Dublin Airport - Early flight advice

funkey_monkey

Hi,

I've got an early flight out of Dublin soon - 6:40am flight.

I presume that I'd be best to stay overnight in the airport (coming down from Belfast on a late bus)? I'll probably be down at 1:00am.

Are there any good places to rest for a long period and by what time do they start to get taken?


Thanks.

spurious

http://www.sleepinginairports.net/europe/dublin.htm

McDonald's seems to get the vote for Terminal 1. For Terminal 2, the Prayer room is always a good bet. People (other passengers) tend not to bother sleepers. I don't know if staff are under instructions to move them on, but I've never seen it happen. Just be careful with any valuables.

Vic_08

Is there any reason you can't get an early bus from Belfast? An extra few hours in your own bed is infinitely preferable to spending the night at the airport.

The 02.30 Aircoach or 03.00 Bus Eireann departures from Belfast would be the ones to go for.

DivingDuck

Vic_08 wrote: »

The 02.30 Aircoach or 03.00 Bus Eireann departures from Belfast would be the ones to go for.

The 0230 Belfast Aircoach won't get you into the airport until 0420. That's only a bit more than two hours before flight time, and not allowing for any delays or holdups.

I personally wouldn't be comfortable cutting it so fine, but YMMV.

McDonalds in T1 is a nice enough space to spend time if you can snag one of the booth-y bench tables, but I can't speak as to how quickly they fill up. My guess would be that arriving so early should guarantee you a decent spot, though. Good luck and safe travels.

Jimmy Iovine

DivingDuck wrote: »

The 0230 Belfast Aircoach won't get you into the airport until 0420. That's only a bit more than two hours before flight time, and not allowing for any delays or holdups.

I personally wouldn't be comfortable cutting it so fine, but YMMV.

McDonalds in T1 is a nice enough space to spend time if you can snag one of the booth-y bench tables, but I can't speak as to how quickly they fill up. My guess would be that arriving so early should guarantee you a decent spot, though. Good luck and safe travels.

04:20 is more than enough time to catch a flight. It will not take two hours to get through security, regardless of how many flights are going at the same time.

Just saw that the flight is leaving at 06:40. You don't need to get an earlier bus. Even with a delay, that's perfect.

funkey_monkey

I'm not in Belfast. I'm about 1 hour outside of Belfast and reliant on public transport.

LXFlyer

funkey_monkey wrote: »

I'm not in Belfast. I'm about 1 hour outside of Belfast and reliant on public transport.

Well then would the 01:00 Translink X1 bus suit you?


It gets to Dublin Airport at 03:05.

murpho999

DivingDuck wrote: »

The 0230 Belfast Aircoach won't get you into the airport until 0420. That's only a bit more than two hours before flight time, and not allowing for any delays or holdups.

I personally wouldn't be comfortable cutting it so fine, but YMMV.

McDonalds in T1 is a nice enough space to spend time if you can snag one of the booth-y bench tables, but I can't speak as to how quickly they fill up. My guess would be that arriving so early should guarantee you a decent spot, though. Good luck and safe travels.

How is two hours tight for a flight these days with on-line check up etc.

It's plenty of time. Dublin Airport has been an easy airport to get through since T2 opened.

L1011

murpho999 wrote: »

How is two hours tight for a flight these days with on-line check up etc.

It's plenty of time. Dublin Airport has been an easy airport to get through since T2 opened.

Two hours is rather tight for an early US flight

coylemj

funkey_monkey wrote: »

I've got an early flight out of Dublin soon - 6:40am flight.

How much time you need depends on where you're travelling to, which airline (very long walk to the Ryanair gates) and whether you have a check-in bag.

If you give us that info., people can give you a better estimate of how what is a safe time to arrive for a 6:40 flight.

I've been through both T1 and T2 on early flights in the past few weeks and security was a breeze because all the scanner lanes were in operation and there was intelligent queue management - people were being actively redirected to the lanes with the shortest queues so it all moved very efficiently and there was no bottlenecks. From the departures hall to airside took me less than 10 minutes on both occasions, I don't know why anyone bothers with fast track.

You would need to allow extra time for a US flight but I don't think any of them leave that early.

DivingDuck

murpho999 wrote: »

How is two hours tight for a flight these days with on-line check up etc.

It's plenty of time. Dublin Airport has been an easy airport to get through since T2 opened.

Not everyone wants to check in online. Some people have hold baggage and have to queue for bag drop. The road from the North in winter at night can be subject to accidents and slow-driving because or poor road conditions. The current terror threats mean security will likely be taken more seriously than usual with delays and double-checks.

In my view, when it comes to travel arrangements, it is always better to be five hours too early than five minutes too late. Your (air) mileage may vary.

