 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Well I never arrive at the airport more than 90 minutes before the flight and I've never missed a plane..............yet!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
I've twice been really late for a flight (40 mins before takeoff!!), both times not my fault though. Each time I've ended up sitting right at the very front along with my companions!
I think the pre-bookable tickets is just a gimmick to try and persuade you to part with more money. I don't think you get to check in any quicker.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
The queue for check in is still going strong 60 mins before check in time, why go much earlier. I dont know ....why do i always go earlier?.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
The_Mac_Daddy, which airport are you going from ? Gatwick can be a bit of a scrum even at that time and when you do get checked in there is nothing open other than the bar. Sorry can't help with your specific questions but early checkin is a good idea if you are in any way overweight on the baggage. Late comers are more likely to be charged or have stuff left off the flight. Have a good trip. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
kuwait_ian, But the bar is open.....Say no more 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yep, i thought it sounded like a bit of a scam i'll turn up around the 2 hour mark, usually works okay for me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you do turn up the recommended 3 hours before I bet you won't be able to check in as the desks won't be open. These sort of "extras" really p***s me off, but sadly people pay it so they get away with charging it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
The_Mac_Daddy, you dont check in any quicker but two seats will be reserved on the system for you - last time I did this it only cost £7 - the extra legroom seats cost an awful lot more. We were supposed to check in at Newcastle three hours before a 4.30am flight - two hours before and only half a dozen in the queue in front of us - check-in was not open !!!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The extra legroom thing is now getting silly. I have a friend who is 6'4 and used to turn up and ask for a emergency exit seat, he usually got one.
Now they are becoming a kind of 1st class seat where you pay £30-40 per seat for the privilege and seem to be filled with people who really do not need to be there!
I once turned up to Birmingham at 5am for a 6.45am flight to discover check in didn't open until 6am! 3 hours my @rse
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
I turned up for a SWISS flight at Heathrow and arrived at the front of the queue at the time stated on my ticket as the latest time to check-in and I was told that I was too early and shoved off to one side to wait for people for different flights to go first.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
The_Mac_Daddy, you should have flown with bmibaby. They let you choose your seats without charge, and they only have a 30 minute check-in period. I fly with them pretty regularly and rarely leave home more than an hour before take off. Low cost isn't always low service.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A good check-in desk operator should really allocate emergency exit seats to experienced travellers who are travelling alone. As they are more likely to be able to perform correctly in any emergency. They can spot the experience factor very easily from the stamps in a well thumbed passport and will then ask if you have any relatives on board. It's happened to me once on a ski charter ex LGW. Having said that, I have some sympathy with lanky people who really do need the extra legroom.
Bit off topic but watch out for horrendous queues at check-in in Heathrow Terminal 4 for BA long haul flights - more than 2 hours standing in the Economy 'snake' is possible and your duty free shopping / lounge lizarding time just evaporates. If you travel enough to get to Silver level BA Exec Club you can checkin at Club Class desks even if you are flying economy and you get lounge access.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Thu 3-02-05 8:45; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
kuwait_ian: spot on about Terminal 4. Arrived in plenty of time for BA flight to India - and anticipating all the shopping opportunities I hadn't adequately stocked up on pressies for the people i was visiting - had 2 mins in the harrods shop to buy a teddy bear and some biscuits - but no time for my own duty free shopping... and barely made the plane. (although still seemed to be hanging around the gate for ages...)
p.s. back onto topic... when airline systems get it right then its fab. BA do online checkin (only joined exec club after the india trip!) and so far I have always managed to bag myself the single seat with emergency exit legroom going between bristol and paris
mac_daddy - I'd get it clearly defined what privileges you get before handing them any money...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
FenlandSkier, Thanks for that. I have a 0715 flight from BHX next week and was planning to get there about 5. Looks like another hour in bed is advised.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I always go 2 hours before (especially in a charter or low cost flight). However, I always seem to end up sitting in a seat at the wing which I don't like.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
The_Mac_Daddy, Given your location and travelling time , I assume you are travelling from Gatwick. Gatwick doesn't have the horrendous take-off curfews of LHR so the carriers tend to have different check-in schedules ( although I don't know MyTravel operating procedures.)
I wouldn't check in at that time anyway ( I fly at least twice a week and have only missed 1 flight in 20 years), and later means avoiding queues and the boring airside experience ( if they are using non-dedicated desks , just use the taxi broke down , excuse me technique).
Do you really care about being split up in the event of a full flight? Doesn't really matter on a short flight to me ( I sleep if I can) but we are all different.
