TOPIC: The flight is booked!

binia wrote:

Kirk Bauer wrote:
If you check in online exactly 24 hours before your flight then you will definitely not get stuck in a middle seat (assuming you board in the order assigned; be at your gate 30min early).

He's not kidding - EXACTLY 24 HOURS. My brother flies Southwest and has it down to a science.

Yes, precisely at the 24 hour mark. Set a calendar reminder or two. If you don't do this you'll likely get a middle seat.

If you're not sure you will be able to try to get your seat number exactly 24 hours in advance (to the second if possible), you can sign up for early bird for something like $15, and that will automatically give you a pretty good number, which should assure you of a nice aisle or window seat.

Brad Mortensen wrote:

jedibcg wrote: If you are connecting though you are already through security.

Unless one of the flights is international (Terminal 5.) Fair warning to our Canadian friends. Or if your switching airlines and for some reason they won't tag your luggage all the way through, as happened to us.

We've gone thru Chicago a few times now, on our flight from Edmonton, Canada, to Indy. Can't say it's my favorite airport to go through, but it beats Toronto Pearson hands down.

That said, we've found the minimum time to allow between flights (to handle terminal change, delayed landings, possibly getting lost, etc) is roughly 3 hours.

On the plus side, if you transfer thru O'Hare and everything goes smoothly, you're waiting for a couple hours in a well-equipped airport with plenty of food options. Unlike being stuck in Pearson airport for 2 hours, in a portable out on the runway, with only a stale bagel for company.

Okay, reactions to various comments.

1. Driving from LA is not really an option.

2. I did sign up for the early bird option, so that should help. Do you still recommend trying for the exact 24-hour check-in?

3. I haven't had trouble in O'Hare in the past, but this year that doesn't matter. I stop in Phoenix on the way to Indy, and then Denver on the way home.

4. When I have had travel problems, it's been due to weather keeping me from flying out. One year I had to stay the night.

Raven wrote:
That said, we've found the minimum time to allow between flights (to handle terminal change, delayed landings, possibly getting lost, etc) is roughly 3 hours.

Not this year. I don't know what's wrong with TSA, but 3hr wasn't enough for us, even with little yellow cards to jump to the front of the security line.

bpsymington wrote: Okay, reactions to various comments.

1. Driving from LA is not really an option.

2. I did sign up for the early bird option, so that should help. Do you still recommend trying for the exact 24-hour check-in?

3. I haven't had trouble in O'Hare in the past, but this year that doesn't matter. I stop in Phoenix on the way to Indy, and then Denver on the way home.

4. When I have had travel problems, it's been due to weather keeping me from flying out. One year I had to stay the night.

Since you signed up for Early Bird, you don't have to worry about trying to check-in exactly 24 hours in advance. You'll get a better spot in line than you could possibly get via the normal route. We normally get somewhere around A-30, which will easily let you get a Window or Aisle seat.

I'll bet GENCON could make a Ton of money if they offered the Early Bird option for Hotel or Event Registration.

Driving from Seattle is definitely out of the question nowadays. I did it my first two years, but with a stable full time job that isn't really an option anymore.

If you get stuck in the B group or even worse the C group, head straight for the back of the plane. That will give you your best shot at an aisle seat. Doesn't always work, but its your best shot.

If you have checked luggage, being first or last off the plane doesn't make a bit of difference.

Or you could just pay the $15 to be in A 1-15. But I almost never do that.

Harlax wrote: If you get stuck in the B group or even worse the C group, head straight for the back of the plane. That will give you your best shot at an aisle seat. Doesn't always work, but its your best shot.

If you have checked luggage, being first or last off the plane doesn't make a bit of difference.

Or you could just pay the $15 to be in A 1-15. But I almost never do that.

It only costs $15 to be in A 1-15? That's a pretty good deal, it's not much more than Early Bird I think (which has gone up).

Havent done it for a while.

Mike Steele wrote:

Harlax wrote: If you get stuck in the B group or even worse the C group, head straight for the back of the plane. That will give you your best shot at an aisle seat. Doesn't always work, but its your best shot.

If you have checked luggage, being first or last off the plane doesn't make a bit of difference.

Or you could just pay the $15 to be in A 1-15. But I almost never do that.

It only costs $15 to be in A 1-15? That's a pretty good deal, it's not much more than Early Bird I think (which has gone up).

That's in addition to early bird? It would be worth it!