How early should I go to the Calgary Airport? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

InSutterWeTrust · 01-07-2010, 11:17 AM

I have a flight that leaves at 6:55am for Houston on Saturday.
I'm hearing from some people to be at the airport for 4:00am and others have said as early as 3:00am. Just wondering what fellow Cp'ers think?

drewboy12 · 01-07-2010, 11:21 AM

You wont be able to enter customs until they call your flight...

Go early enough to check into your flight, but it will be about an hour before your flight that you will be able to go threw customs. I say be there by 4:15 or 4:30 and you will be fine.

drewboy12 · 01-07-2010, 11:23 AM

ps... Make sure you know the new luggage requirements. Check them out, and make sure you check all your bags or have the correct bags. ie. laptop bag is allowed. rollers and backpacks are not.

csnarpy · 01-07-2010, 11:25 AM

what if your backpack is a laptop bag?

valo403 · 01-07-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drewboy12

You wont be able to enter customs until they call your flight...

Go early enough to check into your flight, but it will be about an hour before your flight that you will be able to go threw customs. I say be there by 4:15 or 4:30 and you will be fine.

You can go through customs 2.5 hours before your flight.

I flew to NYC on monday and found the check in process to be the only real hassle, simply not enough agents. Customs went as quick as usual, maybe better, and security was actually quicker than I've seen in the past.

As for carry-ons, it seems to be a pretty randomly enforced rule. I saw people with full laptop bags on my flight, after being told that only the laptop itself would be allowed. I found it easier to just carry the laptop and not risk any hassle.

valo403 · 01-07-2010, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drewboy12

ps... Make sure you know the new luggage requirements. Check them out, and make sure you check all your bags or have the correct bags. ie. laptop bag is allowed. rollers and backpacks are not.

According to the actual rule laptop bags are not allowed, but they seem to be letting people take them.

Table 5 · 01-07-2010, 11:42 AM

I flew to the states last Saturday, and I was there 3 hours earlier (I'm on my way to being Fotze's dad)....and made it to my gate with only 10 minutes to spare. The issue was not security, or customs, but Air Canada at the check-in. There were atleast 100 people in line to check in, yet they decided 3 clerks would be more than enough to handle all the American-bound traffic.... funnily enough the 10 people in the Mexico line had the same number of agents.

It took almost 2 hours in that one section alone. Customs etc, was actually a bit of a breeze....slight delays over the usual, but not that much.

Table 5 · 01-07-2010, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valo403

According to the actual rule laptop bags are not allowed, but they seem to be letting people take them.

I think it really depends on the laptop bag and how bulky it appears. Mine is really slim and only fits the laptop itself, so it was let through. I did see some guys with bulkier ones with pockets etc, that weren't so lucky.

Oh, and purses are allowed.

Ryan Coke · 01-07-2010, 11:56 AM

Laptop bags OK, not laptop backpacks.

Check out the home page on www.westjet.com for more details

worth · 01-07-2010, 12:00 PM

You're already late.

valo403 · 01-07-2010, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

I think it really depends on the laptop bag and how bulky it appears. Mine is really slim and only fits the laptop itself, so it was let through. I did see some guys with bulkier ones with pockets etc, that weren't so lucky.

Oh, and purses are allowed.

I saw a few people with full sized laptop bags, huge pockets, power cords etc.

It seemed the standards on what was allowed on board were pretty random, but I'd suggest taking as little as needed just in case they crack down.

BTW, I had the same experience with AC check-in. I spoke to a friend who works there and he said they just don't have the numbers (and the contract required breaks don't help). People are showing up so early that the process just gets jammed up, hopefully they find a way to work it out soon. It would also help if people could figure out how to use a check-in kiosk, it's not all that hard.

Tyler · 01-07-2010, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

Laptop bags OK, not laptop backpacks.

Check out the home page on www.westjet.com for more details

I took a regular backpack with a laptop inside it on Tuesday down to California and had no issues.

Things aren't quite as bad as they were in December.

Just make sure you don't have a bunch of other junk in there and you'll be fine (ie - just your power cords, a camera, flight itinery, etc)

SinceDay1 · 01-07-2010, 12:26 PM

Are the luggage/carry on restrictions being enforced on all flights departing YYC or just US bound destinations. I'll be traveling to Toronto in a couple of weeks. Lucky me.

BBQorMILDEW · 01-07-2010, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SinceDay1

Are the luggage/carry on restrictions being enforced on all flights departing YYC or just US bound destinations. I'll be traveling to Toronto in a couple of weeks. Lucky me.

Only on US destinations, your flight to Toronto will be fine.

As for the OP:

If your flight is at 6:55 please come at 4:15 to ensure your place in line. But even if you are late the airlines usually speed things up for you to get you on the plane.

It's doesn't take as long as you think.

calgaryrocks · 01-07-2010, 01:11 PM

i think its stupid that we are being charged to have checked luggage (depending on the airline) and now aren't being allowed to take carry on luggage (aside from laptops, camera etc). basically they are forcing us to pay a fee to bring anything on the plain that isn't a laptop or able to fit in a pocket.

valo403 · 01-07-2010, 01:38 PM

Air Canada is allowing 3 checked bags without charge, it worked out great for me.

VladtheImpaler · 01-07-2010, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calgaryrocks

i think its stupid that we are being charged to have checked luggage (depending on the airline) and now aren't being allowed to take carry on luggage (aside from laptops, camera etc). basically they are forcing us to pay a fee to bring anything on the plain that isn't a laptop or able to fit in a pocket.

The airlines are waiving the charges due to this. That doesn't make the "no carry-on" rule any less moronic mind you. This means I lose about 45 minutes of time at the poker table when I go to Vegas next Saturday, as well as about an hour sleep because I'll have to check a fataing bag. Fataing over-reacting dim-witted bureaucrat morons!

Table 5 · 01-07-2010, 01:44 PM

Yeah, they are actually pretty cool about that. There are lots of reasons to curse out AC, but this is not one of them.

Jimmy Stang · 01-07-2010, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

I took a regular backpack with a laptop inside it on Tuesday down to California and had no issues.

Things aren't quite as bad as they were in December.

Just make sure you don't have a bunch of other junk in there and you'll be fine (ie - just your power cords, a camera, flight itinery, etc)

I went to Vegas right after all of these new rules were implemented, and I just decided to check all of my power cords, etc.

Obviously, take your laptop, camera, etc. but I'd shove the cords, chargers, and other accessories into your checked bag. My old habit was to keep them in the carry-on bag, but really - they're usually pretty useless on the plane anyway.

Buzzard · 01-07-2010, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

he's odd.

Ahhh....that clears things up a bit. The ol' apple doesn't fall far from the tree.....so they say!