small consideration.

And remember that most Aer Lingus flights will be using the new Terminal 2 save for the smaller commuter type planes to regional airports such as UK that still use Terminal 1 but not the big long extension of new checkin gates that are mostly (all?) ryanair.

CJmasgrande

I rarely fly airlingus it's usually Ryanair. Do airlingus do boarding passes on the phone? I never print boarding passes with Ryanair

RubyK

cobham wrote: »

Yes we do "carry on" luggage for winter hols... One snag is the check in window of 30 hours prior to flight so cant check in for return or have your return boarding pass printed off. We do it online and holiday place will print off for us for a small consideration.

Thank you cobham, thank you for the tip! I will contact the hotel and ask if they can print this off for our return flight.

XxMCRxBabyxX

CJmasgrande wrote: »

I rarely fly airlingus it's usually Ryanair. Do airlingus do boarding passes on the phone? I never print boarding passes with Ryanair

Yes they do. There is an app but I think you're still emailed the pass and you can scan it from there.

VG31

RubyK wrote: »

Thank you cobham, thank you for the tip! I will contact the hotel and ask if they can print this off for our return flight.

Or you could just check-in at the airport!

Kat1170

VG31 wrote: »

Or you could just check-in at the airport!

If you don't book seats/priority boarding your return flight is often outside the dates for printing tickets/check in

VG31

Kat1170 wrote: »

If you don't book seats/priority boarding your return flight is often outside the dates for printing tickets/check in

I mean check-in at the airport on the return trip.

devnull

As far as I'm concerned Fast Track is really only worth it for the early morning flights.

Often I'm on the first wave of flights between 6am - 7am and fast track can be big advantage then, both in terms of being able to get half an hours extra kip and avoiding the crowds.

Last time I was there though the Fast Track lane scanner broke down and the next scanner was already being used by standard passengers which meant I had to wait almost 15 minutes to go through which was less than satisfactory

Hanley

Possible silly Q...

Where's fast track in T1?

Do you proceed thru the normal security gates and keep left, or something else?

Yamanoto

Hanley wrote: »

Possible silly Q...

Where's fast track in T1?

Do you proceed thru the normal security gates and keep left, or something else?

It's a separate entry point altogether, along the back wall of departures on the left hand side.

Hanley

Yamanoto wrote: »

It's a separate entry point altogether, along the back wall of departures on the left hand side.

Got it. Thank you. It. Is. AMAZING.

..as is the new Ryanair bag drop machines.

10 minutes after walking in I'd dropped a bag and cleared security, despite the queue being back toward the entrance barriers for folk without the fast track past.

Best bit of money ever spent.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

devnull

Generally Fast track at Dublin is always pretty good, apart from the one time where the xray machine was broken.

A few days ago I was at Barcelona, having been to the Barcelona game, knowing if I got stuck in the rush after the match I bought fast track security just as an insurance policy for the sake of €3.

I had enough time anyway as I just beat the metro rush in Barcelona, but when I went to use fast track the lane was there, with a shutter over it and totally closed up because of the fact "the airport was not busy enough"

In truth I had to wait just under 15 minutes to get to the scanner and of course it was no problem, however if I was short on time and it was closed I would have been less than happy with the airport.

I'm curious if the problem was Ryanair selling the fast track for a time it wasn't open or AENA pulled a fast one and closed it when ti was supposed to be open, either way it is not acceptable.

Walter Sobchak III

I am thinking of using Fasttrack for a 7am Sunday morning flight to Vienna. Worth my while or save the money for strudel?

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Idbatterim

this is the thing, the past few times I have used it (early enough morning) the normal q has been very short. I dont care though, I have been in that airport before with outrageous q's, the peace of mind it gives me, is worth it. If 1 time out of ten, its save a decent wait, its worth it, to me.

For example the other day, it took me way longer to get to the airport than I expected, due to the joke that is the m50. Knowing I had the FastTrack, I wasnt too concerned however...

Yamanoto

If you ever spot Ethiopian Airlines crew queuing for Fast Track, go the normal security route.

Mariah Carey's entourage would be more organised getting sh1t outta their bags. :pac:

meolwan

What are people view on using this around lunch time on a Wednesday mid November. Is it worth it ?

Cheers

veetwin

meolwan wrote: »

What are people view on using this around lunch time on a Wednesday mid November. Is it worth it ?

Cheers

Unless you're going to be really pressed for time I think it would be a waste of money.

MissD93

So I've never flown before, and I'm going to be flying by myself to meet my friend in Birmingham. I literally have no idea what to do in an airport so any advice would be greatly appreciated (yes I realise how dense I sound)

Mrs OBumble

Good read here: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/step-by-step-first-time-air-travel-guide-12490.html

It's American, but mostly the same.

