I’m flying Minneapolis/St. Paul-to-Newark-to-Madrid next week. I have a 6-hour layover in Newark… and possibly a plane change? Not certain. When I bought the tickets, I was told that I needed to arrive 2 hours early to check in before my flight, because it’s international, blah blah.
My question: Which flight? MSP-EWR is obviously not international and I’d rather not have to be at the MSP airport 2 hours early if I don’t have to. Anybody have any insight on this?
Oh, and I suppose this could have been a GQ but it’s pretty darn mundane. Thanks.
Yes, you should arrive at the first leg of your flight two hours early. Part of the reason for this is that they check to make sure you have all the necessary documents, i.e. passports, when you get to the airport. The extra time is so that you can go back home and get your passport if necessary, plus the extra time spent checking documents etc.
Be warned that they can give your seat away if you arrive to close to boarding, which usually starts around 30 minutes before the flight is scheduled to take off.
When I went to England with my ex, he was responsible for the passports. When we got to the airport, he had my passport… and my old passport. Because my mom had taken us to the airport and had already left, he had to call his mom to meet him at home, take a taxi home, get his passport and come back to the airport. BTW, I would have left without him if he hadn’t made it back.
OK, thanks, Zyada! That makes sense… even though I’m not overly pleased that even in the 21st century it takes 24 hours to get overseas.
But woo-hoo, I’m goin’ on vacation!!
Make a copy of the pages in your passport that have your photo and info, and then pack one in every piece of your luggage. That way, if it’s stolen/misplaced, the American Embassy can replace it more quickly.
Carry your cash in a safety wallet that you can carry under your clothes. (Snatch-and-run is a popular crime there. Also teams of two on a moped snatching purses and speeding off) Check with your local AAA office for a safety-wallet.
Try the Orange soda while you’re there. “Fanta Narajana!”
There’s plenty to keep one occupied at MSP for a couple hours. The place is quite large, with a multitude of shops. In fact, it’s a mall!
Also (the best part), there are some really interesting people at airports. I love to just stake out a good spot near the escalator baggage claim and just watch people.
Sorry, Danalan, but I was weaned on ORD. MSP is a sad, lonely place by comparison. However, I’m sure I’ll be able to amuse myself - and with luck, amuse others in the process.
