Bag and tag Dublin Airport

T

Trudee

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I'm heading off to Portugal for a few days in early August with two kids in tow, have booked seats in advance with Aer Lingus, and will hopefully be able to print out boarding pass for the three of us the night before we go. What happens when I get to Dublin Airport with the two bags? Is the bag and tag area very clear or will I end up checking in again? The reason I'm anxious is that flight leaves at 7:10am, wouldn't mind if it was just myself but it's getting to the airport on time with the two kids and thought I could shave time with the bag/tag and online checkin as I'd imagine Dublin Airport early August will be hell.
 
Trudee said:
I'm heading off to Portugal for a few days in early August with two kids in tow, have booked seats in advance with Aer Lingus, and will hopefully be able to print out boarding pass for the three of us the night before we go. What happens when I get to Dublin Airport with the two bags? Is the bag and tag area very clear or will I end up checking in again? The reason I'm anxious is that flight leaves at 7:10am, wouldn't mind if it was just myself but it's getting to the airport on time with the two kids and thought I could shave time with the bag/tag and online checkin as I'd imagine Dublin Airport early August will be hell.
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The airport will be hell...I was there this morning dropping someone to that same flight (Lisbon I presume?)
You go up to the desk, present your boarding pass and they take your bags...nothing too hectic.
I'd aim to be there at 5.30am.
 
The bag and tag queue after printing boarding cards is usually huge so you need as much time as a regular check in.
 
Is it feasible to split your 2 bags into 4 (1 for each of you) and carry on as hand luggage?
 
Bag and tag does not apply to all flights.

On a recent trip to Dubrovnik, we had our boarding cards printed at home, but had to go through the normal check in anyway, because the bag and tag did not apply to that flight. I kid you not.
 
Are you going to be bringing buggys with you? We had three pieces of luggage and two buggies, and we had to queue up to get checked in because the system couldn't cope with the buggies (you need tags for the buggies).
 
ubiquitous said:
Is it feasible to split your 2 bags into 4 (1 for each of you) and carry on as hand luggage?
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Great idea and avoids luggage at both ends. However what about all the items which you now have to put into checked luggage which you cannot put into hand luggage anymore. If its only the usual lotions & potions it'd nearly be worthwhile buying at destination rather than queuing. Might not work with the XL bottle of Chanel No. 5 tho.
 
Sorry can't help with the Bag and Tag question, but having gone through Dublin airport last Thursday morning, I'd suggest being there for 5am, not 5.30am! Plan on having breaky there! Security is crazy at the moment, and although we were there 90 min before our flight the queues as security were 60 min and we only just made our flight - a number of people were offloaded from the flight after they didn't make it!
 
If one of the children is still in a buggy, you can head to the top of the security queue (certainly down the Ryanair end of the building (the security gate on the right). Not sure about the one on the left (if they have a quick entrance for children in buggies/business class). Or is this stopped for the summer season?
 
Trudee said:
I'm heading off to Portugal for a few days in early August with two kids in tow, have booked seats in advance with Aer Lingus, and will hopefully be able to print out boarding pass for the three of us the night before we go.
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In case it applies to you - if the kids are on your passport you can't check in online as you need unique passport numbers for each individual.
 
When I was there about six weeks ago we were told that absolutely no one, with kids or late for flights, could enter ahead of anyone else. That said I saw one airline person let in about 12 people near the top much to the outcry of those queueing for about 40 minutes just to get that far! Near riot situation! Allow double the time you think it takes so as not be late I advise!
 
No buggies thankfully and yes flight is to Lisbon, sounds like hell already, am dreading it, and the last question is; if I've done the online seats, the online check in then what time would you have to get an Aircoach from D.4 to get you out to the airport in time for all that's been mentioned!
 
demoivre said:
In case it applies to you - if the kids are on your passport you can't check in online as you need unique passport numbers for each individual.
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Just read this and now realise that yes the kids are on my passport so that knocks the online check-in on it's head, nothing for it then to sleep in the airport!
 
You can often get a room in one of the hotels adjacent to the airport for under €100 which can be worth paying to stay over the day before an early start.
 
could you drive there early morning or get a cab (that might be cheaper than parking in the airport and worrying about the bus to and from the car parks), Trudee it sounds so stressful you'll need the holier!!
 
I wouldn't mind but I buckled under pressure from the eldest daughter who I think is feeling deprived 'cause all her school friends are going off abroad with parents, usually it's Clonakilty for a long weekend and trust me with what I'm reading above and an ever increasing sense of foreboding about Dublin Airport this will be the last time I'm going abroad unless I have to!
 
I wouldn't rely on the aircoach at that hour of the morning. I'm not sure whether they are reliable or not at that time, but quite simply I just wouldn't rely on something running once an hour at that time of night. What happens if one of the drivers is off sick or a bus has a puncture and they miss a run ? During the middle of the day (from Donnybrook inwards) when you have both routes together and a nominal 10 minute interval I still get nervous with several hours to go before take off.

Anytime I have to catch early flights for work (thankfully very rarely now) I book a cab rather than get the bus. I quite happily get the coach home alright.

I would suggest booking into one of the hotels (Holiday Inn Express is nice, in parkland, etc . . . see other posts for pros/cons of the various hotels) the night before and making a bit of an early start to the hols - cinema in Santry, maybe go for dinner in one of the restaurants, etc . . . and then just book the hotel shuttle for whatever time it is in the morning.

As for your last point - I have definitely been doing my bit to reduce carbon emissions this year, but more out of a severe loathing for Dublin Airport developed while queueing in a totally unmanaged and ridiculously long queue last December. We were many hours early arriving at the door of the airport, but to travel the 300m from one side of the terminal to the other was one of the most unpleasant experiences I never wish to experience again . . . .

z
 
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