Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with travel and airport

How do I get from Berlin Schönefeld Airport to Alexanderplatz late at night?

maryrosecook — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:06:26 -0800

How do I get from Berlin Schönefeld Airport to Alexanderplatz late at night? As I understand it, direct trains from the airport to Alexanderplatz cease at 22.55. I will be arriving at the airport after that time. I have been told that it is possible to take the S-Bahn and then change onto a train that goes to Alexanderplatz. Is this possible? Is there a better way? My German is terrible, so the easiest/most-unfuckupable route is preferable.

Can you use airport amnesty bins to erase certain crimes?

Damn That Television — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:07:50 -0800

Where can I find the written laws that regulate amnesty bins at airports? (Amnesty bins are the bins right before the metal detectors in some airports where you can, according to signs, throw away anything that you can't take through security without penalty.) And, related, are these actually legally binding, or just a gentlemen's agreement? Could someone hypothetically put a stolen painting in the bin, and be free of legal consequence of having stolen it?

Denver in a Day

disillusioned — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:41:52 -0800

Boulder? Denver? Help me day-trip to Colorado *THIS* Saturday! So I snatched up an interesting offer: Frontier Airlines had PHX->DEN same-day roundtrip for $59, inclusive. (No add'tl taxes or fees, available ONLY for this Saturday, and only for an hour, at that!)

We arrive in DEN at 9:24am and we depart at 9:20pm.

We *may* have a ride from the airport, but what's the cheapest way to downtown Denver (or Boulder) if not? Where's best to land if we want to get around the city relatively easily once we do, assuming no car?

What's there to see and do for fun eating on a Saturday? Which would you recommend to make the best use of our time? We probably need to be back at the airport by 8:15 at the latest, so take that into account. (No checked bags, clearly.)

I like photography, museums, good food, fun art, cool people, markets, fairs, weird off-the-beaten path stuff, and anything else going. I'll have my brother in tow, who's also down for pretty much anything.

Help plan my one-day itinerary, and understand that very little is a bust for us; it was a $60 thing, so why not, right?

Thanks!

Help me get home!

Meg_Murry — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:53:52 -0800

Is it insane to plan to fly into Pittsburgh the day before the G-20 Summit starts? Currently I have travel plans that end with me flying into Pittsburgh Int'l Airport next Wednesday, supposedly the same day various world leaders are set to arrive. I can't find any specific information/warnings regarding actual road closures, etc. but do see warnings that these may occur and apparently public transportation will be significantly disrupted. I'll need to drive from the airport to Bloomfield.

I can't fly in earlier than Wednesday, but could possibly change my flight to Saturday or Sunday. Advice?

What to do with six hours in the Toronto airport?

angab — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:07:34 -0800

What should I do with a six-hour layover in Toronto? That's right - 6 hours. Just enough time to get really bored in the airport, and I'm not sure if it's enough time to get into the city center for a meal or a drink. Anyone who knows Toronto, please let me know what you think I should do with my extra hours. Also, please give information about the best method of transport into and out of the city.

Welcome, mom!

mdonley — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:58:15 -0800

I'm looking for a fun, cheap, highly-visible way to welcome my mom when she arrives at the airport and make her first night and day at my new place relaxed and comfortable. Specifics:

- I live in Poland, she lives in California.
- It'll be around 10:30 at night when we meet.
- She will be crazy jetlagged.
- There will only be her flight arriving at that time of night so the airport will be quite quiet.
- She'll have just had her first Ryanair experience.
- She's pretty low-maintenance and happy to roll with whatever-may-come.
- She's not incapacitated in any way.
- She'll probably want a cigarette or two.
- I live less than 10 minutes from the airport. I'll arrive at the airport by bus and we'll go home via taxi.
- Going out for food is probably not an option - it's not a very big city, and things shut early. She eats everything.
- I speak Polish, she doesn't.
- I cook pretty well and will be home for the entire day before she arrives.

Actual questions:

1) How should I welcome her when she first sees me? A huge sign? A bunch of flowers? A bunch of balloons would be tricky on the bus, as would a non-foldable/rolled sign.

2) What foods are great when you first land and you've been eating airport food for twenty hours? What should I have in the house for her? A big salad? A roast chicken? A few bottles of wine? Candles?

Shower me with your ideas: how did the people meeting you at the airport make you feel great? What was your first night like at their place?

