# Early morning departures..how busy is the airport?



## Lauren (14 May 2007)

Have a 6.05 flight to Berlin on Thursday with Ryanair...Do I REALLY need to be at the airport at 4.05? Or will 5am be ok? Is it pick your own seat on Ryanair?


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## Stevo2006 (14 May 2007)

I'd say be there for 4.30.  It is VERY busy in the mornings, you'd be suprised!!


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## KalEl (14 May 2007)

Lauren said:


> Have a 6.05 flight to Berlin on Thursday with Ryanair...Do I REALLY need to be at the airport at 4.05? Or will 5am be ok? Is it pick your own seat on Ryanair?


 
The airport is probably busiest at this time because of people travelling to work and early continental and/or charter flights.
Personally I'd aim to be checking in at 4.35


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## jrewing (14 May 2007)

Dublin Airport is crazy in the mornings....thank God for Shannon !


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## Lauren (14 May 2007)

:-(
It will be an early and long morning then...thank you for your feedback!


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## Martinslan (14 May 2007)

"if you have time to spare, fly" ....every turn is a Q ....and it's just not fun any more.  I had reason to take that flight a couple of weeks back and I was very glad I turned up at 4.15pm as the Q's for check in and security were so long I nearly missed the flight.


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## foxylady (14 May 2007)

Lauren said:


> Have a 6.05 flight to Berlin on Thursday with Ryanair...Do I REALLY need to be at the airport at 4.05? Or will 5am be ok? Is it pick your own seat on Ryanair?


 
I was in Dublin Aiport several weeks ago at 4 in the morning and it was absolutely mental. Seems that there is no quiet time in Dublin Airport and as you are flying with Ryanair I wouldnt give me them any reason to turn you away, as it only takes the slightest thing.


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## NorfBank (14 May 2007)

Have you opted for priority check in?


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## Lauren (14 May 2007)

No, haven't chosen priority checkin.....Crikey...your advice is putting me off going! Didn't realise the airport was that bad during the week...Clearly not travelling often enough! But I'm glad I asked anyhow!


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## HighFlier (14 May 2007)

You need minimum, minimum, one and a half hours .The airport is bananas at that time . Long queue for check in and the security queue is over a half an hour at that time. Two hours to be sure.


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## efm (14 May 2007)

*Re: Early morning departures..What about long term parking?*

Has anybody had cause to use the long term parking facilities in Dublin Airport recently?

I have a 06:25 flight with Ryanair to Standsted on Friday morning and will be away for 5 days and was wondering does anyone have any recommendations - are quickpark still the best or is there a DAA carpark nearer?

I'm also travelling with children and grandparents if anyone has any recommendations on the best way to transit Dublin Airport without losing one or all of them?


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## KalEl (14 May 2007)

*Re: Early morning departures..What about long term parking?*



efm said:


> are quickpark still the best or is there a DAA carpark nearer?


 
Quickpark's day in the sun is over...you can never get into it so even trying is probably a waste of time. Plus they now charge €7.50 per day anyway and their web service seems to have died a death.


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## NorfBank (14 May 2007)

€7.50 per hour  
Per day methinks.


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## KalEl (14 May 2007)

NorfBank said:


> €7.50 per hour
> Per day methinks.


 
Lol...indeed-inflation really is bad in this country!
I'll edit it


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## sharecarer (14 May 2007)

I recently took that flight to Berlin on a Friday morning. Although the airport was mental, we didn't get there til nearly 5.15am and there was not one person in our queue to check in so we flew through!


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## Perplexed (14 May 2007)

Doesn't seem to be a quiet time in Dublin airport anymore.
Had Priority check in which I thought would be great & was for boarding. My prob was that the barcode was not clear on my printout. Scanner wouldn't read it so I'd to go back to the check in, who sent me to the ticket desk. Bit of a pain !
The girl on security though was really nice & told me to go straight up to her when I returned. Told me she had the same problem with her own ticket a few wks back !

So watch out for your printed priority boarding passes !


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## SOM42 (14 May 2007)

sharecarer said:


> I recently took that flight to Berlin on a Friday morning. Although the airport was mental, we didn't get there til nearly 5.15am and there was not one person in our queue to check in so we flew through!


 
This approach has definite merits.  Everyone arrives for their flight 2 hours before departure; result big queue.  If you arrive 1 hour before they will all have checked in.  Security should take at worst 25 mins leaving plenty of time to get to the gate.  If the queue for security is too long they normally allow people whose flight is boarding shortly to use the domestic channel.


