Current Events > finally i am going back home to my family after 8.5 years this weekend YAY

(+) Yeah! (+)

currently waiting for the heat to die down a little and go the office to book a flight ticket so any tips for a airport newb
i only flew twice but i was escorted on those times so this will be my first solo flight
how much of ahead of time i should be at the airport? 4-5 hours?

My tip is to pay 20 (or whatever) for access to an airport lounge.

You get relative quiet, a comfy chair, somewhere to recharge your phone, and unlimited food and drink from the buffet, for the same price as a shitty burger from one of the airport restaurants.

if it's in my range i might

gikos posted...

currently waiting for the heat to die down a little and go the office to book a flight ticket so any tips for a airport newb
i only flew twice but i was escorted on those times so this will be my first solo flight
how much of ahead of time i should be at the airport? 4-5 hours?

3 hours for international. Domestic depends on airport. Some are busier than others.

it's international so a another country. for me to get to the airport it will take 6.5 hours to the city via a bus ride so i need to account for that as well.. and then there is the 5 hour flight...boy the jet leg will hit me after this
i can just get there early and wait at the lounge which i hope it's cheap and has unlimited foods for me

where are you headed, if you don't mind us asking

sorry i don't like to tell where i am or going for privacy reasons

Get there 4 hours early. Ive dine international many times. Sometimes it goes smoothly, sometimes random things happen that make it awful. Its better to be very early and read a book or play a game, than to be late.

Getting into luggage can take an hour on a bad day.

Going through security can take an hour at times.

Getting through the airport itself varies.

Customs can take a while too, depending on the day.

yeah i am thinking it's safer to be there at least 4 to 5 hours there so i don't miss my flight due to checks or random crap happening
also i might have to change my plans now and go on monday which is cheaper for me
my one concern is my laptop which i am checking the custom rules and if have to pay tax or shit even tho it's a 9 year old laptop so hope the wave it off due to it's age

gikos posted...

sorry i don't like to tell where i am or going for privacy reasons

Well, that makes it not fun at all

I live in Minnesota. No one cares enough to stalk me

bsp77 posted...

Well, that makes it not fun at all

I live in Minnesota. No one cares enough to stalk me

what can i say. i know i am not fun at parties!!!

gikos posted...

what can i say. i know i am not fun at parties!!!

Lol

I do hope everything goes well

bsp77 posted...

Lol

I do hope everything goes well

yeah me too
anyway ''checks for the cheapest flight and spots the plan name is boeing 737'' ......yeah i am going to go for another model fam

gikos posted...

sorry i don't like to tell where i am or going for privacy reasons

it's all good then.

I hope you have a great trip, and you get to reconnect with your loved ones, and even meet make new connections

gikos posted...

yeah i am thinking it's safer to be there at least 4 to 5 hours there so i don't miss my flight due to checks or random crap happening

I got to JFK 3 hours before my flight to Japan and was through security and in a lounge within a half hour. Even in a lounge 2.5 hours feels like a long time.

ai123 posted...

My tip is to pay 20 (or whatever) for access to an airport lounge.

You get relative quiet, a comfy chair, somewhere to recharge your phone, and unlimited food and drink from the buffet, for the same price as a shitty burger from one of the airport restaurants.

Interesting. I have traveled many times and yet didn't know that. So the airport lounge includes an Open Buffet on foods and drinks? Is that in every airport or just select ones? What is the food like, quality wise? And by "drink", does that include Alcoholic drinks or just Sodas?

guys i am confused
looking at the tickets there is one that is cheap but says no baggage but does this mean i can't bring my laptop with me or does this mean only that i can't bring it on the play but i can check it with the airlines baggage dept give it to them

FFTHEWINNER posted...

Interesting. I have traveled many times and yet didn't know that. So the airport lounge includes an Open Buffet on foods and drinks? Is that in every airport or just select ones? What is the food like, quality wise? And by "drink", does that include Alcoholic drinks or just Sodas?

The ones I have used in Europe and the US are an open buffet and most include alcoholic drinks (though not premium brands).

The quality varies, but they have all been decent to great. At worst it will be sandwiches, salad, fruit, and pastries. At best it will be proper hot food. Full English breakfast, burgers, pasta dishes, etc. I've even had a good curry in one.

never mind from what i find out i can bring a carry on with no extra charge as long as it doesn't exceed 7kg so my small bag should be good to go with me and the luggage as well but need to be carful with it's weight

ai123 posted...

The ones I have used in Europe and the US are an open buffet and most include alcoholic drinks (though not premium brands).