JetBlueTracker JetBlueTracker JetBlueTracker

2bucksplus — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:48:08 -0800

I live in New York and my parents live in Sarasota, FL. There are two direct flights per day on JetBlue between JFK and SRQ. Is it possible to set up something up that would alert me whenever prices on these flights dropped below a certain amount? I'd like to see my family a few times a year and am in no way tied to certain dates of travel. Some travel sites offer flexible travel for major cities but not for a city this size.

I specifically asked about JetBlue because they are currently the only airline offering direct flights on this route. I am also a member of JetBlue's TrueBlue reward program.

Connection time @ Heathrow Airport

aelish — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:32:30 -0800

How much time needed to make a connecting flight at London Heathrow? I am considering buying a ticket that will have me arriving at Heathrow (from a US airport) @ 6:45 am. I will then need to get a connecting flight to Belfast @ 8:50 am and have no idea whether I will have enough time to (a) go through immigration (b) get my bags and go through customs (I assume I will need to do this - even if it's just a transfer - I am used to doing this when coming into Newark International, and catching a connecting flight to another US airport - sometimes it can be quick, sometimes slow) and (c) get to the appropriate gate for Belfast. If the plan lands on time, I will have about 2 hours.

I am most worried about the length of time for the customs piece - I've been through LHR many times, but not often to connect...so I know what immigration is like. Any ideas about whether 2 hours is enough time?? I think it's gonna be close at best.

Nine Hours in Istanbul

slowcat — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:42:42 -0800

I'm arriving at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul nine hours before my connecting flight. I was wondering what recommendations people had for how to spend this time? I can't do anything too involved as I need to be back at the airport a few hours before my flight, but I would like to see something of the city! Thank you!

Casablanca airport

anonymous78 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:37:27 -0800

I have several hours to spend in the Casablanca airport before I meet my boyfriend, who is arriving on a separate flight. Does the arrivals hall have any cafes/places to sit? Will I have a problem waiting there?

How do I get from Atlanta to Indianapolis today?

davidstandaford — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:48:29 -0800

I just learned that my 12:45 Delta flight from Atlanta to Indianapolis was canceled and I was rebooked for a flight on Tuesday. This is a giant problem for me and I'm trying to figure out if there is any way to get to Indianapolis today. As of now, the websites for the Atlanta and Indianapolis airports are both showing no delays from weather, but I can't tell if they are projecting stopping flights in the next couple of hours. I'm about to call Delta and try to find out what is going on, but I was curious if anyone has any advice for the best way to talk to them, and if it might be worth it to go to the airport and try to get on another flight from the airport as opposed to over the phone.

If anyone has any advice about getting my travels plans taken care of today as opposed to on Tuesday I really appreciate the help.

Help me preemie baby zip though the airport line at JFK!

Izzmeister — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:24:47 -0800

How to get through JFK with a preemie newborn without waiting on line for possibly hours? I'm arriving to JFK Airport later this week on an international flight.

I am arriving with my newborn baby (preemie to boot!) and noticed in the past when arriving at JFK that sometimes mothers with newborns seem to be whisked ahead of the line so they don't have to wait in the looong snake line for passport control.

how could I get around this line with my newborn? i don't want her around the airport for more then absolutely necessary....

can I pay (not too much!) for VIP service or something at JFK so I avoid the line?

(triple bonus points if someone here actually works in JFK and can help me!) :)

I don't want to spend Christmas in Airport Jail.

troika — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:40:28 -0800

International travel with multiple connections: what's it like? And inside: declaring, connection time, and things I will probably get confiscated. I'm flying AKL-BNE-LAX-IAD on Monday. I haven't flown into the US from a foreign country in years, so I am a little nervous.

Auckland to Brisbane: Two hours in Brisbane. Will I have to go through Australian customs? Are my bags checked through to the US? Anything I need to know?

Brisbane to LAX: Two hours, fifteen minutes in LAX. I go through customs at LAX and not IAD, right? What's going to happen? What do I declare? Do you think that'll be enough time (no, I don't either...), especially given that it's December 22 and everyone will be freaking out about the upcoming holiday? I land at 7am LA time.

LAX to Dulles: This flight is probably going to be the worst. No free Qantas booze, just 5 hours of misery in a middle seat. This is not a question, I'm just whining.

Will they confiscate it: hot sauce, cat treats, wine not purchased at the duty-free? How do you travel with wine, anyway?