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## EvilDoctorK (14 May 2007)

SOM42 said:


> This approach has definite merits.  Everyone arrives for their flight 2 hours before departure; result big queue.  If you arrive 1 hour before they will all have checked in.  Security should take at worst 25 mins leaving plenty of time to get to the gate.  If the queue for security is too long they normally allow people whose flight is boarding shortly to use the domestic channel.



There's certainly an element of truth in this alright.... also people turning up really early for their flights because the airport is busy has an element of a self fulfilling prophecy about it


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## gipimann (14 May 2007)

*Re: Early morning departures..What about long term parking?*



efm said:


> are quickpark still the best or is there a DAA carpark nearer?


 
efm, Bewleys hotel, on N32 (close to M50) offer carparking for €7 per day and will transfer you and family to the airport without a tour of the countryside or the various car parks! I arrived at the hotel at 6.50am on Easter Sunday morning, and was at the airport within 20 mins.

Return collection was a doddle too, the Bewleys courtesy coach "cruises" the airport for customers  every 20 minutes.

The car park is 2 underground floors, is enormous and there's no need to book a space in advance.

(usual disclaimer, no connection other than customer).


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## zag (15 May 2007)

It may seem mad, but these stories are adding a certain appeal to getting the boat and ferry again.  Certainly for anyone in the region of Dublin/Dun Laoghaire or Rosslare it almost definitely will be cheaper and could even be faster door to door to use the Rail & Sail fares here - [broken link removed]

Total from the terminal in DL to Euston - 7 hours.  If you live near Dun Laoghaire then it could take 1 hour to get to the airport, allow 2 hours to queue in the airport, 1 hour to fly, 1 hour to get into London (or faster with HEX).  That's 5 hours of go, queue, stand, wait, go, queue, stand, wait, go compared to a couple more hours watching the world go by while there's catering facilities to hand and (relatively) a good bit of space to stretch out.

Definitely if I was bringing kids and grandparents I would seriously consider this option over an 0630 flight through the dual hells that are Dublin & Heathrow.  At some point comfort takes on a value I am willing to pay a small premium of time or money for.

Now, if they re-introduced sleepers (not going to happen, though) they could well corner a significant number of business regular travellers between Dublin & London who value a good nights sleep over an ungodly-hour rising, a lot of queueing and a sweaty arrival in the office in London.

z


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## zag (15 May 2007)

I forgot to add it costs a grand total of €41 each way, no added fees, no levies, no fuel surcharges, no credit card fee, no nothing.  And children under 15 (not 2 as the airlines think) get 50% discount.

z


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## IsleOfMan (15 May 2007)

If you are going to be at the airport at 4.30 a.m. as I have on a number of occassions this year make yourself a sandwich before you leave home.
I used Ryanair's checkn'go and I didn't have to queue, however there can be a long walk to the boarding gate. On the Berlin side you can get a train from the airport straight in to the city centre. You will need coins for the ticket machine.


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## Lipstick69 (15 May 2007)

I regularly get the 06.50 to Brussels...and Dublin Airport is mental. 

However recently got a 06.00 flight from Copenhagen to Dublin. Was at the airport 04.00 with massive queue (longer than anything ever seen)...only made plane because I employed female trick of crying at male check-in staff (still was hundreds in front of me in the queue). Blew the female professional image, but got me home rather than spending an extra two days in Copenhagen.


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## Guest127 (15 May 2007)

does this apply to saturdays too? going to fuerteventura at 6am on saturday morning and was aiming for around 5am check in. is this cutting it too fine? have one priority boarding paid for but with one checked bag cannot print off the boarding pass.


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## IsleOfMan (16 May 2007)

I have noticed that the queues for the Canaries and Polish destinations very long whenever I go to the airport. Most of the airlines have reported recently that their load factor is down. Getting to and from the airport, checking in etc has now become a huge ordeal. Even the 1c flights don't seem as attractive anymore!


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## DipsyChick (17 May 2007)

Saturdays are just as busy. The FastPass machines are great to check in, it's a pity that the queue to deposit bags is so big. They have split it into countries i.e. Germany/Italy flights but the queue is still large.

We found that security moved very well.


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## Guest127 (18 May 2007)

thanks DipsyChick. early start so.
ah well. 
Hopefully by noon tomorrow I should be into my first San Miguel. then find a place for the cup final. 
its all go   
cheers


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## redchariot (20 May 2007)

Dublin Airport is nuts in the early mornings particularly during the summer months. Arrive at least 90 minutes before the flight and be prepared for a lot of queueing.


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