Ryanair - What Time To Be At The Airport At??

Sum Bus

Right, all of you well seasoned flyers are gonna laugh at the question I am going to ask.

I've booked my first holiday in a fortnight for a week to Spain. Flight leaves (Ryanair) Dublin on a Saturday at 08.45. We have to Online Check In but we have to check in two bags which have to go into the hold. What time do we have to be at the airport at? Did I hear somewhere that you have to be at the airport for 2 hours before the flight leaves, meaning being there at 06.45? If I'm not there until 7.30am - Will I not be allowed on the flight??

Our returning flight leaves Spain at 06.40 - so again what time do we need to get to the airport at? Again, I'll have 2 luggage to go into the hold...

As its my first holiday I want to know what times I should be here or there at - I don't fancy missing a flight!

mikedragon32

Ryanair state that you must have your bags checked in no less than 40 mins before departure time:

http://www.ryanair.com/ie/questions/up-to-what-time-can-i-check-in-at-baggage-at-the-airport

However, considering you still have to clear security and get to the gate, I would suggest getting there no later than an hour before departure so avoid stress.

First holiday in a fortnight. Lucky you. It must be a month since I travelled last

blorg

It really depends on your appetite for risk. I find an hour is fine, other people like to be there two hours in advance. The only difference between Ryanair and any other airline is that Ryanair are arguably less likely to bend the rules if you only get to the baggage drop desk with 38 minutes to go. There could be a queue at baggage drop so any less than 1 hour would be pushing it. I would be less concerned with security and the gate, once you make the baggage drop 40 mins before.

Having said that many other airlines are the same these days. I fly Ryanair a lot and they have: let me change a flight for free because I made a typo on the dates, let me fly home from France and the UK without a passport, and let me check in for a flight that was leaving in five minutes. All a few years ago... I wouldn't push my luck with them now.

Sum Bus

Ok thanks - appreciate it

So, check in for the luggage clothes 40 mins before flight goes but that'll mean rushing through security and running to the gate and for a first time traveller, i don't think that would be a good idea :rolleyes:

Our returning flight leaves spain at 06.40 so I would imagine we should ask our hotel to get us a taxi instead of waiting for a transfer bus which might only come at 5am..

witchgirl26

I'd defo leave plenty of time to check the bag in. Going to Venice last year, my mam had a checked bag & they queue was massive. We literally had to run for the flight as our names were being called & we were the last people on. Had gotten to the airport 1.5hours before the flight. It's annoying but it is often better to be hanging around waiting in the airport after arriving too early then racing through coz you're late!

Hope you enjoy the hols!

Sum Bus

witchgirl26 wrote: »

I'd defo leave plenty of time to check the bag in. Going to Venice last year, my mam had a checked bag & they queue was massive. We literally had to run for the flight as our names were being called & we were the last people on. Had gotten to the airport 1.5hours before the flight. It's annoying but it is often better to be hanging around waiting in the airport after arriving too early then racing through coz you're late!

Hope you enjoy the hols!

Exactly as I thought - Thanks!

So being dumb - our flight leaves Spain at 06.40 - What time would I want to leave the hotel at (it says transfer time 30mins)..... say 4am?

blorg

I would say, if you are tight for your flight and there is a big queue whether for baggage drop or security, don't just stand there, ask to skip it. You will be facilitated, they give priority to people close to their boarding time.

undo

In Dublin, at the end of each row of check-in counters, there is one labeled "closing flight". If it is getting tight, you should move on from the normal check-in or bag drop queue to that one. It normally has no queue.

Sum Bus

Thanks.

Not worried about going out - as we will be getting there ourselves and leaving plenty of time but just worried about the tranfer from the hotel back to the airport when we are coming home. Transfer bus (Plana) doesn't pick up until 4.30am and gets to the airport at 5.20am - our flight is at 06.40

Is this giving us enough time or should we shell out the €50 for a taxi??