Anything else you feel like offering about this upcoming trip, even reading suggestions, is welcomed, and when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.

I'm a US citizen, passport up to date.

not a weapon

roygbv — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:59:57 -0800

Large tripod through airport security from PDX to BOI? I've seen this, but it seems a little dated. I'm trying to carry a Bogen Manfrotto 3021BN with a 3047 head on with me (as well as the heavy 4x5" camera that requires it). Since it's hard to find a good link to: the tripod is about as large as a mailing tube and very heavy. Any idea if this is possible, mefi?

What should I do in Dublin for a few hours on Wednesday?

tip120 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:23:33 -0800

This Wednesday, I will be flying into Dublin airport around 10am. I have a flight that leaves at 5pm. How best can I fill my time? I will have a messenger bag and rolling suitcase type thing, and would like to go into the city proper, but don't know what worthwhile, if anything I can squeeze in. My outbound flight is to the US, so I expect I should be back around 3pm latest. Any sights, restaurants/pubs that are worthwhile for a first time, 4 hour visit?

Duty-free or savings-free?

smackfu — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:53:28 -0800

What's the truth behind duty-free shops? Are they always a bad deal? Or is there some stuff that's good to buy, and other stuff you should always avoid?

Six hours in Vancouver airport

Artw — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:07:45 -0800

My brother is taking a cheap flight from England to visit us in Seattle, which has a stop in Vancouver (YVR) for six hours. Is there anything taht can be done within that time that's worth doing? Would it actually be possible to get out of the airport? Or should I just tell him to bring a book?

Solar Panels R Fun!

aetg — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:09:19 -0800

Do you have this backpack? Have you taken it through the TSA? What about the airports at Paris, Johannesburg, or Dakar?

For obvious reasons I want to use it as my carry-on bag, but I'm concerned that the additional cords and wires might caused it to get searched or seized.

Actually, I'm not so worried about the search as much as the seizing.

Any personal experiences or links to articles welcome. Random speculation would not be helpful in this case. Thanks in advance!

Scotland-a-go-go Land

santojulieta — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:08:12 -0800

Travel Slash Honeymoon Filter: Help us coordinate in-country travel options between London and Edinburgh. Based on previous recommendations, we've decided to do it up right one night of our honeymoon and stay at The Witchery in Edinburgh. This is going to be one night in the middle of a 9 day stay, so we're looking for the best options to minimize time wasted travelling.

Right now, our best option is to book an Easy Jet flight that takes about 1:30 and will only run us about $200. However, we'd have to travel to the airport from (what we assume will be) central London.

What would you recommend?

Here are the essential details:

1. We're booked at the Witchery for October 17th and will be returning on October 18th.

2. We're both 27, so we're too old to apply for the student travel program with Britrail. Looking at Britrail tickets, it seems that a flexipass is going to run us in the neighborhood of $600, which seems nonsense to me.

3. We have no problem with renting a car and driving, except that I have no concept of what gas will cost in Europe. And it appears, according to Google Maps, that the drive will take 8ish hours.

4. Taking a coach, cheap though it might be, seems terribly unromantic and a huge waste of time.

Help me fly the vegan skies

amtho — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:38:38 -0800

Vegan airport/airline dining - connect and lunch in Dallas (DFO) or Chicago (ORD)? Somewhere else? How long to allow for a connection to assure we can eat at the restaurant you recommend? We're traveling from Raleigh-Durham to San Francisco and it's looking kind of grim for in-flight meals; it's > 7 hours overall travel time but broken into two segments; best advice for not-having-to-pack-lunch? I can't tell if the (currently American Airlines) flights that I'm looking at offer a meal - everything involves a connection, so the individual flights may not be long enough. There's an icon of a dollar sign + knife + fork; I'm guessing that means I can purchase a snack/meal, but none of the purchasable options look even vaguely vegetarian.

The Continental flights I've seen offer no meals. Anybody know of a way to get a vegetarian/vegan meal in the air between Raleigh and San Francisco?

I'd really like to not have to carry food with me and pasta/bread/crackers will not give me the energy I want for starting our trip!

Any advice on dining in airports on the way? I'm currently looking at flights that connect through Dallas (DFW) or Chicago O'Hare (ORD), but if you know of a good food airport en route between Raleigh and San Francisco, please let me know.

