Air Canada Check in Question for frequent flyers

[sjerrott]

Hi All,

Our AC flight out of Halifax leaves at 6:35 am. The AC website says check-in 90 minutes before the flight. However, I'll be doing online check-in so I just need to do luggage dropoff and security. What time should we arrive at the airport - I don't want to wake my children needlessly early, but I don't want them to refuse me service either. Any advice from folks that fly more than us?

 

[lizabu]

It depends where you're going. They always recommend getting there 2 hours early for international flights.

 

[minnie mum]

I'd still get there 90 min. early. You just never know when the lineups will be ridiculously long for no apparent reason. The last thing you want is to be stressed out being stuck at the end of one of these.

Once thru security you can have breakfast while you wait to board. And don't forget that sometimes they start boarding nearly an hour before a flight is due to take off.

 

[ccudmore]

When they give a departure time, that's the time the plane pushes back from the gate. There's so much you have to do at the airport even with online checkin that 90 minutes flies by.

 

[sjerrott]

Thanks for the advice - I'll do the 90 minutes but can I just say "wah" about getting up that early

 

[C&B Young]

I'd still get there 90 min. early. You just never know when the lineups will be ridiculously long for no apparent reason. The last thing you want is to be stressed out being stuck at the end of one of these.

Once thru security you can have breakfast while you wait to board. And don't forget that sometimes they start boarding nearly an hour before a flight is due to take off.

This. We've had times when 90 minutes was about 60 minutes too much, other times when it only gave us 10-15 mins. to spare. Airports are always a crap shoot (although I agree it sucks getting up early!).

 

[redrosesix]

I'd still get there 90 min. early. You just never know when the lineups will be ridiculously long for no apparent reason. The last thing you want is to be stressed out being stuck at the end of one of these.

Once thru security you can have breakfast while you wait to board. And don't forget that sometimes they start boarding nearly an hour before a flight is due to take off.

When they give a departure time, that's the time the plane pushes back from the gate. There's so much you have to do at the airport even with online checkin that 90 minutes flies by.

ITA with both of these. Depending on which day you're flying out, that can be a surprisingly busy time at our airport. And if you're pre-screening through customs, that adds another line you'll have to wait in and that itself is a crapshoot for how long it will take.

 

[mtmbyck]

It's actually not arriving so early to get yourselves to the plane but it's the luggage they must have. They won't take international (United States) luggage past an hour before the flight. Domestic is 30 minutes. So go with the 90 minutes. But as an FYI Toronto doesn't open security until 5am and the line gets pretty nasty befor that. Not sure how busy Halifax is