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

onway

Do anyone know how long it takes to do Pre - clearance for USA - I know there is very little to do when you get through there.

Speedwell

onway wrote: »

Do anyone know how long it takes to do Pre - clearance for USA - I know there is very little to do when you get through there.

It depends on the length of the line and your visa status, but assuming you have a valid ESTA when you get to the head of the line (or are a US citizen or permanent resident), it's a few routine questions and go.

If you have a more complicated visa situation (for example, you are using your new green card for the first time, which a lot of people do though Dublin because it is said to be a little quicker), it could take longer.

Speedwell

I flew recently though Knock West and Luton on my way to a conference last week. As a US citizen with residency in Ireland, all they did was stamp my boarding pass at check-in both ways. I use OCS for walking long distances and for help with the stairs. At Knock everyone was cheerful and kind, and at Luton they even pick you up at the parking lot and wheel you into the airport (you dial from the pick-up point and they come out to get you).

Pro Hoc Vice

sbEdge wrote: »

My knees normally touch the seat in front but they don't dig in until the person in front reclines on top of my knees.

I am 6 1 there is no seat on any plane my knees touch, it amazes me how any person under 6 2 touches the seat in front.

athtrasna

Pro Hoc Vice wrote: »

I am 6 1 there is no seat on any plane my knees touch, it amazes me how any person under 6 2 touches the seat in front.

Seat pitch varies from aircraft to aircraft and even within the same aircraft type it varies from airline to airline. Here's a long haul economy comparison http://www.seatguru.com/charts/longhaul_economy.php

Pro Hoc Vice

athtrasna wrote: »

Seat pitch varies from aircraft to aircraft and even within the same aircraft type it varies from airline to airline.

And I never on my many flights had my knees stick in any chai in front maybe I just sit upright.

Pro Hoc Vice

In any flight I am on, if paid lounge access is available I opt for it, usual cost between €20 to €40 while it seems expensive it stops me wasting money in shops and as I like a few drinks pre flight I would spend at least €20 in any bar for a few drinks.

Thoie

Pro Hoc Vice wrote: »

I am 6 1 there is no seat on any plane my knees touch, it amazes me how any person under 6 2 touches the seat in front.

People of the same height can have different length legs (the important bit in this case being the length of the upper leg). I have the same inside leg length as a friend who's a good bit taller than me. A lot of your height may be in your torso.

If you have a bigger bum, that pushes you further forward in your seat, meaning your knees are closer to the seat in front. You may have a very neat bum, and are not affected by that.

from_atozinc

This isn't a tip, just an observance / pet hate.

One thing that annoys the sh1t out of me is this.

I am sitting on an aisle seat towards back of plane. The only exit off the plane is the front door - obviously way up the front ! And 99% of the time, (the millisecond that the fasten seatbelt sign goes off) the 2 panickers in the middle and window seat want to get out of their seats and get their bag and stand in the aisle. . I have to move out to let them out and I then I Sit down again.

The 2 panickers will be left standing in the aisle holding their bags tutting waiting for the other 150 or so people ahead of them to get off. Sometimes this can be 10 minutes, longer if issues with door or stairs etc. All the time, I am SITTING there looking ar them thinking "gobsh1tes"

I don't get these panickers, can they not just wait. They are not saving any time really by doing this and just tut and moan when waiting in the aisle.

classic33

Lock your bag/case with a small padlock for that bit of extra security?

You'll be aware then that most of the small padlocks used require one of three keys to open them. And you'd be none the wiser. Use a small brightly

coloured zip tie/tie wrap/cable tie. Avoiding black, white & clear. Your case is opened, it's immediately apparent that it's been tampered with. The odd colour makes it hard to replace.

Just make sure you carry one or two extra. This from an ex baggage handler, whose "upset" some of the younger ones using these on my own luggage.

classic33

Without reading the 16 pages, has anyone mentioned using a flight tracking site beforehand, I'm assuming here that flight is a scheduled flight, finding the type of aircraft used and then going to somewhere like seat guru to try and get the best seat possible?

JCX BXC

classic33 wrote: »

Without reading the 16 pages, has anyone mentioned using a flight tracking site beforehand, I'm assuming here that flight is a scheduled flight, finding the type of aircraft used and then going to somewhere like seat guru to try and get the best seat possible?

Don't the airlines generally tell you the aircraft type when booking anyway?

classic33

Carnacalla wrote: »

classic33 wrote: »

Without reading the 16 pages, has anyone mentioned using a flight tracking site beforehand, I'm assuming here that flight is a scheduled flight, finding the type of aircraft used and then going to somewhere like seat guru to try and get the best seat possible?

Don't the airlines generally tell you the aircraft type when booking anyway?

There can be regular last minute changes made. And whilst for instance you can can still be on a 747, different versions, have different seating plans. Even the same version amongst operators.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

JCX BXC

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I understand that, but there's no advantage to using flightradar/flightaware over just knowing the aircraft type when booking, as they are both subject to last minute changes.

Pro Hoc Vice

Carnacalla wrote: »

I understand that, but there's no advantage to using flightradar/flightaware over just knowing the aircraft type when booking, as they are both subject to last minute changes.

