zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 16, 2017 18:13:39 GMT -5
You can buy a seat then save one for your companion. It gives you the first seating group.
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justme
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Post by justme on Jan 16, 2017 18:41:12 GMT -5
You don't get assigned seats - but there's no way she should have been separated from her kids unless they a) got there really late b) weren't paying attention or c) the kids are old enough. Every time I've flown Southwest they call for small kids and people that need help boarding after I believe section A. So only 60 people have gotten on board at that time. I think it's only for really younger kids, like 6 or younger. So I suppose there's that 7-13 age range where if they don't have any kids younger in the group they could get put at the end. But then all they'd need to do is check-in right when it opens up or spend the $15 to get automatically checked in.
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Mardi Gras Audrey
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Post by Mardi Gras Audrey on Jan 16, 2017 18:41:30 GMT -5
If you are using one of the Big 3 (America, Delta, or United), you can get around the checked bag fee by gate checking you bag.
Make sure your bag looks like it is carryon size (Although TSA doesn't check). Take it to the gate with you. Usually, the gate agents will announce that the flight is full/near full and there isn't room for everyone's carryons. They will offer to gate check it for free for you. You take it to the desk and they check it through to your destination without charging you. Then sit back and relax when you board (while everyine else pushes and shoves to be first so they can stow their bags).
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jan 16, 2017 19:32:41 GMT -5
I have seen United charge for gate checked bags at small airports. It's become too much of a game to not pay the fee.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 19:36:57 GMT -5
I'm all big people now so no assigned seating works just got our London to Dublin budget tickets today, 64$ RT.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 20:13:18 GMT -5
I just realized that Delta changed their policy on their 'comfort +" seats or whatever they call them. They now are a distinct fare class vs. being a coach add on. Which means I can't book my coach ticket for work, then go to the site and buy the add on. I'm really pissy about this, because that was the only way I thought work flying was tolerable. I wonder why they did that. I guess they found that enough companies were willing to buy it outright for their employees. I'd be annoyed, too- I frequently found ways to "upgrade" my business travel out of my own pocket, such as buying an airline lounge membership, and I certainly would have gone for that one.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Jan 16, 2017 20:31:04 GMT -5
They took over KLM and KLMs service went to hell (matched DELTA) but they are my best (only?) option for a non-stop flight to Amsterdam from SFO. Why oh why can't Sigapore Airlines offer that same flight, or Cathay Pacific, or ANA, or... Air France flies direct from Vancouver to Amsterdam. Service was ok, but not near as good as Emirates. I can get direct Seattle to Dubai on Emirates, but that is a butt numbing 14 hour flight. Air France is part of that wonderful Delta/KLM/Air France group Emirates would be nice too, but non-stop SFO → AMS is what I want. I will never again get stuck in an airport because I have to get my suitcase through customs and checked in again and then missing my flight (same plane, same seats) because my suitcase just happened to come out last and a lot of planes landed around that time... There should have been plenty of time to get this done (>2.5 hours layover and we were not late) but I was stuck for 14 hours until they could get me on the next flight.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Jan 16, 2017 21:05:22 GMT -5
alabamagal Is that the airline that you don't get assigned seats? I remember a lady in work was once seperated from her kids, but I can't remember which airline. You want cheap seat? Or you want assigned seats?
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jan 16, 2017 21:11:12 GMT -5
alabamagal Is that the airline that you don't get assigned seats? I remember a lady in work was once seperated from her kids, but I can't remember which airline. You want cheap seat? Or you want assigned seats? Southwest isn't really all that much cheaper anymore. they can start assigning seats.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jan 16, 2017 21:24:32 GMT -5
True it's costing me $500 round trip to fly from BWI to Las Vegas next month. The only things going for them are no bag fees and a non-stop flight later on Thursday night (aka leaving after 5:30pm). Otherwise I could fly Delta, American, etc for the same price range.
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justme
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Post by justme on Jan 16, 2017 21:26:05 GMT -5
Though, God help you on Delta if it's not non-stop.
