What's happening on departures from Dublin Airport?

Brendan Burgess

Founder
Messages
52,160
I am planning to fly to Italy on Tuesday for a few days. I was planning to drop off a suitcase.

It sounds like chaos in Dublin Airport. The Fast-Track check in has been suspended for new bookings but even those who have booked it are finding long queues.

Missing a flight or waiting in an airport queue for 4 hours would wreck my head. So I am tending towards cancelling my trip.

Any updated information on it?

Brendan
 

Ryanair​

Passengers flying with Ryanair have been advised to check in 3.5 hours before their scheduled departure time.

A statement from the airline this week announced that their check-in desks, kiosks and baggage drops will be open 3.5 hours before a flight is scheduled take off to ensure passengers have plenty of time to make their way through the airport.

Aer Lingus​

The DAA's advice is for passengers to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before boarding a short-haul flight and 3.5 hours before boarding a long-haul flight.

To help with long queues, Aer Lingus have announced that passengers who have an early flight can check in the night before.

So if you are flying from Dublin between 5.30am and 8am, you can check in and drop off your bags at the airport between 4pm and 7.45pm the evening before you fly.
 
I was in London earlier this week (early flight) and it was fine. So too were a couple of colleagues midweek.
 
The worse times are 6-9am in mornings friday-monday. If you are flying out say around lunchtime or midweek you might experience normal times.
 
This is totally avoidable and goes to show the lack of planning and foresight by the DAA. Who could have predicted that after 2 years of lockdown that the amount of people travelling would increase again? :rolleyes:
 
My parents went through it ten days ago and it was the worst they'd ever seen (T1).

Two hours from set-down area to the gate.
 
Runway extension getting the go ahead for Waterford may open that up to some commercial flights also. Cork is great (In fairness, I could say that on most threads here :) ) and very easy to work through and once the Dunkettle roundabout is sorted, it'll be even easier.

Dublin is a joke of an airport if you are flying with kids or need to check bags in. Understaffed, overcrowded, too many flights, too many people, not enough space. no public transport worth talking about, the list goes on and on and on.
 
The main reason for the queus is human behaviour unfortunately. Every time I go I see something more stupider from the 50% idiots in the queue. I've been backed up to the corner entrance in T1 and still got thru in 25 or 30 minutes. I think people forget to add 20 minutes to get your gate after that and a loo break and you need to be at gate 40mins so they say 2 hours delay at the airport.
 
there are reports that T2 not too bad, and remember you can go through T2 and then walk to T1, long walk but there are probably less flights from T2 than T1, so might be quicker as checked in go through T2 and walk back to T1.
 
Does anybody else lookup when they hear a plane fly over and think there's another Covid incubator on its way to some far off place ;)
 
It's not just Dublin. Schiphol was a nightmare to get through also. Aer Lingus's ticketing around bags made me think I had to stow my bag. So I queued for 80 minutes in a joint queue for the Cork and Dublin flights with 1 member of Schiphol staff processing us.

eventually a whole bunch of us had to skip through security and passport. Arrived at the gate with 2 minutes to go and there was 15 people coming through the airport.

I reckon they are caught for staff. Everyone who could retired and nobody wants to start in the sector.
 
Not trying to be sexist or whatever, but wouldn't it be wonderful if our womenfolk had their false-face materials in the bags supplied before they come to customs. God only knows how many mins are lost in every hour because of this scenario. No, it's not the only cause of delays, but it's an annoying one every time I travel.
 
The website and app used to show security queue times but that disappeared just recently.
 
I havent flown since Jan 2020. Get the ferry to UK now instead 100% of the time. Its slow but has its advantages - luggage no issue, ferrys v punctual, own car at disposal.
I couldn't even contemplate flying anywhere with covid rampant etc. Got it 3 wks ago - serious reality check.
 
I havent flown since Jan 2020. Get the ferry to UK now instead 100% of the time. Its slow but has its advantages - luggage no issue, ferrys v punctual, own car at disposal.
I couldn't even contemplate flying anywhere with covid rampant etc. Got it 3 wks ago - serious reality check.
Somewhat limited though on where you can go, and the time to get there.
 
However on the flip side, full time contracts only guaranteeing 20 hours should be illegal. They are completely unacceptable expecting people to be available for full time work but only guaranteeing them part time work.

Also, the decision of the DAA International to agree to the running of the largest airport in Saudia Arabia in the current climate while not related makes me think that it is a company that is tone deaf...
This is the real issue. In a scenario where they need to recruit hundreds of staff, at short notice, in a tight labour market and where successful applicants will be subject to a strict vetting process, they decide to make things even more difficult by using it as an opportunity to introduce zero hour contracts.

And then they go chasing more business in saudia Arabia.

We’re an island nation and depend heavily on our ability to travel.

You seriously have to worry about the calibre of the people who’ve been entrusted to manage our ability to connect with the rest of the world.
 
Somewhat limited though on where you can go, and the time to get there.
Well I'm in no rush to fly anywhere. And by the looks of it will be getting a lot pricier to fly/travel - it's a good thing environmentally to stop flying at the drop of a hat like happened pre pandemic. So not too concerned about Dublin airport delays etc!
 
Back
Top