Arbiter of Good Taste

L1011 wrote: »

Two hours is rather tight for an early US flight

No US flight leaves at 6:40am

Arbiter of Good Taste

DivingDuck wrote: »

Not everyone wants to check in online. Some people have hold baggage and have to queue for bag drop. The road from the North in winter at night can be subject to accidents and slow-driving because or poor road conditions. The current terror threats mean security will likely be taken more seriously than usual with delays and double-checks.

In my view, when it comes to travel arrangements, it is always better to be five hours too early than five minutes too late. Your (air) mileage may vary.

I flew through Dublin airport today. There were no extra security measures

coylemj

DivingDuck wrote: »

The current terror threats mean security will likely be taken more seriously than usual with delays and double-checks.

You're just inventing reasons to arrive 10 hours before a flight. I flew last Saturday and security was normal, got through in 10 minutes. But I'm sure that won't alter your cautious attitude one iota.

DivingDuck wrote: »

In my view, when it comes to travel arrangements, it is always better to be five hours too early than five minutes too late. Your (air) mileage may vary.

Every thread on this topic attracts people like you who think we should all be in the airport 5 hours before a flight. The pity is that infrequent travellers who ask take the longest estimate (provided by people like you) and think that that's the time they should allow.

DivingDuck

coylemj wrote: »

You're just inventing reasons to arrive 10 hours before a flight. I flew last Saturday and security was normal, got through in 10 minutes. But I'm sure that won't alter your cautious attitude one iota.

You're absolutely right: it won't alter my thinking a jot, no.

Every thread on this topic attracts people like you who think we should all be in the airport 5 hours before a flight. The pity is that infrequent travellers who ask take the longest estimate (provided by people like you) and think that that's the time they should allow.

I accept that I may be over-cautious, but I find the people who arrive too late to reasonably get through security and proceed to beg everyone to jump the queue because they're "just about to miss their flight!" to be far more annoying.

I'd rather be sitting having a cup of tea and dreaming of the extra hour or two I could have had in bed than be sitting outside waiting for the bus back home dreaming about the lost time on my trip.

In any case, the OP has had both sides of the discussion now and can decide whichever one best suits him, so my part in this discussion ends here.

coylemj

DivingDuck wrote: »

I'd rather be sitting having a cup of tea and dreaming of the extra hour or two I could have had in bed than be sitting outside waiting for the bus back home dreaming about the lost time on my trip.

Precisely my point, you see nothing wrong with telling people to waste two hours of their lives sitting in an airport which (if they have to travel a long distance to the airport) probably means the first day of their holiday will be ruined because they had to get up at 3 a.m.

ProudDUB

coylemj wrote: »

Precisely my point, you see nothing wrong with telling people to waste two hours of their lives sitting in an airport which (if they have to travel a long distance to the airport) probably means the first day of their holiday will be ruined because they had to get up at 3 a.m.

But if your flight departs at 6.40am (which the OP's does) you'd have to be getting up around that time anyway. If you have a flight that early, you can generally kiss the first day of your holiday goodbye, because you are going to be knackered tired from getting up so early. I get a lot of Ryanairs 6.30am flights & I always am, thanks to the 3.45am alarm clock call.

Arbiter of Good Taste

To be honest, if I had an early flight and had to travel to the airport, I would bite the bullet and check into one of the airport hotels. You will still have to get up at an obscenely early hour, but at least you can get a few hours sleep in a comfortable bed.

LXFlyer

ProudDUB wrote: »

But if your flight departs at 6.40am (which the OP's does) you'd have to be getting up around that time anyway. If you have a flight that early, you can generally kiss the first day of your holiday goodbye, because you are going to be knackered tired from getting up so early. I get a lot of Ryanairs 6.30am flights & I always am, thanks to the 3.45am alarm clock call.

I would have to agree - I avoid the first wave of early flights like the plague as you end up being really tired come the afternoon which kind of destroys the reason for taking it in the first place.

I did them for long enough to learn that it really isn't worth it.

Personally I find it better either flying the evening before (if it's for business), or else taking a later flight (after 09:00) if possible if it's a holiday.

Having said all that, 90 minutes is sufficient time to arrive before a flight if you have bags to check in, and 75 without for any shorthaul flight in Dublin.

If using long distance transport to/from the airport leave at least 45 minutes on top of that to allow for possible delays.

ProudDUB

lxflyer wrote: »

I would have to agree - I avoid the first wave of early flights like the plague as you end up being really tired come the afternoon which kind of destroys the reason for taking it in the first place.

I did them for long enough to learn that it really isn't worth it.

Personally I find it better either flying the evening before (if it's for business), or else taking a later flight (after 09:00) if possible if it's a holiday.

Having said all that, 90 minutes is sufficient time to arrive before a flight if you have bags to check in, and 75 without for any shorthaul flight in Dublin.

If using long distance transport to/from the airport leave at least 45 minutes on top of that to allow for possible delays.

That's very true. In a perfect world, we would all be able to pick the flight times that suit us. In a perfect world, flight prices are the same, regardless of their departure times. But that is usually not the case. The 6am flights are a lot cheaper than the ones that depart at more civilized times. It's the cheap flight that often makes the trip possible in the first place. So you just have to suck up that godawful feeling of sheer exhaustion, that starts to lap at your heels by mid afternoon.