The quality varies, but they have all been decent to great. At worst it will be sandwiches, salad, fruit, and pastries. At best it will be proper hot food. Full English breakfast, burgers, pasta dishes, etc. I've even had a good curry in one.

Very interesting! And for only 20 bucks it is actually not expensive, especially compared to the prices of everything else in any airport. Thanks for this information, I will make sure to check it out then when I travel next time!

Just to make sure, the Airport lounge is the same place known as the "VIP Area" right? As I recall seeing those many times (though obviously not entering them lol). Or is it a different area called "Airport Lounge"?

For luggage, triple check the requirements and what you're able to bring. For something that quite frankly should be standard, it isn't. When packing, I'd recommend putting the most essential stuff in your hand luggage just in case there's any fuckery with your luggage. For example, you can buy new clothes or a charger if needed, but you may struggle to get medication or a credit card.

On top of that, if possible have your travel essentials easy to access. My bag has a pouch which is just big enough to stash my passport, tickets and supporting documents (I kept my ESTA paperwork when I last visited the USA for example). It means you'll always know where it is and can access it when needed.

Also on the subject of luggage, if you have something checked then give it something that helps you identify it. Dunno where it came from but there's an old scrap of cloth that I use like a ribbon with my suitcase. Ugly as sin, but very easy to spot.

3 hours early is a good line in the sand, although possibly allow a bit more time if you're unfamiliar with the journey. My town has a bus that goes directly to my local airport in about an hour, but it doesn't sound like you're so blessed. Best case scenario, you go through check in and security super quick and you're bored for a couple hours before your flight takes off. I've certainly had trips where I was at my gate in about 40 mins. If something goes wrong though, you don't want to be panicking.

Try to have a meal ahead of time. You can certainly buy food in the airport but it comes at a premium.

Dress comfy. Quite frankly there's a lot of waiting around and you don't want to be uncomfortable. On the same note, bring something to do, ideally that doesn't require internet. Decent noise cancelling headphones are absolutely worth their weight in gold.

Baggage allowances are a fucking nightmare. They aren't even standard across airlines. What is fine on BA is a 60 excess on fucking Ryanair. And they change them, so last year's 'carry on' case won't work this year.

So yeah, check with the airline you are flying with. And don't think they will be even the slightest bit flexible, because they won't.

reincarnator07 posted...

3 hours early is a good line in the sand, although possibly allow a bit more time if you're unfamiliar with the journey. My town has a bus that goes directly to my local airport in about an hour, but it doesn't sound like you're so blessed. Best case scenario, you go through check in and security super quick and you're bored for a couple hours before your flight takes off. I've certainly had trips where I was at my gate in about 40 mins. If something goes wrong though, you don't want to be panicking.

yeah my bus trip to the city is 6 hours and i need to catch the 2.30 AM one cuz that is the last one i can ride and my flight is 3.45 pm so i should be fine on timewise but my headache is surely going to be baggage
planning on just carrying a small laptop bag only and hope i don't get screwed over and be charged for it cuz of weight scale BS
''edit''
this is on my boarding pass
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/0138e980.png

crap basket!!!! it seems i missed my booking for the lounge so hope i can get one at the airport when i get to it ''grumbles''

reincarnator07 posted...

Try to have a meal ahead of time. You can certainly buy food in the airport but it comes at a premium.

yeah i know last times i was with someone some of the prices i saw was just highway robbery level of pricy so if i get the lounge i should be good if not meh i will skip meal and just fast with water only

gikos posted...

yeah my bus trip to the city is 6 hours and i need to catch the 2.30 AM one cuz that is the last one i can ride and my flight is 3.45 pm so i should be fine on timewise but my headache is surely going to be baggage
planning on just carrying a small laptop bag only and hope i don't get screwed over and be charged for it cuz of weight scale BS
''edit''
this is on my boarding pass
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/0138e980.png

Barring catastrophe, a bus so early will almost certainly get you there with tons of time to spare. Your actual issue will likely be the boredom!

Are you only bringing hand luggage? Sounds like it might be a bit light, but it depends a lot on where you're going and for how long. Obviously I'd pack it in advance, but I'd do a test packing ahead of even that just to make sure you can bring everything you're intending to bring. Speaking of stuff to bring, a USB battery bank is a godsend imo

reincarnator07 posted...

Barring catastrophe, a bus so early will almost certainly get you there with tons of time to spare. Your actual issue will likely be the boredom!

that is why i am going to just play fgo and some other games on my phone which thankfully i can play some gba games on it without much fuss so that should tide me over for the next 7 to 8 hours i will be waiting at the airport

reincarnator07 posted...