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taz157
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Post by taz157 on Jan 16, 2017 21:27:37 GMT -5
It think it depends on where you are flying. I'm going to Florida this month and Southwest was cheaper than the other airlines.
No matter going to Kansas to visit my brothers and his family sucks no matter the airline.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jan 16, 2017 21:33:57 GMT -5
I've done okay on Delta but I refuse to go through anywhere but Atlanta. There is no way I'm flying through Minneapolis in January. Just no. I only fly a handful of times a year but I've found all of them can be late, mess up your bags, etc.
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justme
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Post by justme on Jan 16, 2017 21:40:13 GMT -5
I've done okay on Delta but I refuse to go through anywhere but Atlanta. There is no way I'm flying through Minneapolis in January. Just no. I only fly a handful of times a year but I've found all of them can be late, mess up your bags, etc. Atlanta's what screws up anyone that flies Delta...at least that I've known. The flight leaving Orlando was delayed because the plane was delayed in Atlanta. When it gets to Orlando the storm was here so we were then delayed. Get to Atlanta and it's basically a shit storm still 6+ hours after the storm left. Seriously lucked out to get the last 2 seats on the last flight out that night. Was supposed to leave at like 330 and arrive around 7....didn't get in until 2am. First and so far only time flying Delta, at least in adulthood. One of my Southwest flights were running late hours before I got to the airport - they let me switch flights to another one with no fee and no hassle. Only problem I ever had with Southwest was in the beginning of the switch when Air Tran still didn't have PreCheck and I didn't know that.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jan 16, 2017 22:13:43 GMT -5
I've done okay on Delta but I refuse to go through anywhere but Atlanta. There is no way I'm flying through Minneapolis in January. Just no. I only fly a handful of times a year but I've found all of them can be late, mess up your bags, etc. When I was flying back and forth to WA, ATL was the only Delta hub I got trapped by weather. I always got out through MSP and DTW.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jan 16, 2017 22:31:47 GMT -5
Guess it depends. I know several people who've been trapped in Detroit overnight and were most unhappy about it.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jan 16, 2017 23:05:04 GMT -5
I've gotten trapped in ATL (3x), Houston, and Chicago (3x). Burlington once, but I was leaving my dad's and our flight out couldn't land at the hub due to winds. We could have gone back but would have had to get up at the butt crack of dawn to get back to Burlington.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 23:33:57 GMT -5
No matter going to Kansas to visit my brothers and his family sucks no matter the airline. Yeah, tell me about it. My home airport is Kansas City (MCI) and nearly every flight in and out is a connection. I'd give my undying loyalty to an airline flying nonstop to Europe from here. I always schedule long layovers when I need to make a mission-critical flight (typically on my way to a vacation) but it's no guarantee. And, going back to the subject of Delta, DH and I once had a "direct" (stopping in JFK but same flight number to Edinburgh) flight that got diverted to Cincinnati and we barely made it to JFK on an alternate flight to catch our plane to Edinburgh. The plane to Edinburgh was a different aircraft than the one from MCI. And they trashed our seat assignments to Edinburgh. :-(
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jan 17, 2017 12:42:26 GMT -5
I always schedule long layovers when I need to make a mission-critical flight (typically on my way to a vacation) but it's no guarantee.
When I was booking our trip to Africa, as we were flying Emirates we flew directly from Seattle to Dubai, and our trip to the Maldives was also through Dubai. When I was looking at connection times, it seemed like I had a choice of either a 90 minute connection or a 6 hour connection.....nothing in between.
I chose the 6 hour connections, and on one of the 3 trips through Dubai, we would have missed our connection had I chosen the 90 minute one. When we flew from Cape Town to Dubai, our flight landed around 1 am and every freaking gate was in use (according to the pilot). So they wound up parking us in the plane parking lot (which was waaaaaaay away from the terminal, I joked that it was very likely employee parking) and bussing us to the terminal. So we would have easily missed our flight to Male (and our speed boat connection too) with the 90 min connection.
