When buying your travel tickets......

ChicagoBlue2

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How many of you like to get up REALLY early to beat the long lines and excessive wait times?

For me, I'll hop on the 5:54 AM Metra to go to Union Station to beat the long lines, and the long wait times. Smart planning on my part, and it usually works.

How many of you do a similar thing?
 
Airline wise I always show up an hour earlier just in case there is a line from other flights using the same service desk.
 
Airline wise I always show up an hour earlier just in case there is a line from other flights using the same service desk.

Of course. It makes perfect sense. Used to be when I was in school, the administration would pay for my tickets, but now I do that myself, and back then, it was either drive to CUS or take the Metra, and most of the time, it was a drive-- with one exception, because I was taking the City of New Orleans, and the Metra was my best chance to catch the train. Now? I take the Metra when I head to the Amtrak, with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays.
 
My daughter almost missed her flight returning to AZ on the Sunday after Thanksgiving because we showed up only 90 mins before the flight. I had forgotten how busy the Sunday after Thanksgiving is so next time, we will show up 3 hours prior. My daughter was sooo stressed about it.
Last weekend, my husband and I flew to New Orleans....we showed up 90 mins for our departing flight to NOLA ....plenty of time. However, returning to BWI, we had to show up 3 hours prior because my husband lost his wallet at NOLA and had no ID. Geez...I think I need a break from air travel for a while. lol
 
My daughter almost missed her flight returning to AZ on the Sunday after Thanksgiving because we showed up only 90 mins before the flight. I had forgotten how busy the Sunday after Thanksgiving is so next time, we will show up 3 hours prior. My daughter was sooo stressed about it.
Last weekend, my husband and I flew to New Orleans....we showed up 90 mins for our departing flight to NOLA ....plenty of time. However, returning to BWI, we had to show up 3 hours prior because my husband lost his wallet at NOLA and had no ID. Geez...I think I need a break from air travel for a while. lol

Losing a wallet at a major airport is NOT fun. I don't leave for the Illini until next Friday, but I'm currently packing up and making sure I have all the necessities I'll need. I also need to keep an eye on the weather, as well, because if it's anything like today, I'm probably gonna have to change my schedule a lot.
 
Losing a wallet at a major airport is NOT fun. I don't leave for the Illini until next Friday, but I'm currently packing up and making sure I have all the necessities I'll need. I also need to keep an eye on the weather, as well, because if it's anything like today, I'm probably gonna have to change my schedule a lot.

He didn't lose it at the airport. He lost it while we were partying on Bourbon Street on our first night in New Orleans. For the whole weekend, he had no ID, no cash, no bank cards...nothing.
 
He didn't lose it at the airport. He lost it while we were partying on Bourbon Street on our first night in New Orleans. For the whole weekend, he had no ID, no cash, no bank cards...nothing.

Oh, my bad. Now that makes a man feel not great, and I've lost my wallet before, but thankfully I've never lost my bank info, cause I keep that locked up. Heck, I even lost it once with a military ID inside, and I was freaked out as #@!? cause if it landed in the wrong hands, I was screwed.
 
QUOTE=markengland29;2259143]Oh, my bad. Now that makes a man feel not great, and I've lost my wallet before, but thankfully I've never lost my bank info, cause I keep that locked up. Heck, I even lost it once with a military ID inside, and I was freaked out as #@!? cause if it landed in the wrong hands, I was screwed.[/QUOTE]

We spent all Sat morning with him calling the banks to cancel the bank cards and then calling TSA about the ID situation. Delayed our day trip to sightsee the city. Then we finally got everything taken care of and went back to the city. I went in a casino to check it out. He couldn't get in because no ID so I mocked him saying "bye bye honey" and left him outside. It was his 40th birthday weekend and he couldn't get in some bars and casinos. :laugh2:
 
QUOTE=markengland29;2259143]Oh, my bad. Now that makes a man feel not great, and I've lost my wallet before, but thankfully I've never lost my bank info, cause I keep that locked up. Heck, I even lost it once with a military ID inside, and I was freaked out as #@!? cause if it landed in the wrong hands, I was screwed.

We spent all Sat morning with him calling the banks to cancel the bank cards and then calling TSA about the ID situation. Delayed our day trip to sightsee the city. Then we finally got everything taken care of and went back to the city. I went in a casino to check it out. He couldn't get in because no ID so I mocked him saying "bye bye honey" and left him outside. It was his 40th birthday weekend and he couldn't get in some bars and casinos. :laugh2:[/QUOTE]

Funny, but not amusing for him, I'm sure. Glad you got it taken care of.
 
We spent all Sat morning with him calling the banks to cancel the bank cards and then calling TSA about the ID situation. Delayed our day trip to sightsee the city. Then we finally got everything taken care of and went back to the city. I went in a casino to check it out. He couldn't get in because no ID so I mocked him saying "bye bye honey" and left him outside. It was his 40th birthday weekend and he couldn't get in some bars and casinos. :laugh2:

Funny, but not amusing for him, I'm sure. Glad you got it taken care of.[/QUOTE]

He was mostly upset about the lost ID because of needing it for the flight back home. Once we got answers from the TSA on what to do before flying home, he was fine for the rest of the weekend. I had to borrow money from my savings to pay for everything since he had no access to his money. It all got worked out. :)
 
Funny, but not amusing for him, I'm sure. Glad you got it taken care of.

He was mostly upset about the lost ID because of needing it for the flight back home. Once we got answers from the TSA on what to do before flying home, he was fine for the rest of the weekend. I had to borrow money from my savings to pay for everything since he had no access to his money. It all got worked out. :)[/QUOTE]

I'm glad it did. Things happen for a reason.
 
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