What happens at the airport?

sarahdh

Hi,

My husband and I are just about to book a holiday to the Maldives for December of this year.

This will be the first time I have flown as an adult and I can't remember what to do at the airport! How soon should I arrive? What do we have to do?

All help appreciated!

We are flying with Monarch (apparently terrible) from Gatwick. I'm also terrified of flying (which strangely enough I never was before), so any tips on that would be good too!

Thanks,

Sarah

Inactive

I would suggest that you first look at Monarch's and Gatwick Airports web sites, especially baggage and security.

Check in is usually 2 hours before flying time.

cornerstone13

Hi - your tickets should tell you how long before departure the check in desk opens (usually 3 hours) and the latest time before departure you can check in - but whatever you do, don't leave it that late.

We fly regularly from Gatwick and aim to arrive about 2 hours before departure. Go straight to check in - if you'd like a window/aisle seat, always ask. Once checked in, go straight to security - to get through security at present can take upwards of 30 mins. Look on the baa.com website for info about hand luggage (size, what you can include, etc) and make sure that you check any "prohibited" items in with your main luggage, rather than leaving them in your hand luggage and having to throw them away. Try to weigh your main luggage before you leave home, so you don't get any nasty excess baggage surprises.

Once through security (can include removing shoes, belts etc but seems a bit random), keep an eye on the banks of TVs showing the departure times. When your boarding gate is displayed, go straight through.

Take a good book as there will be plenty of "hanging around" time.

As for your worries about the actual flight, maybe someone else will be along who has similar concerns/solutions - we love flying (carbon footprint, what's that then)

Good luck

dmg24

Hi Sarah,

I flew with Monarch from Gatwick to Maldives, and they were absolutely awful, but being in the Maldives will make up for it x

alanrowell

What happens at the airport

You are stripped of your dignity & some of your clothing - the odds are your wallet will become substantially lighter as well

Find out what YOUR airline says about luggage, both cabin & hold, as different airlines have different rules - sometimes even different rules from different airports

At some point you'll pass through UK Security Checks. Try not to break the rules unless you want to start your holiday badly. This means checking that your hand luggage - including handles & wheels does meet the criteria - and that your liquids are the right size and in the right bag and your sharp things are in your hold luggage. The rules are enforced quite rigorously

knightstyle

Make sure you know which terminal you fly from before leaving home!

DKLS

And whatever you do keep your sense of humour to yourself, unlike the numpty in front of me at Heathrow, who said she had a bomb in her case, within 30 seconds, 3 guys in suits turned up arrested her and dragged her off. Flying has changed post 9/11.