When to go to the Airport

Ok, I was going to book our taxi online to go to the airport. We take a puddle-jumper to Dublin on the first leg.  For the life of me, I can't remember how long we should allow to get out there by taxi and when we should plan to arrive. The plane starts boarding at 11:00.

"Back Home," the rule-of-thumb was to arrive at the airport two hours in advance for a domestic and three hours for an international, to get through the TSA.  I'm sure if it was Heathrow or Gatwick I'd follow that timeline. Is it necessary for Glasgow Airport? We should get there at like 9:00am, for the 11:00am boarding? Or 8:00am? (Technically it IS an international flight, to Dublin.)

Ok, I was going to book our taxi online to go to the airport. We take a puddle-jumper to Dublin on the first leg.  For the life of me, I can't remember how long we should allow to get out there by taxi and when we should plan to arrive. The plane starts boarding at 11:00.

"Back Home," the rule-of-thumb was to arrive at the airport two hours in advance for a domestic and three hours for an international, to get through the TSA.  I'm sure if it was Heathrow or Gatwick I'd follow that timeline. Is it necessary for Glasgow Airport? We should get there at like 9:00am, for the 11:00am boarding? Or 8:00am? (Technically it IS an international flight, to Dublin.)

3 hours according to Glasgow’s airport site

https://www.glasgowprestwick.com/passengers/preparing-your-flight/check-in/

3 hours according to Glasgow’s airport site

https://www.glasgowprestwick.com/passengers/preparing-your-flight/check-in/

I've flown out of Glasgow and Edinburgh a lot. 3 hours is too long despite what the guidance says. You will be fine 2 hours ahead and even then you will have tons of time. Glasgow is a small airport.

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What is rush hour traffic like in Glasgow? Might aiming to arrive at 9 be a little problematic?

No idea. I think we'll be going against traffic, though. 

Not going to Prestwick, going to Glasgow International. I think I'll book the cab for 8:00. The Daughter thinks it'll only take 20 minutes to get out there.

No idea. I think we'll be going against traffic, though. 

Not going to Prestwick, going to Glasgow International. I think I'll book the cab for 8:00. The Daughter thinks it'll only take 20 minutes to get out there.

No worries then. I only asked because I fly out of Manchester often, after staying over at my wife’s family only 10 miles away in Stockport so I drive away from Manchester but between 7:30 and 9 it is crawling traffic so 17 minutes becomes 60 if I don’t leave early.

Well, I'd rather have a nice coffee and muffin and watch the planes land while waiting than be running madly trying to get us through security at the last minute.  Aer Lingus says boarding starts at 11:00, and it's a small plane, so I think getting there by 8:30-ish should work. The Daughter hates flying, and when she finds out she's on a crop-duster she's gonna try to throttle me. As soon as she's over her panic attack.  So this will give her a little extra time to calm down. (Or throw up in the bathroom, whichever.)

Well, I'd rather have a nice coffee and muffin and watch the planes land while waiting than be running madly trying to get us through security at the last minute.  Aer Lingus says boarding starts at 11:00, and it's a small plane, so I think getting there by 8:30-ish should work. The Daughter hates flying, and when she finds out she's on a crop-duster she's gonna try to throttle me. As soon as she's over her panic attack.  So this will give her a little extra time to calm down. (Or throw up in the bathroom, whichever.)

Uh oh! 

Uh oh! 

Yeeeahhhhhhhh, it'll be, um, interesting.

I would aim for 60-90 minutes but I hate sitting around airports.  So two hours should be fine for you, to allow you to not rush. 

The Daughter hates flying, and when she finds out she's on a crop-duster she's gonna try to throttle me. As soon as she's over her panic attack.  So this will give her a little extra time to calm down. (Or throw up in the bathroom, whichever.)

Are you seriously taking a tiny puddle jumper as opposed to the regular short-haul flights? I thought you were just being silly (and didn't know Aer Lingus even offered that lol)

I'm a nervous flyer as well at the best of times so would say aim to leave with 3 hours just so you don't worry about anxiety on that end and then you have time to get a coffee and relax (as you said) with plenty of time before boarding. It's better to have more time (IMO) and be bored than risk traffic and/or long queues for security that mean you have to go right to gate with no time to sort your thoughts in between. Just my 2p.