If you want to know if the flight is fully booked just phone up MyTravel and pretend to be buying a ticket on the same flight .. ( assuming it is a charter/freeflow mix) and see what they say.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
The_Mac_Daddy, Should have added phone them up and ask what MINIMUm check-in time is ( use taxi wonn't pick me up before x hrs excuse)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
kuwait_ian, How many times have you heard of those emergency exits actually being used? Ditto the life jackets? Just a thought...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
Ditto the life jackets
|
Exactly, Plane crashes on water, everyone dies. Simple as that. Its just a "feel good" exercise
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Very occasionally the emergency exits and/or life jackets are useful. If you want a "feel good" exercise, how about airport security? The chances of a well trained and well kitted out hijacker being prevented from getting through with what is needed to repeat the WTC murders is low.
I have no problem with security measures, they're better than nothing, but it irritates me to see people prevented from carrying, for example, a nail file through security while they can see just the other side of security shops selling glass bottles, inflammable aerosols and a hundred and one other weapons. Have you ever been hit with a side of smoked salmon?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
beanie1, if you get an engine fire or something similar causing an aborted take-off, they'll open the exits and evacuate via the slides. Ditto for bomb scare evacs away from the terminals. For crash landings, agreed the exits and life jackets are probably not a lot of use.
The_Mac_Daddy, what time did you check in and how did it go ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
hobbiteater, I think toxic smoke from the foam used in the seats was the major killer in this event. I remember they spent ages investigating different solutions until they decided just to use different seat foam!
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
Paul Holland,
Yes, but it took ages to evacuate the aeroplane, if you're not trapped in toxic smoke it can't kill you. But thats why i say "may have helped". If the aeroplane had been turned with the alight engine downwind then that would have helped too. Aircrashes are chains of events. To say that the seats near emergency exits should not be allocated too those best suited to operating them is at best naiive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It used to be the case that seats near emergency exits weren't allocated to "large" or people that may appear to be of limited intelligence. I used to work for a company that did all of the publishing for the CAA, FAA, and JAA documentation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| hyweljenkins wrote: |
| It used to be the case that seats near emergency exits weren't allocated to "large" or people that may appear to be of limited intelligence. I used to work for a company that did all of the publishing for the CAA, FAA, and JAA documentation. |
How do they find enough people to fill the emergency exit seats on the average flight, then? The few travellers who aren't brain dead to start with appear to check their brains in with their luggage. Perhaps emergency exit seats should be reserved for snowHeads contributors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
hobbiteater, Sorry, I wasn't poo-pooing you. I just meant that they spent alot of time looking into higher tech solutions when the answer really was get rid of the toxic flammable stuff and help everyone get off faster!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Quote: |
Quote:
Ditto the life jackets
Exactly, Plane crashes on water, everyone dies. Simple as that. Its just a "feel good" exercise
|
Not necessarily so. I remember there being a hijack incident where a 767 ran out of fuel and the pilot ditched the plane just off the coast of a small island. The plane broke apart but I think people survived.
I can't find a link at the moment!
Edit:
Found story here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
hobbiteater, Paul Holland, There were a heck of a lot more changes in Air Safety as a result of that tragic event -- yes many other things were looked at, but the cause of the accident was an engine ... and you also owe the floor lighting ( and engine design features) you see today to the incident and a heck of a lot of other things ,,, boring if I went on but sadly no comfort to relatives
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Quote: |
I remember there being a hijack incident where a 767 ran out of fuel and the pilot ditched the plane just off the coast of a small island. The plane broke apart but I think people survived.
|
Paul Holland, I remember this also, it was filmed by tourist on the beach. Had it been on land many more wouldhave survived. I believe that water is oneof the worst mediums to crash onto
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
[quote="Frosty the Snowman"]
| Quote: |
| I believe that water is oneof the worst mediums to crash onto |
Yes, you're right, water is one of the worst mediums to crash onto in a plane. The ground is another particularly bad one. All the others are OK.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
[quote="richmond"]
| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I believe that water is oneof the worst mediums to crash onto |
Yes, you're right, water is one of the worst mediums to crash onto in a plane. The ground is another particularly bad one. All the others are OK. |
I would also think that Mountains (as an extension of the whole ground theme) aren't particularly pleasant either ...... and such a waste of good snow 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Okay okay, I would concede that there are very few, well in fact no good ways in which to crash an airplane. Water is like concrete when hit at high speed, but it also "grabs" any object that doesnt contact the water at the right angle or with the right shape. The hijacked 767 tried to make a controlled, if powerless, landing. The port wing touched the surface first and rather than skim the surface the water grabbed the wingtip, and caused the plane to cartwheel and break up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
which would mean leaving my house at 1:45AM, shame really 'cause i quite like sleeping.
We only got in because someone had forced the doors and they couldn't lock them. We were front of the queue though and so managed to grab a block of seats together for the 11 of us. Nice and early through to departure only then came the dreaded "bing bong, can Mr Hart return to security please", there was something suspicious in my boot bag. One bag search later and the suspicious looking item on the scanner turned out to be a retractable ski lock. What more could go wrong.
Anyways, i turned up at the airport about 2 hours before and the check in desk was empty, a right result 