Well I case you are traveling from Africa home beware you should be at least 3 hours to check in before your flight.
All the airlines are overbooking and it's first come first serve.
Had first class tickets to fly home from Joberg and got there about 1 hour before boarding well no room at the inn. We had to take a different flight different airline leaving 6 hours later.
Just a word of caution
Have fun
Larry

And I believe things are only going to get worse as this year progresses into the height of hunting season. It could be the worst year ever for overbooking of international flights to and from africa. Early check-in, especially with firearms, is very sound advice.

quote:

Originally posted by elk88101:
Well I case you are traveling from Africa home beware you should be at least 3 hours to check in before your flight.
All the airlines are overbooking and it's first come first serve.
Had first class tickets to fly home from Joberg and got there about 1 hour before boarding well no room at the inn. We had to take a different flight different airline leaving 6 hours later.
Just a word of caution
Have fun
Larry

What airline please.

Delta? Please advise.

If you got there one hour before boarding for an international flight no wonder you missed it. 2 hrs MIN with no crazy baggage or guns and 3.5-4 hrs if you have guns. It's not worth it to push it.

Yeah we where running late
Had some major traffic jams
One way tunnel bad news
The airline as I posted before
Ethiopian Airlines
They have offered each of us a $300 travel voucher or 12,000 miles for their terrible service
Not sure who we will fly with next
Larry

quote:

Originally posted by elk88101:
They have offered each of us a $300 travel voucher or 12,000 miles for their terrible service

I travel a whole lot and I gotta say I am not sure you got "terrible service". I am actually surprised they offered you any compensation at all. Yes, you were flying first class and maybe that buys you special treatment but it also costs the airline a good bit if that first class seat flies empty. It's not as if that is YOUR seat and if it flies empty you don't get put on a later flight later in the day. If you want that seat to wait for you until take-off you had better be willing to have an airline tell you to stick it when you ask to be seated in a later first class seat. In a world where you will be happily seated on a later flight, if the airline gets a guy one hour before takeoff willing to drop serious coin to upgrade, then they should absolutely do it IMO. That is NOT terrible service, that is good business. It's not their fault traffic on the freeway was backed up.

I disagree I paid for that seat
So weather it's empty or not they have my money.
If they are filling it with standby then have them standby till the plane is boarded like most other airlines.
This was just the topping on e cake after what took place with this airline from the beginning.
Fly with them and see what type I'd customer services you will receive. NONE
I have just finally received a letter from them 3 months after the flight acknowledging fault and have offered compensation.
So I guess I must have been right somewhere along the line.
Larry

Tendrams
Read e earlier post
http://forums.accuratereloadin...8121043/m/6601021381


Larry

I understand that there were other issues...and maybe you have a beef there. That said, if all travelers embraced the "this is MY seat" ideology, they had better be prepared to pay for a "new seat" if they miss the first one...especially when it's first class that is flying empty. Let's face it, the airline is also out cash if they are having last minute customers upgrade to first because some guy shows up for a transatlantic one hour before departure and is quite reasonably expected to miss the flight at that point . This is because a half hour before departure they are almost certainly NOT going to be charging the full price difference between business or coach and first for the upgrade. Even if they were charging a premium....good for them making a few bucks when the original passenger is looking like a serious no-show! The former case actually makes it pretty surprising that they don't charge for missed flights and just happily put you on another flight where first class MIGHT be at a premium and priced higher for say some online corporate purchaser a few hours before departure if the flight is relatively full.

I think you got excellent service since they followed their published guidelines for check in and yet still compensated you.

Anyway, your point about being early is valid, esp on long international trips where a missed flight or connection can mean delays of days and/or thousands of dollars.

http://www.ethiopianairlines.c...checkin/default.aspx

quote:

Check-in/Reporting time

The time shown on flight coupons is the departure time of the aircraft. In order to perform check-in operations in due time, the passenger is requested to report at the airport check-in counter 3 hours prior to flights departure.

Passengers to/from the U.S.A are required to report at least 3 hours prior to flight departure. Passengers who fail to report within the above time limit should be aware that Ethiopian Airlines reserves the right not to accept passengers who arrive later than 2 hours before the scheduled time of departure.

- See more at: http://www.ethiopianairlines.c...sthash.Z03Pnzn2.dpuf