MESSAGE CENTER
Message Center
Sunday, July 9, 2006; Page P05
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Beach Camping
I JUST WANTED to compliment Cindy Loose on "Beach? Blanket? Bingo." [July 2]. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was sorry to see it end. She took me there. I've been there before with my own family, and remembering was pure heaven! I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.
J.L. Salazar, Riverdale Heights, Md.
Airport Check-In Times
WHEN SHOULD you arrive at the airport [Coming and Going, July 2]? Your "rule of thumb" is out of date. At Dulles, because of baggage screening requirements, United and most other airlines require that baggage be checked in at least 45 minutes prior to flight departure. If passengers arrive one hour before departure and there is any line at all, they are likely to miss their flight.
United currently recommends that passengers arrive at the terminal at least two hours prior to departure for domestic flights and three hours prior to departure for international flights.
Bill Steiner, Customer Service Assistant, United Airlines
I APPRECIATE your article on check-in times, but with modern conveniences like e-mail and phone alerts, readers basing their check-in time on a flight delay notice from the airlines do so at their own peril.
On June 26, we planned to return from Buffalo on a United Express flight that departed at 2:14 p.m. for Dulles. While en route to the airport, we received both phone and e-mail alerts at 12:45 p.m. from United's "EasyUpdate" that the flight was delayed to 2:59 p.m.
Thinking we didn't have to rush, we decided to stop at the Walden Galleria Mall, about 10 minutes from the airport. Our plan was to leave at 1:50 p.m. to be present for check-in at 2 p.m. at the latest. However, at 1:38 p.m. we received an "oops" e-mail advising us that the flight was going to leave on time at 2:14 p.m.
Driving like a maniac, I dropped the rental car and got us to the ticket counter at exactly 1:50 p.m., only to be told the flight was full and that if we had been on time like everyone else we wouldn't have missed it.
We eventually flew back on Southwest that night and took the SuperShuttle from BWI to Dulles to pick up our car. Instead of arriving home at 4 in the afternoon, it was almost midnight.
My caution to readers: It is imperative to both check in online and to make sure you're at the airport at the original appointed time, irrespective of any notices from the airlines.