Are you seriously taking a tiny puddle jumper as opposed to the regular short-haul flights? I thought you were just being silly (and didn't know Aer Lingus even offered that lol)

I'm a nervous flyer as well at the best of times so would say aim to leave with 3 hours just so you don't worry about anxiety on that end and then you have time to get a coffee and relax (as you said) with plenty of time before boarding. It's better to have more time (IMO) and be bored than risk traffic and/or long queues for security that mean you have to go right to gate with no time to sort your thoughts in between. Just my 2p.

About 3 years ago my wife’s brother and his wife (the ones who live in Stockport close to Manchester airport) got stuck in long lines at security after being stuck on the M56 due to a big accident and heard their names being called. The security folks would not let them jump the queue and they missed their flight to Rome.

I fly often and I like to leave plenty of time to get to the airport and get through security... so I always get to the airport at least 2 hours before flights within Europe (or US domestic flights) and 3 hours before for long-haul flights to other continents.

If my flight is before 12pm, I usually travel to the airport the night before and stay in a nearby hotel - though that's because I generally fly from either Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester, which are 2-3 hours away by car/train, so I want to make sure I get there with plenty of time to spare.

I fly often and I like to leave plenty of time to get to the airport and get through security... so I always get to the airport at least 2 hours before flights within Europe (or US domestic flights) and 3 hours before for long-haul flights to other continents.

Same. I prefer to wait around and have a coffee/beer/food if I'm early, than to rush to the gate in a panic.  Glasgow is smallish, so 2 hours is wayyyyyyyyy plenty. 

I've done plenty of puddle jumpers, as we have a lot of them up here to places.  I personally find them to be nice and smooth as you don't fly that high.  Even the turbulence doesn't seem that bad to me.   Sometimes you have to re-balance the seats and folks have to wait on board so it doesn't flip as the back gets off, lol, but all good!   
It's a wee hop between Glasgow and Dublin, you'll be up and down before you know it!  Had a great sideways landing in Dublin once on a puddle jumper . But our pilots were pros. We watched Ryan Air flights on the same day having to abort and go again.  But don't tell your daughter that 

Heh heh, we could hear the hamsters in the wheels running the engines really straining as it climbed to altitude, but otherwise it was ok. Except that I mis-calculated and our seats were at the window literally right next to the props. Thankfully I didn't say what I was thinking. (Well, if it breaks, the end will be very quick as that thing'd slice right through the fusilage and us faster than we'd be able to comprehend.) The poor Daughter was shaking. The one on the return leg was a larger aircraft, and so we were well ahead of the props, but it wasn't what I would call a large (or even medium-sized) plane. The downside to the puddlejumper is that the carry-on luggage allowance is a smaller bag than on a regular flight. And that you have to walk out onto the tarmac and climb the stairs up to the plane, just like in the old days. I think the daughter's fingerprints are indelibly bruised into my hand....   She did ok, though. No barfing. No crying. 

The flight to LAX was realllly good. Aer Lingus has definitely upped their game since the last time we flew them (about 10 years ago). I don't think I've had a better flight, and the food was actually quite good. As was the ice cream they served about mid-way. The food back from LA wasn't as good, but was acceptable.  Would definitely recommend Aer Lingus. Plus each plane is dedicated to a saint and individually blessed. St. Itta and St. Keeva got us over, and St. Columba (how fitting!) and some now-forgotten saint got us home again. 

Oh. Going to the airport. 3 hours was a big mistake. They didn't even open the baggage drop until 9:30. We left the house a little after 8:00 and were there by 8:30.  Switching planes in Dublin meant two sets of security, though - the Irish one and then a USA one (shoes off). But it didn't take too long, really, and then we had already cleared customs and were free to zip out to the rental car shuttle bus right after getting our bags at LAX, instead of having to clear customs/border control there. 

And I now need a rest from my vacation. I'm sooooooo tired!