A app like TripCase will advice of any status change also seat alerts will give a notification if a particular seat becomes available to reserve.

Indestructable

from_atozinc wrote: »

This isn't a tip, just an observance / pet hate.

One thing that annoys the sh1t out of me is this.

I am sitting on an aisle seat towards back of plane. The only exit off the place is the front door way up the front. And 99% of the time, (the millisecond that the fasten seatbelt sign goes off) the 2 panickers in the middle and window seat want to get out of their seats and get their bag. I have to move out to let them out and I then I Sit down again.

The 2 panickers will be left standing in the aisle holding their bags tutting waiting for the other 150 or so people ahead to get off. Sometimes this can be 10 minutes, longer if issues with door or stairs etc. All the time, I am SITTING there looking ar them thinking "gobsh1tes"

I don't get these panickers, can they not just wait. They are not saving any time really by doing this and just tut and moan when waiting in the aisle.

And then you'll see them waiting at the carousel for their check in luggage anyway! Arrghh it's so annoying

Spanish Eyes

The water honesty box is a great thing in DA. €1 a bottle after security.

I think it's great anyway. No queuing in a shop either.

For smokers there is a place off the upstairs restaurant/bar by Burger King in T1. Not a lot of people know that! I suffer it willingly for my smoking companions. No bother as it's outdoors, well like a rooftop terrace thingy anyway.

I hate the fact that there is nothing similar in T2. Well I will rephrase that, my smoking buddies hate that!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Fred Swanson

Fred Swanson wrote: »

Did you know you can walk from T2 to the smoking area in T1?

When booking flights, I will always book a T1 airline over a T2 airline purely because I like a smoke. Therefore Aer Lingus never gets my business and I fly a lot.
On the rare occasion I have to fly from T2, I go over to T1 for my smoke, you need about 20 - 30 mins to go between terminals.

degsie

[Deleted User] wrote: »

When booking flights, I will always book a T1 airline over a T2 airline purely because I like a smoke. Therefore Aer Lingus never gets my business and I fly a lot.
On the rare occasion I have to fly from T2, I go over to T1 for my smoke, you need about 20 - 30 mins to go between terminals.

Pretty sure your adjacent passengers will appreciate the stale smoke smell equally .

JCX BXC

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

The water honesty box is a great thing in DA. €1 a bottle after security.

€1 for some!

mahamageehad

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned by I swear by the TripIt app. It's connected to my email and it tracks all my hotels, car rentals, trains, flights etc. It automatically imports them from my mail. It keeps booking references, seat numbers, gate numbers etc. It has been amazingly helpful to me. I have the free version but I use it so often that I'm considering upgrading to paid (about 50 a year).

athtrasna

mahamageehad wrote: »

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned by I swear by the TripIt app. It's connected to my email and it tracks all my hotels, car rentals, trains, flights etc. It automatically imports them from my mail. It keeps booking references, seat numbers, gate numbers etc. It has been amazingly helpful to me. I have the free version but I use it so often that I'm considering upgrading to paid (about 50 a year).

I'm surprised I didn't mention it so I read back through the entire thread to double check and I hadn't. I agree, it's amazing. I love how it sends you your connecting flight details and gate as soon as you arrive in the next airport.

whomitconcerns

I've paid for tripit for 4 years now, one of the only apps I pay for. Invaluable as now it can track almost any activity type.

Speedwell

classic33 wrote: »

Lock your bag/case with a small padlock for that bit of extra security?

You'll be aware then that most of the small padlocks used require one of three keys to open them. And you'd be none the wiser. Use a small brightly

coloured zip tie/tie wrap/cable tie. Avoiding black, white & clear. Your case is opened, it's immediately apparent that it's been tampered with. The odd colour makes it hard to replace.

Just make sure you carry one or two extra. This from an ex baggage handler, whose "upset" some of the younger ones using these on my own luggage.

I used to buy numbered zip ties for this purpose, fastening the zipper pulls together. Then someone with a bit of a wild past showed me that you could open most zippers by pushing through them with a pen and then repair them by just pulling the zipper pulls over and back over the pushed-through part. I then used a second tie to fasten the zipper pulls to a handle so they couldn't be moved around the zipper. Once on an international trip to Brazil with my work team, my case was the only one that made it to the destination out of the five of us. I missed a company-paid shopping trip but it was worth it :pac:

random_guy

Is there any suggestion for a good rucksack to use?
Something for the laptop and usual bits and bobs without getting too bulky.

At the moment I have a SwissGear one and while I find the build quality brilliant it must be close to 10 years old now and due an upgrade.

What do people find they're using?

nhur

random_guy wrote: »

Is there any suggestion for a good rucksack to use?
Something for the laptop and usual bits and bobs without getting too bulky.

At the moment I have a SwissGear one and while I find the build quality brilliant it must be close to 10 years old now and due an upgrade.

What do people find they're using?

Probably too bulky for you but I use the MEI bag - about as large a bag as you can have as carry on :-) - has back-pack straps which you can hide into the bag if you prefer a tidier look.

if I'm just bringing a laptop etc i have a leather satchel thingy... visconti i think it is...