Are you only bringing hand luggage? Sounds like it might be a bit light, but it depends a lot on where you're going and for how long

yeah only that and don't need my other stuff which i am selling/giving them away. and i am going back permanently and non luggage was the cheapest i can afford sadly and i checked for baggage price and it goes over it. and it cost me 200 USD just for a single baggage of 25 kg max

reincarnator07 posted...

Speaking of stuff to bring, a USB battery bank is a godsend imo

apparently there is some dumb new guidelines about them and the powerbank rate or something so i might skip and just bring my own charger and keep using it on the outlets in the airports

annnnnnd done i am home!!!!
man glad i went in 8 hour ahead cuz just to get to the airport and the airport checking took forever and only ended up with an idle time of 3 hours only

Do you like your relatives? Enjoy your time.

Do you dislike your family? Slip Ex-Lax into something everyone will consume.

Storm_Shadow posted...

Do you like your relatives? Enjoy your time.

well do and i missed seeing my mom in person so she has been nagging me already cuz she too missed me.

Storm_Shadow posted...

Do you dislike your family? Slip Ex-Lax into something everyone will consume.

only family member i almost hate is my father due to him being a dick i see my stepdad who passed away as my real one cuz he was around for me thru thick and thin of times

so after a sleep and resting i can talk about my first solo adventure on the airport

first as ai123 said you should book a lounge cuz it comes with a comfy seats and food and drinks plus showers so that was great for it's price
airport staff were helpful even tho they were busy which i am glad i ran into nice people there
and i laughed at myself for fussing over my carry on cuz when i got to it the staff said my back is over the guidelines but said it's ok cuz it's just a few inch's and weight and let me pass thru. which again i am glad i ran into nice people

anyway that was the nice points but the only things i find ugh was the airport prices for drinks and food plus the lagging internet but that was a given with how many people are using the free wifi there
and lastly as said in this topic get to the airport early cuz trust me or us airport security checks will take hours for international and also make sure to wear a beltless pants like i did cuz i didn't want to bother taking it off for each checks some do and a easy to take off shoes as well

overall my first solo adventure was great but i sure do wish we had teleporters instead so i can avoid my ears feeling like they are poping and ringing during the air travel

gikos posted...

so after a sleep and resting i can talk about my first solo adventure on the airport

first as ai123 said you should book a lounge cuz it comes with a comfy seats and food and drinks plus showers so that was great for it's price
airport staff were helpful even tho they were busy which i am glad i ran into nice people there
and i laughed at myself for fussing over my carry on cuz when i got to it the staff said my back is over the guidelines but said it's ok cuz it's just a few inch's and weight and let me pass thru. which again i am glad i ran into nice people

anyway that was the nice points but the only things i find ugh was the airport prices for drinks and food plus the lagging internet but that was a given with how many people are using the free wifi there
and lastly as said in this topic get to the airport early cuz trust me or us airport security checks will take hours for international and also make sure to wear a beltless pants like i did cuz i didn't want to bother taking it off for each checks some do and a easy to take off shoes as well

overall my first solo adventure was great but i sure do wish we had teleporters instead so i can avoid my ears feeling like they are poping and ringing during the air travel

Glad to hear it went well, although you defo got lucky with your luggage! If it's not within the measurements then it's very much up to the whims of the staff that day.

Stuff like gummy bears and similar sweets can be good for the ear popping if you struggle to unpop them, but I agree that flying sucks. For short to medium distances, I'd recommend trains every day over flying and weep at the lack of investment in rail transport in both my country and the USA.

reincarnator07 posted...

I'd recommend trains every day over flying and weep at the lack of investment in rail transport in both my country and the USA.

yeah trains are awesome. my host country which is a eastern european country had great train system tho i mostly got lost on it a few times heh
but love how you can get around the whole city with just trains and busses and you don't need a taxi for the major cities
sadly their rural city doesn't have trains which i lived and worked under the table but their busses were great which helped. so yeah wished we had worldwide super rail to travel thru

reincarnator07 posted...

Stuff like gummy bears and similar sweets can be good for the ear popping if you struggle to unpop them

will do thanks for the advice

reincarnator07 posted...

Glad to hear it went well, although you defo got lucky with your luggage! If it's not within the measurements then it's very much up to the whims of the staff that day.

yeah i got that which is why am glad i was lucky and didn't ones who are fussy with it