LXFlyer

ProudDUB wrote: »

That's very true. In a perfect world, we would all be able to pick the flight times that suit us. In a perfect world, flight prices are the same, regardless of their departure times. But that is usually not the case. The 6am flights are a lot cheaper than the ones that depart at more civilized times. It's the cheap flight that often makes the trip possible in the first place. So you just have to suck up that godawful feeling of sheer exhaustion, that starts to lap at your heels by mid afternoon.

Well I tend to take that hit - frankly for me the effect of being tired later and having got up at a crazy time are not just worth it.


Prior to 9/11, it wasn't quite as bad as you could get through the airport comfortably with 60 minutes to spare (even checking in bags) in the early mornings, but the longer minimum check in times and increased security procedures just mean that for me it makes little or no sense to take those flights any more.


I appreciate that not everyone has that choice, but plenty do and still insist on getting those flights.

murpho999

DivingDuck wrote: »

Not everyone wants to check in online. Some people have hold baggage and have to queue for bag drop. The road from the North in winter at night can be subject to accidents and slow-driving because or poor road conditions. The current terror threats mean security will likely be taken more seriously than usual with delays and double-checks.

In my view, when it comes to travel arrangements, it is always better to be five hours too early than five minutes too late. Your (air) mileage may vary.

Even if you don''t check in online (but person has just posted on on internet forum so I don't see why you won't, and it's easy on the phone as well with airline apps) then you can quickly check in with machines (assumming it's not Ryanair).
Bag drops normally go very quick.

No idea what road conditions you are talking about, M1 is a good road for example but that does not affect the need to be at the airport 2 hours before.
Regarding security, I flew to the US last week and security checks were no different to before as they have been very stringent since 9/11 and I still find Dublin gets people through pretty quick. You can even pay €5 to use express lane if necessary.

Arriving 2 hours before a flight is plenty of time and the only issue would be US preclearance if required. For a non US fight it's loads of time.

coylemj

My point was/is that a lot of people responding to queries in this forum are putting out scare stories that the airport is somehow like a refugee camp in the early hours of every morning. Last Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m. I could see all of 4 people checking in at the Aer Lingus desks in T2. The fact that you have to pay for check-in bags and the availability of online check-in and the self-service kiosks means that very few people have to go to a desk to check-in. That and the fact that DAA can vary the number of security lanes in operation means that going for an early flight these days (of which I've done three since the beginning of October - T1 and T2) is no longer the nightmare it used to be, I sailed through security every time.

What I'm basically saying is that people should hand out advice based on recent experiences and not be scaring the crap out of people and telling them to there at 4 a.m. for a 6:30 flight.

LXFlyer

coylemj wrote: »

Last Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m. I could see all of 4 people checking in at the Aer Lingus desks in T2.

Being fair about it, that's not too surprising.

There's only 4 flights from the first wave of morning departures that would still be open for check-in at 06:30 - the rest would already be closed.

On the broader point - yes you're right. 90 minutes is more than sufficient time to check in - although if travelling long distance to the airport I would add extra buffer time over that (30 mins) to allow for potential delays en route.

funkey_monkey

Arrived at airport at 1:30am. Had my choice of seats upstairs.
As for check-in it didn't recognise my passport when I went to get my bag checked into the hold so had to do a full check-in anyway.

Last time I will do an early flight without at least getting a nearby hotel for the night. I was knackered all day. Used to not phase me, but I must be getting too old now.

Lima Golf

7am flight last Friday. Arrived at 5:30am parked in short term, walked to T1, checked in a bag at Ryanair bag drop (under 5 mins) through security in under 10 mins including a bag search and swab, long walk to gate 103, had a cup of tea and a pastry and a sit down before they even started boarding. As mentioned a lot of scare mongering going on in this thread. Dublin airport is one of the most efficient airports I've travelled through.

schemingbohemia

Lima Golf wrote: »

7am flight last Friday. Arrived at 5:30am parked in short term, walked to T1, checked in a bag at Ryanair bag drop (under 5 mins) through security in under 10 mins including a bag search and swab, long walk to gate 103, had a cup of tea and a pastry and a sit down before they even started boarding. As mentioned a lot of scare mongering going on in this thread. Dublin airport is one of the most efficient airports I've travelled through.

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[note to self: read whole thread before spouting rubbish]

Kat123A

Hi, can you put parfume, shampoo and conditioner in to a checked bag and can they be any size and are your suitcases usually safe in Dublin airport? Thanks

VG31

Kat123A wrote: »

Hi, can you put parfume, shampoo and conditioner in to a checked bag and can they be any size

Yes, the limits only apply to carry-on luggage.

Kat123A wrote: »

and are your suitcases usually safe in Dublin airport? Thanks

I'm not sure what you mean by this.