ItssDylannnn

from_atozinc wrote: »

This isn't a tip, just an observance / pet hate.

One thing that annoys the sh1t out of me is this.

I am sitting on an aisle seat towards back of plane. The only exit off the plane is the front door - obviously way up the front ! And 99% of the time, (the millisecond that the fasten seatbelt sign goes off) the 2 panickers in the middle and window seat want to get out of their seats and get their bag and stand in the aisle. . I have to move out to let them out and I then I Sit down again.

The 2 panickers will be left standing in the aisle holding their bags tutting waiting for the other 150 or so people ahead of them to get off. Sometimes this can be 10 minutes, longer if issues with door or stairs etc. All the time, I am SITTING there looking ar them thinking "gobsh1tes"

I don't get these panickers, can they not just wait. They are not saving any time really by doing this and just tut and moan when waiting in the aisle.

I am somewhat like them people. I always try and get a seat at the back of the plane. When I arrive at my gate I don't mind lining up for a while. I don't pay for priority so I just try get there as one of the first people and line up. When they let priority go through I like to be right there behind them. When they let you walk on the runway to the plane, from my experiences, a lot of people don't take the back door. Thats why I like it. I like to walk fast and get to it and get on the place. That way I am able to get my bag above my head and get into my seat and not be in the way of other people. I may have to get out to let others in but thats not as bad as trying to get to the back of the plane, and using the front door, Like I have seen some people do before... When the plane lands I like to get off it rather quickly. So I stand up and take my bag from above my head and stand in front of the toilets out of the way. I feel like I am in no bodys way here and it allows me to get off the place faster. I do it because after sitting on planes my legs get stiff and I want to get them moving again.
Am I as bad as them people, I'll let you decide and you can let me know :P

BreadnBuddha

Get to the airport early. Have your bottles of warpaint and shampoo in a bag already. It's not that difficult, so do it at home and put it somewhere you can get it quickly to put in the tray. If you don't travel often, remove your belt, coat, boots or other clunky footwear, put your keys/coins/wallet into your coat pocket and put it in the tray. Watch what business travellers do and emulate. We're through the airport a crapload of times a year and know everything that'll cause a delay for us and any poor bastard in a hurry behind us.

Same goes for the escalator type walkways. Single file and stay to the right, let everyone who's not 'out for the day' pass on your left without having to shoulder tackle you or growl at you. Tell whoever's travelling with you to do the same. Stand to the side when you're sauntering along corridors and in main transit halls/transfer areas for the same reason. Ask airline and airport staff for help if you need it. No need to feel like you're a nuisance, just don't become one by blocking other people who know where they're going.

Front of the plane, always. If I'm sitting behind row 12, I've messed up and booked/checked in too late. Early morning or late night flights, window seat. Easier to nod off. All other times, aisle seat. Long haul and not travelling business/first class, exit row seating if it's available, ideally window but NEVER in the middle. If that's not available, I'll change the flight. Look for a seat facing a bulkhead on the widebody Boeing aircraft as there's almost always more leg room than you think, often enough to get up and walk easily to the toilets etc. Pay for early boarding if you must but it's easier to always travel with the same airline if possible and get onto their frequent flyer programmes. Lounge access is a godsend if you're travelling often for business and you'll end up getting better seating and occasional upgrades into business class for EU commuter flights.

Pack earplugs, paracetamol, eye drops if it's a long flight, always carry a snickers/mars etc and if you can manage it rather than bitching about the price of the sandwiches or how you should have had the breakfast before leaving. For your own sake, travel with carry on baggage only if it's possible. Put your phone, headphones into your pocket before you board. Don't ever be the dick standing in the way or fidgeting constantly with their bag looking for their stuff. It's annoying and completely unnecessary. Sit down and shut up. If it looks like the person beside you is a business traveller, leave them alone and let them write up their notes or just enjoy the peace and quiet at the end of their day. Your trip to visit your favourite kickey ball team stadium is unlikely to be the highlight of their day. Amazing how many people think everyone's on a day off or going on their holidays. Air travel is like taking a Bus Eireann commuter for many.

If you're a smoker, don't be a dick. Get some nicorette or whatever and try not to chain smoke 3 fags before sitting in the middle of a load of people who have to put up with the stench off you. It's disgusting. You not liking me saying that doesn't change the fact. If you can manage a few hours without smoking by using a substitute you'll be less stressed trying to find a smoking area coming through the airport and can get settled in on the flight without coughing and wheezing and wondering why people are turning on the air supply when you sit down beside them. No need to argue with me over this. Smokers don't get it usually but everyone else does.

If you have to check your bags in, don't rush like an eejit to the baggage hall only to stand around for 15 minutes, right up against the belt, as though somebody's watching the CCTV and will see that your bag should come up the ramp first because you're so determined. Relax. If it's made it to the airport, it'll be there. Grab a trolley and stand back so people can get their bags when they're on the belt while you wait for yours.

Don't clap. People who clap when the plane lands are signalling to everyone else that they're inbred. If you clap when the plane lands, your mother plays the banjo while your daddy paddles the canoe. Just don't do it. Ever.