*The Plana transfer bus is €9.95 pp return....

blorg

That bus sounds like plenty of time to me. Often the desks don't open 2 hours in advance that early in the morning anyway.

schemingbohemia

Which airport are you leaving from? Have a look at their departures for the same day you're leaving (eg Sunday) and see how many flights leave at 6.40am, if it's just a couple you'll be grand on the Plana bus.

Sum Bus

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Which airport are you leaving from? Have a look at their departures for the same day you're leaving (eg Sunday) and see how many flights leave at 6.40am, if it's just a couple you'll be grand on the Plana bus.

Reus

gaillimh

Sorry for hijacking this thread - but I have a 6:30am flight from Shannon to Stansted coming up soon.
I am travelling with no luggage whatsoever - I'll be checking in online. What time would you say I need to be gone through security at?
I'm an hours drive from the airport but may stay in an airport hotel the night before for the extra 60-90 mins sleep.
Thanks

blorg

I would aim to arrive an hour before. You only need to clear security with 20 minutes or so left, presuming the gates are nearby.

Virtually Solid

Hi travellers,

be warned with Ryan air when to arrive and where to sit before departure...!!

We booked flights FR9896 Cork to Liverpool departing at 19.40 on April 21st 2011. We arrived in the airport in advance of our flight at 18.00 and checked in our bags immediately. We were advised to check the screens for our flight information by the person who checked in the bags. Once we confirmed the gate number on the screens, we went to the departures area at 18.40 which is in accordance with your General Conditions Article 6.7. We checked the screens again which stated “wait in lounge”. As the area surrounding gate 2 (our gate), gate 3 and gate 4 were extremely crowded, there was no room to sit down, so we moved further down in the departure lounge and sat in front of the nearest screen. Again at 19.20we checked the screens and it still confirmed “wait in lounge”. In accordance with your General Conditions Article 6.7, it was now approaching 25 minutes before flight was due to take off, so we walked up to gate 2, checked that screen above the gate and it read “wait in lounge”. We followed the on screen instructions and sat adjacent to gate 2, in the lounge. A few more minutes passed and growing concerned about the time, my partner approached a member of Ryanair staff to enquire if the flight was delayed as the screens still read “wait in lounge”. We were then advised that we were too late for our flight. We turned to the screens and showed the staff member the screen which still displayed “wait in lounge”. The staff member then told us that Ryanair are “not responsible for the information on the screens” and that as passengers we should “not be checking screens for flight information”, they should only adhere to boarding pass information and that our bags were being removed and to move down to the service desk to complain. We continued talking to the representatives, and when we turned to leave, the screens had changed to “gate closed”.

I ask you what is the first thing you do when you get to any airport in the world - YOU CHECK THE SCREENS

So we had to pay €280 extra for flights to Manchester from Dublin (yes we had to drive to Dublin) and all this for following the instructions and getting to the airport on time and checking in online before hand.

Chasing a refund now - you reckon I will get anything back

looking for -

Flight from Dublin
Travel cost to Dublin
Travel from Manchester to Liverpool

I will let you know how it pans out

Worztron

How long should someone be at the airport before plane departs if they have luggage?

How long should someone be at the airport before plane departs if I have only have hand luggage (carry on)?

Do the early passenger arrival times depend on the airline or airport or a mixture?

zagmund

Yes, but what would Schrodinger have to say about this ?

z

Big Wex fan

I haven't flown Ryan-air in years, do they still use those old gates far off in the abyss of Dublin Airport. Seem to remember walking ages from the security checks to the gates last time, terminal 2 has opened in the meantime. Taking the early flight to Barcelona in a couple of weeks.

spurious

Big Wex fan wrote: »

I haven't flown Ryan-air in years, do they still use those old gates far off in the abyss of Dublin Airport. Seem to remember walking ages from the security checks to the gates last time, terminal 2 has opened in the meantime. Taking the early flight to Barcelona in a couple of weeks.

It's the long hoof for Ryanair.