6 AM Delta flight out of BNA, how early to show up?

[peg2001]

BNA (Nashville) opens their airline counters at 4:30 am. I'm leaning towards being there at opening for our 6:00 am flight.

The hotel shuttle folks suggested that I take their 5:00 am shuttle to the airport since they are only 5 minutes away. They think this is plenty of time.

What do you think, for such an early flight?

Thanks,
Peggy

 

[Lewisc]

If you have a boarding pass and a confirmed reservation I'd go with what the hotel suggests (although my wife would get there when they open).

 

[prncess674]

It would help if we knew the day of the week you are flying, and the airline. Are you flying on a holiday or holiday weekend? All these things factor in.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Peggy,
I would call Delta, or go to their website, and see what they suggest.

 

[kylara]

I would be careful about just taking the airlines word. When my mom came down in January (using Delta), they specifically quoted the "two hour early" time rule. However, they didn't take into account that the airport wasn't even open that early, including their counters. There were a bunch of people on Delta flights waiting for the counters to open because they had been told "two hours early".

I would try and find out what the crowds are like and how long it might take to get through the security checkpoints. If you are able to get that estimate, you can then make the decision between 4:30am or 5:00 am.

 

[CarolA]

Day of the week does not matter.

I fly out of BNA all the time. The 5 am shuttle should be fine. Trust me there is NO ONE there at 4:30 except for a few workers.

My suggestion is to either use the skycap or the check in kiosks at Delta and then just head thru security which is about a 2 min walk. The gates are not far either. I am pretty sure that DL is one of the few airlines flying out that early so the security line is fairly short.

I came flying in the other day with 30 minutes before my plane and was at the gate WELL before boarding and I did check luggage.

 

[prncess674]

Is curb side check in available for your airline? This can save alot of time. I haven't personally spent alot of time at BNA. The good news is you don't share a terminal with Southwest. It always seems that the terminals used by SWA always have longer security lines. From the BNA website SWA uses C and Delta uses B.

http://www.flynashville.com/

Delta website concurs with Carol.

http://www.delta.com/cwswaittime/servlet/AirportWaitTime?cmd=fetch2

Curbside 10 mins
Ticket Counter 10 mins
Security Check 15 mins

Using the kiosks is a great time saver.

http://www.delta.com/travel/trav_serv/kiosk/index.jsp

If you have purchased a Delta e>ticket for a domestic flight, our self-service kiosk gives you a quick alternative to lines at the airport.
Check in and get your boarding passes for originating and connecting flights.
Check your baggage.
Change your flight or standby for an earlier flight.
Select or change your seat assignments.
Provide for multiparty check-in.
Request a receipt for your e>ticket.
Find out about possible flight delays or cancellations.
Review your itinerary and seat assignment

 

[peg2001]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I am flying Delta on a Wednesday. According to the Delta website, this will be a non-peak day at a non-peak time.

Delta does have curbside check-in but I wasn't sure if they would be there that early.

I do have an e-ticket so I like the check-in via kiosk idea. That certainly helps speed things up to get the boarding passes.

I appreciate all the advice and actual experience with BNA. I guess all the 2-hour warnings make me nervous.

Peggy