What sort of air traveller are you?

[AussieOwner]

After an almost blazing row with my wife trying to get her to the airport this morning, I realised that we approach air travel very differently.

I apply the military view of "hurry up and wait". I like to get to the airport anywhere between 1 hour and 2 hours before the flight. I have always been of the attitude that one should try to get to the airport with enough time so that if something does go wrong, I still have time to make the flight. That I normally have to sit around is OK - I have my ticket and I am ready whenever they call the flight. It helps that my frequent flyer status generally gets me into some lounge where I can relax once I get to the airport, but even if I cannot get into a lounge, I will still try to get to the airport early.

My wife is the complete opposite - she cannot see what is wrong with arriving with just 5 minutes to spare. She has the most frustrating (for me) attitude of OK if I miss this flight, I will just get on the next. That attitude is ok for domestic, especially here in Australia where the flights between the major cities run almost every hour, but she has the same attitude for international flights, when the next flight is the next day.

I had a business colleague in London who had the same attitude - there was one flight from London to Copenhagen where I was at the airport well in advance and she turned up as basically the last person to board, running the whole way from check-in. She was very lucky that there was a very short queue through security at that time.

Most of my business colleagues are somewhere in between the two extremes, they accept that they need to be at the airport an hour ahead of the flight - no need for more than that, but not less than 30 minutes, although they do tend to lean towards the closer to 30 minutes.

So what do others do? Am I the abnormal person and my wife is the more usual?

[F8L]

I try to limit how much I fly but when I do, I am like you. I am there WAY early, especially in new airports. It helps to keep me from freaking out and being stressed. Plus it's fun to sit there reading and people watching.

[pdhenry]

I much prefer waiting at the airport for my scheduled flight over waiting for the next flight. I schedule for arriving at the airport an hour before the flight and add time for traffic.car troubles.

[judymcfarland]

Thanks to the TSA, we here in the states HAVE to be at the airport early due to the excruciatingly long lines to go through security. Add to that my artificial knees that set off the alarms so that I get the full terrorist pat-down every time I go to the airport. No wonder I'd rather go on the train. . .

[qbee42]

I get there early. I can't stand cutting it too close on anything scheduled.

You might think about checking your wife as luggage. That will save you money, even with the extra bag fee, and avoid any schedule hassles.

Tom

[moxiequz]

I'm definitely the "get-to-the-airport-well-ahead-of-time" type. 2 to 3 hours for international travel, 1 and a half to 2 hours for domestic travel. I hate the hassle of checking in and going through security but once you get that all out of the way you can unwind a bit. Especially if, as F8L points out, you like the reading and the people watching. Sometimes I can even manage to get a quick quasi-nap in.

[AussieOwner]

Originally Posted by qbee42

You might think about checking your wife as luggage. That will save you money, even with the extra bag fee, and avoid any schedule hassles.

Only one small problem - putting up with her complaints after the flight.

Actually, packing for a trip is another area where we differ - she packs well in advance, while I pack 10 minutes before I need to leave, although I do have to say that I have done so many trips (Qantas have made me a lifetime gold member because I have travelled with them so often) that I know what I need to pack and could almost do it blindfolded and still pack everything that I need and do it in the same time.

[tripp]

'ate flyin'. Can't stand it. Don't know why. I 'ate airports. I'd rather drive.

[patsparks]

I get there when I get there, sometimes early, sometimes a little late. I have been lucky I haven't missed a flight but I almost missed a flight to Belfast when I arrived 2 minutes late to an early flight at an unfamiliar airport, John Lennon, Liverpool. Fortunately with no check luggage they raced us through and we still had to wait to board. I'd like to thank Easy Jet for letting us fly. For real international flights I get into the terminal 30 minutes before I have to be there because of the cues at the check in counters. I love flying but it is costly to me and the environment.

[Godiva]

I'm a get there early in case something happens kind of person.