Sort of on-topic - Early AM flight strategy

[zeferjen]

Flying Spirit Air from Atlantic City to Myrtle Beach next month with my two kids. Our flight leaves at 6:15 AM. We live about two hours from the airport. I need to check carseats but no other luggage. I guess this means we should leave our house by 3AM.

Does it make sense to stay the night before close to the airport to minimize lost sleep? It seems like I can get a hotel for around $55. Or should I force DH to drive us to the airport so we can all snooze in the car? Or just suck it up and do it myself?

TIA!

 

[LadyBeBop]

I guess this means we should leave our house by 3AM.

At the very latest. I'm thinking more 2:30.

Does it make sense to stay the night before close to the airport to minimize lost sleep?

'scuse me for yelling, but YES!!!!

It seems like I can get a hotel for around $55.

Hope it's in a nice area close to the airport. With a swimming pool. If you stay overnight close to the airport, it's just like extending your vacation a day.

Try to find a park-sleep-fly hotel close to the airport. That way, you can park your car at the hotel for the duration of your vacation, and the hotel shuttles can take you and from the airport. Often times, it's just as cheap to stay and park as it is to just park at the airport.

 

[sam_gordon]

That's really a personal choice. Personally, I'd plan on arriving 90 minutes before the flight, mainly because of the ages of the kids. That's also assuming Atlantic City is a "smaller" airport. I fly out of a small airport and don't have a problem showing up 60 minutes before assuming I'm not checking ANYTHING. But, wrangling kids, getting the car seats to the check in counter, getting the kids through security, etc, should add to your time.

So, for me, I'd be arriving at 4:45AM. That means (for you) leaving the house at 2:45AM (I'd even add some time onto that as "just in case"... traffic, weather, construction, breakdown, etc can all affect commute time).

I'd get the hotel room the night before. Depending on hotel location, that would mean getting up around 4AM instead of 2AM. BIG difference to me.