Yahoo News How early you should get to the airport for holiday check-in according to TUI, Jet2 and more
As millions of Britons will be headed to airports across the UK for their summer holidays this year, it'll come as little to no surprise that you could be faced with lengthy queues at the airport when travelling. Previous years have seen holiday hopefuls stuck in hour-long lines waiting to go through airport security, with Brits being urged to check the most recent rules for travel to minimise waiting times.
There's no 'one size fits all' time for people to get to the airport, as this often depends on your destination. You'll more than likely have to check in earlier for long-haul flights, but a number of airlines have dedicated guidance for how early people should show up for their flight.
Here, Chronicle Live breaks down the guidance from some of the UK's biggest flight providers.
easyJet -
easyJet passengers can check in online for their flight between 30 days and two hours before departure. The majority of flights will see baggage drop open two hours before a flight, but there are some exceptions. The Mirror reports that if you're flying from London Luton, this opens three hours prior to take-off, while Gatwick and Manchester open 2.5 hours before.
Jet2 -
Jet2 opens its check-in desks at least 2.5 hours before departure, recently issuing an update online which read: "Please check this section of the website at least 12 hours before your flight for the latest flight information. Customers are advised to arrive at their departure airport at least 2 hours before their scheduled departure time.
"In the event of any flight delays further information can be found by using the above search panel by entering your flight number or route. As a reminder check in desks will close 40 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Rest assured, in the event of flight disruption our dedicated Operations teams are always working hard behind the scenes at our UK-based HQ to get you on your way as soon as possible."
TUI -
A TUI statement online, says: "You can use check-in opening times as a guide, even if you’ve checked in online. Standard check-in opens at least two-and-a-half hours before departure for short and mid-haul flights, and at least three-and-a-half hours before departure for long-haul flights.
"Arriving any earlier than this won’t mean you can check in or pass through security early."
Pre-midday flights will see TOM numbers attached to tickets, which means that you may be able to use the airline's 'day before' bag drop service - which usually involves you dropping your bag off the day before between 2pm-9pm (in some instances it can be 4pm-9pm so check with TUI direct for full details).
Ryanair -
Ryanair, say: "We recommend all passengers arrive at the check-in or bag drop desk at least 2 hours before they are due to fly. If you have booked through an Online Travel Agent, have been required to verify your booking, and wish to do so at the airport, please make sure you arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight. For more details, please see here.
"You must be at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes before your flight departure time."
Wizz Air -
Airport check-in for Wizz starts two hours before a scheduled flight, closing 40 minutes before the flight leaves. However, 'in some cases, the airport check-in desk opens and/or closes earlier' say the airline. It adds: "Online check-in is available from 30 days up to 3 hours before the scheduled departure time if you have purchased a seat during your booking.
"In case you have not purchased any seats with your booking, check-in will become available only 24 hours before departure."
British Airways -
BA allow passengers to check-in online from 24 hours before they fly. If you're checking in at the airport, then the close-off time depends on the airport you're flying from. British Airways generally asks passengers to be at their gate at least 45 minutes before they fly, but this can vary dependent on destination.
Virgin Atlantic -
A statement on Virgin's website, reads: "Leave those last-minute airport dashes to the big screen! We recommend that you arrive at least two hours before your flight is due to leave." That covers the majority of flights from Heathrow, Manchester, Glasgow and others, but some destinations recommend three hours, so be sure to check.
You'll have had to have checked in at least an hour before you fly if you're planning on leaving it until you arrive at the airport. The airline's check-in opens 24 hours before a flight, and up to 70 minutes before the flight takes place.
