travel thread

[Stupid Fitz]

I'm back friends. Recap, Turks and Caicos was pretty great. Best beach and beach type scenery i've ever seen, just beautiful. Resort was pretty great. I haven't been to many all inclusives because I normally like to try different local places, but the food was all pretty good. Great place for kids. Once we got settled, we pretty much let them run to a few areas. They had a diner type restaurant where the kids could order themselves so we would go eat at good places and they went there and ate themselves a few nights which they loved. All in all, B+ to A- type resort.

what resort was it?

Beaches

[Stupid Fitz]

American has been horrible every time I’ve flown them.  Avoid at all costs.

I had a pleasurable experience flying them last week out of OMA.

Honestly sounds like an MCI problem as much as anything

In and out of DFW for me.  Of all places, you’d think they would be on top of it there.  Delayed 100% of the time.  But honestly have avoided them for a few years now, so maybe they’ve improved.

Every single airline has delays and cancellations but the MCI security clusterfuck seems particularly unique

True, but it was the bag check process as well with AA. Even in the Turks tiny airport we waited and waited while the other airlines moved people right along. Maybe people that fly with AA just have more questions/issues?

[mocat]

American has been horrible every time I’ve flown them.  Avoid at all costs.

I had a pleasurable experience flying them last week out of OMA.

Honestly sounds like an MCI problem as much as anything

In and out of DFW for me.  Of all places, you’d think they would be on top of it there.  Delayed 100% of the time.  But honestly have avoided them for a few years now, so maybe they’ve improved.

Every single airline has delays and cancellations but the MCI security clusterfuck seems particularly unique

they are manufacturing artificially long lines at the old MCI to make the lines at the new MCI seem better. classic slyin james tactic

[Spracne]

What's the latest you dudes have ever shown up for a flight? I had an mhk-dfw morning flight where they didn't let me check in because it was 29 minutes from departure time (the flight was delayed so it was 44 minutes actually). Missed that one.

Another from mci-bwi-puj I arrived at the airport at 6am for a 6:20 flight. Bag check was at least an hour, so I walked straight up to the attendant lady that wasn't helping anyone and told her the sitch. She checked my bag and called the gate to wait for me. Breezed though pre-check and was on the plane at 6:17. I felt like a God.

When I fly JSX (elite airline), I always arrive exactly 15 minutes before the flight and breeze right on in. No security!

[pissclams]

American has been horrible every time I’ve flown them.  Avoid at all costs.

I had a pleasurable experience flying them last week out of OMA.

Honestly sounds like an MCI problem as much as anything

In and out of DFW for me.  Of all places, you’d think they would be on top of it there.  Delayed 100% of the time.  But honestly have avoided them for a few years now, so maybe they’ve improved.

Every single airline has delays and cancellations but the MCI security clusterfuck seems particularly unique

there’s no issues with swa at mci

[sys]

i've had some sort of delay/missed connections/rerouting issue on every post-covid flight i've attempted.  i think that's just sort of standard for the time being.

[steve dave]

I think it's all back to staffing as boring of an explanation as that is. I know they are short pilots, stewards, tsa employees, the works. just like everywhere else.

[michigancat]

I've had one cancellation/non-weather delay and maybe 20 or 30 fights post-covid. Luckily on the one cancellation it was the night before and I could reroute.

[Spracne]

I recently flew to/from MCI on American, and it could not have been a smoother travel experience. Sorry you had a bad time.

[Phil Titola]

American has been horrible every time I’ve flown them.  Avoid at all costs.

I had a pleasurable experience flying them last week out of OMA.

Honestly sounds like an MCI problem as much as anything

Very much a current terminal problem especially bad as staffing is the suck.  It can't handle a surge of anybody at any gate and then other times it's empty. 

[Phil Titola]

Who knew all the stressing about covid testing and flying was nothing but a horrible terminal was there to save the day for travel nightmares.

[Stupid Fitz]

I think it's all back to staffing as boring of an explanation as that is. I know they are short pilots, stewards, tsa employees, the works. just like everywhere else.

Yep, it just really sucks ass that's its impossible to predict now apparently. You basically have to get to the airport 3 hours early to be safe and there is a chance you will buzz right through and sit there for 2 hours. In Miami Mrs. SF asked the Marriott dood what time we should leave to make sure we catch our flight the next morning. "Oh, I fly out of there all the time, no later than 3 hours before your flight". I called BS since our bag was already in Dallas for some reason so we didn't have to check and the Miami airport would have pre check open. Mrs SF was in no mood at that point and wasn't missing the flight home so we got there 3 hours early and buzzed right through of course.

[XocolateThundarr]

When I have to fly American, I make sure that any connecting flights have at least a 3 hour layover to account for the inevitable delays.  I remember sitting near a gate for damn near an hour waiting for someone to show up to run the jetway at DIA.

[michigancat]

If I book a 5:50am United flight out of MCI on July 5, how ridiculously early will I need to be at the airport

[Phil Titola]

If I book a 5:50am United flight out of MCI on July 5, how ridiculously early will I need to be at the airport

I never fly united so no idea what their security sitch is. If I do that time for American or swa and I have precheck I'd probably get there at 4? The security line are such a crapshoot

[michigancat]

If I book a 5:50am United flight out of MCI on July 5, how ridiculously early will I need to be at the airport

I never fly united so no idea what their security sitch is. If I do that time for American or swa and I have precheck I'd probably get there at 4? The security line are such a crapshoot

gross

[star seed 7]

I have never had a problem with first flight type times. It's the 7-9am that is like wtf is going on?

[Phil Titola]

I have never had a problem with first flight type times. It's the 7-9am that is like wtf is going on?

That is true. I may have overestimated.

[Stupid Fitz]

If I book a 5:50am United flight out of MCI on July 5, how ridiculously early will I need to be at the airport

I never fly united so no idea what their security sitch is. If I do that time for American or swa and I have precheck I'd probably get there at 4? The security line are such a crapshoot

You would have missed your flight by at least an hour last weekend if you arrived at American at that time. It was minimum 1.5 hours to check a bag and 1.5 hours in security, prob more. Like you said, its a crap shoot, but anything but SW seems way worse.

[DQ12]

yeah since pandemic stuff, MCI has been super hit or miss.  i used to feel OK about rolling up to the airport 15 minutes before boarding, but anymore i'm giving myself an hour and a half.

[420seriouscat69]

Traveling during the pandemic was the BITB, if we're being honest with ourselves. Cheap flights, nobody at the airport, less germs, etc.

[Dugout DickStone]

Off to NYC with my oldest daughter.  Dad daughter trip.  Going to show her my old grounds and then out to the Hamptons for one of my bros bday party at their estate. 

[meow meow]

fly southwest out of mci very frequent, carryon, precheck, thru security in less than 5 minutes everytime for the past year.  family flying american in a couple weeks, now i'm getting nervous after reading this thread 

[Stupid Fitz]

fly southwest out of mci very frequent, carryon, precheck, thru security in less than 5 minutes everytime for the past year.  family flying american in a couple weeks, now i'm getting nervous after reading this thread 

My only advice is 3 hours minimum if you are checking a bag. I would highly recommend not doing that if at all possible with American. Hopefully you will get lucky and at the very least pre check will be open, but I wouldn't count on it.

[420seriouscat69]

I try to get to air express two hours ahead of my flight and I usually have zero problems. I fly Southwest and Delta all the time and never seems to be an issue. Delta is more frustrating, because everyone has precheck. SW has seperate security lines between the two.