However if you're flying Ryanair, you need to check in on-line yourself beforehand, and print your boarding pass (piece of paper that confirms you and your passport can get on the specific flight).

Locker10a

So first off you need to check in online via the airlines website, you need to do this to have a boarding pass needed to pass through security and board your plane. 
If you travelling with Ryanair you need to do this online. If travelling with Aer Lingus they allow you more options so you can do your check in online, or at their check in desk in the terminal.
Either way you need you boarding pass to get through security. When you arrive at the airport you'll need to clear through security and the check the monitors with a ll the flight listed for your flight and what boarding gate you need to go to. 
Make sure you go to the correct gate ! Both Aer Lingus and Ryanair have regular flights to Birmingham but they will be departing from different gates and different ends of the airport, ensure you have the correct gate! 
Information on security can be found here so you can be prepared https://www.dublinairport.com/at-the-airport/passenger-information/airport-security

schemingbohemia

If you're flying Ryanair you'll need a passport, if other airlines you won't.

If it's Aer Lingus you will enter via Terminal 2, if Ryanair Terminal 1.

Sorry just realised I'm presuming Dublin but you don't state where you're flying from!

uck51js9zml2yt

OP ..Who are you flying with?

PaulKK

Few things here that probably have been covered already.

If flying to the US, go to the airport half an hour earlier than you think you should. Immigration is a joke with them rushing people up to the front for flights that will depart in 10 mins.

Don't treat the departure time as the time you should be at the gate. Several times I've been on a plane 30 mins before departure for the crew to state they were waiting on 1 or two passengers.

There seems to be an obsession with some people of getting to the airport with the minimum time to spare.

Get the things you need on the plane ready while waiting to board. Book/headphones/paper/powerpack. Do not suddenly need to root in your luggage once you've boarded. Get on, put the bag in the overhead and sit.

Only attempt to board if your row number is called. Its not funny if you are in row 12 and they are calling rows 20-33.

Do not use the headrest of the seat in front to haul yourself out of your own seat.

Do not recline your seat on short haul or during meals.

Research the headphone socket on the plane and bring a small adapter if needed for previously mentioned noise cancelling headphones.

Go the the toilet before getting on the plane. The amount of people rushing to the jacks once the seatbelt light goes off is crazy.

Cut people travelling with kids some slack. Its hard enough without getting dirty looks.

Pack all of your metallic objects, belt, wallet and watch into your hand luggage while you are in the security queue and not when you get to the front of the queue.

Don't eat in the slaney. Seriously, its awful.

I'm an aisle seat man and emergency exit row if possible too. Don't underestimate the value of being able to get up whenever you like without having to climb over people.

Download maps offline on google maps for the area you are visiting before you go. 'HERE' maps are also good.

Don't sweat the small stuff when travelling. Provided you aren't going to the sahara desert, they have supermarkets where you are going to.

munchkin_utd

PaulKK wrote: »

<snip>
Only attempt to board if your row number is called. Its not funny if you are in row 12 and they are calling rows 20-33.
<snip>.

just for info, Aer Lingus have stopped calling by seat row/ zone in order to simplify boarding.

JCX BXC

munchkin_utd wrote: »

just for info, Aer Lingus have stopped calling by seat row/ zone in order to simplify boarding.

Since when?

AndyBoBandy

munchkin_utd wrote: »

just for info, Aer Lingus have stopped calling by seat row/ zone in order to simplify boarding.

Flying Aer Lingus regional (Stobart) they board the aircraft by row.
1st is rows 1-10 and then rows 11 and back.
This is because of the aircraft type (ATR 42/72), needs to have more passenger weight at the front of the aircraft before the back gets too heavy with passengers, which could lift the nose wheel off the ground, making the aircraft unstable.

Oddly though they load passengers into busses from the terminal in this same manner, rows 1-10 first, despite all passengers mixing while on the bus. They then ask again when departing the bus to board the plane to board rows 1-10 first.

munchkin_utd

JCX BXC wrote: »

Since when?

aer lingus introduced it last year at some stage.
Maybe aer lingus regional is different. That probably is no issue anyhow as the zone system REALLY broke down when dealing with people whose native language wasnt English, so flights to the likes France or Germany, whereas Aer lingus regional only rarely flies to a non anglophone destination
I got manys a flight to and from Germany with Aer lingus and rarely was the zone system enforced by staff or understood by customers.

No longer are “guests” asked to board according to seating area. Instead, “priority” boarders are called first, then everybody else.

“Aer Lingus’s view historically was that a complicated boarding process was best for guests. Whereas actually most guests want a simple boarding process,” said Mr Rutter. “People understand the rules, they’re not wondering: ‘Am I in row 23 or 24?’”

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/aer-lingus-smartens-service-for-guests-just-don-t-be-late-1.2787494