U-Tapao - enough to show up 1hr before domestic flight?

[Sandboxer]

Flying domestically (UTP-HKT) this week. 

 

Flight is at 13:00. Tiny aircraft (ATR72) so not many pax to process. Is showing up at the check-in counter 60 min before the flight acceptable? Looked at email/e-ticket from Bangkok Airways but it says nothing about it.  I just figure since the scamdemic delays in the check-in/airport processes etc. are no more, it's ok but I just wanna make sure.

 

Also, Google maps says that it's about 45 min to get there by car if I leave around 11am - is this accurate? I'm staying in Soi Buakhao. 

[Danderman123]

First off, make sure your taxi driver takes the toll road to the airport. 

 

Secondly, check in at UTapao for Bangkok Airways is slow, but leaving at 11 am may be sufficient, but tight.

[brewsterbudgen]

We took that flight a couple of months ago. Surprisingly it was full, so I would do an online check-in first if you're likely to turn up an hour before.

 

You need at least 40 minutes to get there from Pattaya (via the 7 motorway).  It takes around 15 minutes from the end of the motorway to get to the terminal.

[Sandboxer]

2 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

First off, make sure your taxi driver takes the toll road to the airport. 

 

Secondly, check in at UTapao for Bangkok Airways is slow, but leaving at 11 am may be sufficient, but tight.

 

19 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

We took that flight a couple of months ago. Surprisingly it was full, so I would do an online check-in first if you're likely to turn up an hour before.

 

You need at least 40 minutes to get there from Pattaya (via the 7 motorway).  It takes around 15 minutes from the end of the motorway to get to the terminal.

Thanks guys, will leave a bit earlier then~~

[EVENKEEL]

Leaving Soi Buakhao to Suk, traffic is nasty, real nasty.

[Toby1947]

1hr. plenty of time to check in, and you'll still be sat there like a zombie waiting 2hrs later ????????????

[MrJ2U]

Cutting it close. 

 

It's really busy now and on recent flight on Thai Smile they weren't very happy showing up 45 minutes before departure (Udon Thani).

 

If it's Air Asia 1.5 hours would be fair.   They've got very little staff for check-in in my recent flights with them.  Infuriating.

[MrJ2U]

4 minutes ago, Toby1947 said:

1hr. plenty of time to check in, and you'll still be sat there like a zombie waiting 2hrs later ????????????

I always enjoy the energy in an airport and having a smartphone,  time fly's. 

 

That's just my experience, for other's,  mileage may vary. 

[DFPhuket]

If you have only a carry on bag and check in/get your boarding pass on the app or the website you will go straight to security and to the gate so an hour is plenty of time. Boarding begins about 30 minutes before departure. 

 

If you are checking a bag, the check in counter will close about 40 minutes before departure so if there is a queue, that would be cutting it too close for my confort. 

[Danderman123]

34 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

If you have only a carry on bag and check in/get your boarding pass on the app or the website you will go straight to security and to the gate so an hour is plenty of time. Boarding begins about 30 minutes before departure. 

 

If you are checking a bag, the check in counter will close about 40 minutes before departure so if there is a queue, that would be cutting it too close for my confort. 

I don't think that Bangkok Airways provides boarding passes as a result of their Online Checkin  process.

[Sandboxer]

Epilogue

 

So I arrived about 80 min before the flight. All good.

 

They do check and enforce (people at the top of the line got forced to check theirs in) your carry-on bag's weight, and I knew I had about 800g-1kg more than the retarded 5kg they allow and didn't feel like wasting even more time retrieving it from baggage claim upon arrival so I took out my laptop, placed it on a nearby chair out of sight, got my "cabin allowed" tag and put it back in????. 

 

Seat was 1B so I thought "Cool beans, first on/first off"....till I got to the plane and saw it was a rear loader. Epic fail  555.

 

From my Poocat condo to my Buakhao hotel, door to door, was just under 6 hours when I flew to Patts via BKK on Vietjet. Flying back with Bangkok Air from UTP I was able to shave about 90 minutes from that total travel time, and the drive (Patt-UTP) is a lot nicer and a bit shorter.

 

Thanks for the helpful posts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DFPhuket]

On 4/4/2023 at 5:31 PM, Danderman123 said:

I don't think that Bangkok Airways provides boarding passes as a result of their Online Checkin  process.

The do allow you to go through security and board the plane with the boarding pass on your phone in both Phuket and Bangkok. I've not tried it in Pattaya. 

[gk10012001]

On 4/4/2023 at 4:04 AM, Toby1947 said:

1hr. plenty of time to check in, and you'll still be sat there like a zombie waiting 2hrs later ????????????

haha possible.  I last flew in and out of Utapao in 2019 and it was great. Not busy at all back then.   I loved walking out on the tarmac to board the plane via the steps.  Quite interesting to look around at the long runway, the hills beyond, and imagine those big B 52s there during the Vietnam war era.