I found restaurant listings for ORD - didn't look good. The Dallas airport looked like it might be slightly better, but the listing is broken up into four or five different terminals and nothing leapt out at me.

I can't relax about LAX!! Help with Terminal 7.

jeanmari — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:05:07 -0800

What would be the best place to pick up a group arriving at the United Terminal (Terminal 7) at LAX? A handful of people on different United flights are arriving at LAX's Terminal 7. One other person will be picking them all up. She needs to tell them:

a) where to meet up with each other,

b) where to go to meet her van.

Does anyone with more familiarity with LAX than I do have any suggestions for A and B?

We've searched online for maps of Terminal 7 but it is difficult to find specifics around baggage claim and such (like "meet under the sign that says Such and Such and then meet the van at the door closest to Traveler's Aid").

Need help with Internet access with a laptop.

valleys — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:48:17 -0800

I have a couple of questions about accessing the internet when travelling with a laptop for the first time. Questions about travelling with a laptop which I've been given for work:

1) I assume wi-fi is available in most airports? I also assume it is not free. (Feel free to correct my assumptions!) How much will I typically pay for internet access? How does it work? Have laptop search for available networks, select one, follow the instructions, feed in credit card number? I assume this is relatively safe?

(I'll be in Toronto Pearson, Heathrow, Dhaka, various airports in India.)

2) In Bangladesh and India, if I don't get internet where I'm staying, can I take the laptop to an internet cafe and connect, or is it necessary to use their PCs? I'll have a power adaptor and network cable with me. Any security concerns? I've read about various means to thwart keyloggers if I'm using cafe computers, but enough to know that they're not perfect. What about if I'm using my own laptop ... any network concerns?

Any other advice? (Dell laptop running XP)

Getting from Fiumicino to Ciampino

sanitycheck — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:31:52 -0800

Rome airport transfer: Fiumicino->Ciampino with a five and a half hour window between flights. Is this doable? And if so, what's the most cost efficient way to do it? I'm flying into Rome Fiumicino Airport on March 30th (on an Air Canada flight scheduled to land at 11am). I'd like to book a RyanAir flight that leaves from Ciampino at 4:45pm the same day.

Am I tempting fate? Is it easy to get from one airport to the other? The limited web info I have found suggests there was a bus service at one point but that it is not offered anymore.

My other options are to book a later flight (more expensive, leaves around 8pm) or spend the night at a hostel near the Termini and leave the next day (which I'd prefer not to do).

What will they do if I CAN'T turn on my laptop?

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:32:18 -0800

TSAfilter: will there be any problem getting a laptop without a battery through the carry-on checkpoint at my local (American) airport? I got my partner a new laptop for Christmas, but the airline I'm taking to visit next week has something of a history of checked baggage being broken into and having expensive items stolen. As a result, I'm concerned.

At this point, the best solution I can think of is to open the packaging and take the laptop itself out of the box and carry it on with me.

However, because I want it to look as not-tampered-with as possible when I give it, I'd also prefer to not have to unwrap the unit itself and put the battery in. The problem is that I seem to have this idea that the checkpoint guards will require all laptops to be turned on, in order to somehow prove that they aren't bombs.

If I just take the still-wrapped laptop out of the packaging and don't put the battery in, are they likely to give me much trouble about the fact that I can't turn it on? It'll still be sealed at that point, so can I safely claim that it's never even been opened? I'm looking to not be detained, if at all possible, so if I'll get in trouble and/or delayed for trying to take a laptop on a plane with me that can't be turned on, that would be decidedly less than ideal.

What, in short, is the best course of action to get this laptop there without worrying about it being stolen?

Paris stopover logistics and strategies?

Vidiot — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:12:14 -0800

Paris stopover question(s): I have most of a day in Paris on the way back from my vacation. How much time should I allow to get through CDG? I'm landing at CDG at 9:20a in a couple of weeks, and leaving at 6:55p. If I check my bags at my origin all the way through to New York, when do I need to be back at CDG in order to make my flight home? I understand the new TSA screenings at foreign airports can be slow, and CDG is generally a non-user-friendly place, in my experience.

Some ancillary questions: What's the quickest way into town on a Sunday? Air France bus or RER?

And does the #29 bus still have those great open platforms on the back?

(Any other stopover tips/advice/strategies/recommendations? My girlfriend has never seen Paris before and I want to show her around a little.)