At least Dubai has lounge chairs that you can nap fairly comfortably in.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 13:18:04 GMT -5
Atlanta's what screws up anyone that flies Delta...at least that I've known. I'm flying to Panama City, Panama in April with a connection in ATL. I deliberately booked an 8-hour layover in ATL. I'm flying Business Class, which gives me lounge access (would pay for a day pass otherwise) and my cruise doesn't leave till the day after my arrival in Panama City. I bought trip insurance, too. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Jan 19, 2017 14:52:20 GMT -5
I haven't flown for a couple of years, but will be heading to Florida in a couple of weeks. Will need to check 1 bag, and will likely do boarding pass at home day before flight. Can I check in at airport counter the day I check my bag and only do one thing or do I still need to get my own boarding pass? BTW, Will be flying 1st class on each leg of the trip.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jan 19, 2017 16:02:57 GMT -5
I haven't flown for a couple of years, but will be heading to Florida in a couple of weeks. Will need to check 1 bag, and will likely do boarding pass at home day before flight. Can I check in at airport counter the day I check my bag and only do one thing or do I still need to get my own boarding pass? BTW, Will be flying 1st class on each leg of the trip. what airline are you flying? typically, if you print the boarding pass at home, what you'll have to do at the airport is check in at the pre-security counter with that boarding pass in order to check your bag. they will print the big sticker tag at that time for you, after checking your ID and boarding pass. flying 1st class will mean significantly shorter lines for that check-in, it might make sense to just do the whole check-in once you're there.
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justme
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Post by justme on Jan 19, 2017 16:27:52 GMT -5
Another option if you don't want to deal with it is use the sky caps. I think they can print your boarding pass too, but the two times I've used them it was just people checking bags that didn't want to wait in the lines inside. Typically you are supposed to tip them a couple bucks.
I have seen lines for just checked bags - but I think that varies by airport.
Most airlines also have kiosks now you can print out boarding passes on.
Btw - if you're first class there's also a decent shot there's a line just for you at check in.
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Jan 19, 2017 17:48:43 GMT -5
Chic: United thru Chicago then on to Tampa (Hello Zib).
Our regional airport has no sky caps or curb side anything. The limo driver will take my bag from the trunk to the curb, then I'll be on my own.
Smaller regional airplanes use a different terminal in Chicago, so I've also arranged for assistance after getting off the plane in Chicago. I can walk some moderate distances, but with only a 1 hour layover, I won't be able to physically make it to my next flight.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jan 19, 2017 18:52:23 GMT -5
good call on the assistance. those carts zip around airports, I've almost been run over a few times when I had headphones on. so the good thing is that you're starting with a regional airport. those are way smaller and easier to navigate as an endpoint. and from staying with the same airline, your luggage will get checked through to the end. Tampa is a pretty easy "big airport" to navigate (or maybe I've just been there too many times) so that's good, too. and when you come home, it's not so far from the curb to check-in/security, either.
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Jan 19, 2017 19:34:45 GMT -5
When we lived in Florida we always flew out of Tampa Haven't been back in it since 11-2001.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 19, 2017 19:37:33 GMT -5
It's easy to navigate.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jan 19, 2017 20:00:12 GMT -5
cheers, you know it well, then. they were doing construction when I was there this time last year, but they should really be done by now.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jan 19, 2017 21:12:42 GMT -5
I don't recall any issues in Tampa. I was there 3-4 times in my first two years with my current job. And then GSA spent like crazy in Las Vegas and all training got moved to federal space. I loved my trips to Clearwater.
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bookkeeper
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Post by bookkeeper on Jan 22, 2017 10:07:22 GMT -5
When I am looking for airline tickets, I often start at the destination.
I like to look up the destination airport website. Once there I check which airlines service my destination airport. Discount airlines will be listed, with their schedule, on the airport website. Then I can visit the airline websites that fly to my destination to check for price.
I try to book with the airlines directly, much less hassle when plans change.
I always try to be kind and accommodating when boarding a flight. Several times the flight crew has noticed DH and I helping someone else get seated and help get their luggage stowed. More than once we have been rewarded with free cocktails just for being a nice person.
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