Buffalo Airport: Questions...

[MECH8T7]

I kept on looking at those cheap SW flights for June. Couldn't resist and decided yesterday that I would go with DS to WDW for three nights take part in Star Wars Weekend. (Of course, DW didn't want to be left behind, so she is coming too with our two DDs.)

For those that regularly travel to MCO from Buffalo and do not stay overnight beforehand, how much time do you leave yourself to get to the airport? We live in T.O. and we are on the non-stop that departs at 5:30 pm. I think we'd like to be in the terminal by 4:30 pm. Do you think that leaving mid-Toronto at around noon will give us plenty of time (i.e., 4.5 hours).

Also, does everyone use curbside check-in? Any reason not to? Is it as simple as driving up your car to the stand, unloading your checked baggage, getting the SW personnel to tag it, park your car, and then proceed directly through security with your carryons and then to the departure gate?

Thanks, everyone.

 

[cabmom]

Hi, we are leaving next Thursday at either 11am or noon, to catch the 5:10pm flight out of Buffalo. It takes me 2 hrs from my home to the Buffalo airport. I give myself the extra time incase of delays on the highway or at Customs.
We did curbside in March and the only issue we had was the guy didn't give us our boarding passes. I had to wait at Security with our kids while my husband ran out to curbside to get them. We didn't allow ourselves enough time and just made it to the plane to get our seats! Make sure you get your boarding passes! I would park your car, then go to curbside. There are busses that troll the parking lots for people parking to take them to the terminal. That way you and your party can all stay together, instead of waiting for you to park your car.
Have fun!

Marilynn

 

[MECH8T7]

Hi, we are leaving next Thursday at either 11am or noon, to catch the 5:10pm flight out of Buffalo. It takes me 2 hrs from my home to the Buffalo airport. I give myself the extra time incase of delays on the highway or at Customs.
We did curbside in March and the only issue we had was the guy didn't give us our boarding passes. I had to wait at Security with our kids while my husband ran out to curbside to get them. We didn't allow ourselves enough time and just made it to the plane to get our seats! Make sure you get your boarding passes! I would park your car, then go to curbside. There are busses that troll the parking lots for people parking to take them to the terminal. That way you and your party can all stay together, instead of waiting for you to park your car.
Have fun!

Marilynn

Oops. We're on a 5:10 as well.

Thanks for the reply, Marilynn. Thanks for the tip on parking before using curbside...but, isn't the whole idea behind curbside is that it allows you to minimize the distance that you would have to carry your checked bags...or am I missing something?

 

[dsneygirl]

I would plan on being at the airport 1.5 hours ahead of time, you never know how long the security line up will be. I would give yourself lots of time. Go early, have lunch and hit the mall or Target. You wouldn't want to be stuck at the border or something and panicking.

 

[Scratch42]

Oops. We're on a 5:10 as well.

Thanks for the reply, Marilynn. Thanks for the tip on parking before using curbside...but, isn't the whole idea behind curbside is that it allows you to minimize the distance that you would have to carry your checked bags...or am I missing something?

That's the beauty of the shuttle busses! They drop you right in front of the check in!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I would leave around 1 pm to head to Buffalo. That would give you about 2 hours to get there and 2 hours before flight time at the airport. I shop in the Niagara -Buffalo area alot and the border delays in the afternoon are sometimes long (20 minutes or more). Also, you could be getting into the early part of the afternoon rush hour traffic around Buffalo. The last thing you want is to start off your vacation stressed out because you think you're going to miss your flight because of traffic. If you breeze through the border and miss all the highway traffic you will have time to get a bite to eat--you are flying over dinner time-- before you park and go into the airport.

 

[wee-haggis]

I would also check in online (up to 24 hours in advance of flight),then using the easy computer terminal at the SWA desk,sign yourself in and drop off the suitcases.Its a piece of cake (we got through faster than the curb-side folk outside).This ,of course,depends on the crowds,time of day etc.

 

[rigs32]

I grew up down the street from the Buffalo airport.

Given that you'll be entering the US during a higher traffic time - trucks and whatnot cross a lot at that time - I'd give yourselves an extra hour just to be sure. Like another poster said, you can always kill some time shopping or having a meal.

I always park at Sunpark - a private parking lot across the street. You can prepay and you end up spending ~$7-8 US per day as opposed to $10 US per day for the airport lot. They have a great shuttle service and will even help jump your car or whatnot if you have a problem when you return. They pick you up and drop you off at your car and they don't cram a ton of people in the shuttle like the airport one does. https://www.sunpark.com/premierparker/loc_buffalo.asp?location=loc_buffalo

The Galleria Mall is a couple miles from the airport, as is the Eastern Hills Mall, if you have extra time to kill. I can give you restaurant suggestions for a late lunch, too, if you're interested that are right in that area.

 

[wee-haggis]

Although you are not flying out until the evening, you might want to consider staying at a parksleepfly.com hotel.
We stay at the Millenium (across the street from The Walden Galleria Mall).
For $90 we get one night accomodation,free parking for up to 2 weeks and a free shuttle drop off and pick up. The advantage of doing this is so that you will have no worries about getting to the airport on time and the cost to park (assuming you went for 10 days for example)would be about $80 anyway.
Worth thinking about.
Go to www.parksleepfly.com to see other similar hotel packages in the area.

 

[violingirlinto]

Hi -- I'm also interested in how long it will take us to get to Buffalo from Toronto. We're doing an earlier flight. If we're leaving at 10:45am, when should we leave Toronto? 6am? Earlier?

Also, what ID should we have with us? Do we need our passports, or are birth certificates enough? Thanks for all the help!!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Hi -- I'm also interested in how long it will take us to get to Buffalo from Toronto. We're doing an earlier flight. If we're leaving at 10:45am, when should we leave Toronto? 6am? Earlier?

Also, what ID should we have with us? Do we need our passports, or are birth certificates enough? Thanks for all the help!!

If you will be away for a week or longer your best option might be to stay over the night before. The stay-park-and fly packages at the local hotels are really great. You sleep at the hotel the night before your flight and you can park for up to 2 weeks as well as you get shuttle service to and from the airport. Many of the hotels also include breakfast. The prices range from $69. The park and fly at BUF is reasonable but it might cost you the same amount to stay over.

If you want to drive it the morning of your flight I would leave about 3-3.5 hours before the flight if it is on the weekend. Give yourself more time if it is on a weekday(extra .5 hour).

Birth certificates are OK with a photo ID but if you have passports that is always the best.