Booking in lugage the day before at Manchester Airport.

We are contemplating booking into a hotel with parking for the duration of the holiday as we have a early morning flight. We have never done this before and I was wondering about booking the luggage in the day before how this works out and if we do how early before a flight do we then need to be at the airport?

We are contemplating booking into a hotel with parking for the duration of the holiday as we have a early morning flight. We have never done this before and I was wondering about booking the luggage in the day before how this works out and if we do how early before a flight do we then need to be at the airport?

We did this a few years ago so I don't remember the name of the hotel offhand. I would definitely recommend doing this as it was so much more relaxing and we did not have to struggle with large luggage at the hotel and in the morning when transferring to the airport. The hotel we stayed at had a mini bus running at regular intervals to and from the hotel at an extra cost. We hadn't paid to book seats together but we were given our seats when we checked our hold luggage in the night before and we had a choice where to sit, so saving on booking seats. Knowing we already had our seats we did not feel we needed to get to the airport very early but we had to take into consideration the mini bus timetable.

Remember, you will have to carry in your hand luggage all the extra things you will need at the hotel, plus a change of clothes.

I have checked in at the Britannia Airport Hotel the day before my flight, stayed the night, then used the hotel shuttle to the airport, then hotel shuttle back from the airport after 2 weeks & picked up the car. No problems.

However, I have never checked my luggage in at the airport the day before the flight. Didn't know this was a possibility. Hope this helps although it doesn't answer your question.

Don

We've done day-before check-in at Gatwick and it's a brilliant service. Check the details on the Thomson site but from memory I think there are specified times the day before - but it's a big window and in our case it was only available if your fight left before mid-day.

We dropped our hold cases off the day before, were given our boarding cards and told just to be sure to be in departures by a given time. As already mentioned you need to keep in your hand luggage anything you will need before getting to your destination and allow sufficient time to get through security on the morning of your flight. But other than that you can certainly win an hour or two in terms of how early you need to get to the airport and of course the big bonus is that you avoid the usually long queues at check-in. We've simply walked right up to an empty Thomson desk when we've done day-before check-in. Brilliant!

Sounds great. Plus it's my turn to drive to the airport so I can have a drink or three at the hotel the night before we fly:)

We did this when we went on the Canarian Flavours cruise. We checked in our luggage the night before at Gatwick and got our boarding cards, then walked across to the Premier Inn. In the morning we walked back to the terminal and then just had to go through security. We had a leisurely coffee and croissant before boarding the plane.

I don't think you can do this at all airports and not for certain destinations (I think Caribbean and Egypt??) but you can definitely do it at Gatwick and Manchester.

I did this last year K8ti as I had a 6 a.m. flight to Corfu :eek:

When I checked in around 7 p.m. the night before there was only one other person at the desks, the next morning I got to the airport around 4:15, walked past the hundreds queueing to check in and had a lovely leisurely breakfast airside!

I would definitely do it again, think I stayed at the Novotel but you can walk to the check in desks in the terminal from the Renaissance if they have any good deals on

Used it last year when we went out to Italy from Manchester and would highly recommend it. Stayed overnight at Crowne Plaza on the airport site and got a deal to include 15 days parking plus overnight stay. Threw all the overnight stuff in the car boot the following morning. Reception staff call for the shuttle bus which collects you from the hotel and 5 mins later you are at the terminal. No charge for that. Could drop our cases off any time previous afternoon or evening and timed it when there were no thomson flights due to check in hence no queue. Straight thru to airside for a cup of coffee and breakfast.

Think I read that you can only check luggage in the day before if you are on a stay as well as cruise and not cruise only. We are flying from bham at 7 in the morning and it would be great to drop luggage off the night before. Does anyone know, maybe someone from the Thomson team can enlighten me also can you do online check in and then do bag drop

Think I read that you can only check luggage in the day before if you are on a stay as well as cruise and not cruise only. We are flying from bham at 7 in the morning and it would be great to drop luggage off the night before. Does anyone know, maybe someone from the Thomson team can enlighten me also can you do online check in and then do bag drop

We did day before check-in on a few occasions Shirley and have never done a 'cruise and stay' so that must have been a 'cruise only' but this must have changed because I've just looked a the Thomson site and it most definitely reads as though it's not available for any cruise only holidays now! :eek: I wonder why? Such a pity if that is no longer available. :(

Can I check in the day before I fly?

Yes – if you’re flying with Thomson Airways from Gatwick, Manchester or Birmingham you can check in from 12.00 midday to 10pm the day before you fly.

Just so you know, in June 2013 we’re launching online check-in. From then onwards, you must have checked-in online to use the day before bag-drop service at Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. We’ll update our website with more information about online check-in as June approaches.

Cruise holidays

Sorry – you can't check in the day before if you're going on a cruise holiday. This applies to both Thomson cruises and cruises with other operators. However, Day-before Check-in is available if you've booked a Stay and Cruise package.

I notice too that from June this year they will be offering on-line check-in which should speed up the process of check-in but presumably you still have to queue to get your cases weighed. Do you? Anyone done this with other airlines. How does it work?

We did day before check-in on a few occasions Shirley and have never done a 'cruise and stay' so that must have been a 'cruise only' but this must have changed because I've just looked a the Thomson site and it most definitely reads as though it's not available for any cruise only holidays now! :eek: I wonder why? Such a pity if that is no longer available. :(

 

 

Can I check in the day before I fly?

 

Yes – if you’re flying with Thomson Airways from Gatwick, Manchester or Birmingham you can check in from 12.00 midday to 10pm the day before you fly.

Just so you know, in June 2013 we’re launching online check-in. From then onwards, you must have checked-in online to use the day before bag-drop service at Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. We’ll update our website with more information about online check-in as June approaches.

Cruise holidays

Sorry – you can't check in the day before if you're going on a cruise holiday. This applies to both Thomson cruises and cruises with other operators. However, Day-before Check-in is available if you've booked a Stay and Cruise package.

 

 

 

I notice too that from June this year they will be offering on-line check-in which should speed up the process of check-in but presumably you still have to queue to get your cases weighed. Do you? Anyone done this with other airlines. How does it work?

I have only done on-line check in on BA. I had already booked my seat position weeks beforehand and did the on-line check in a couple of days before. It was a bit scarey having never done it before but it was easy to follow the instructions on screen. When I got to the airport there was a queue but there was another desk for people who had booked online and another category which i cannot remember what it was for but maybe frequent flyers. There was only 1 group in front of me. I showed them the paper I had printed out, cases were weighed and that was it as far as I can remember. Probably had to show my passport as well.

I can't understand Thomson. Here we are with increasing competition in the fly cruise business and Thomson are hell bent on making the customer experience worse and eliminating those little things that made a Thomson cruise just a little bit special. Thomson senior management must work for Carnival :eek:

I have only done on-line check in on BA. I had already booked my seat position weeks beforehand and did the on-line check in a couple of days before. It was a bit scarey having never done it before but it was easy to follow the instructions on screen. When I got to the airport there was a queue but there was another desk for people who had booked online and another category which i cannot remember what it was for but maybe frequent flyers. There was only 1 group in front of me. I showed them the paper I had printed out, cases were weighed and that was it as far as I can remember. Probably had to show my passport as well.

Hi Jackanne

My experience having done on-line check numerous times didn`t really notice a great deal of difference.On arrival at airport there is a desk/s for luggage drop off(on line check ins)and another for those that have not done on-line check

At the luggage drop off/on-line check in desk went through the same procedure as non on-line check in desk.Still had to hand over on-line print off,passport,luggage weighed to receive boarding pass/seat number.

Any slight difference was maybe more people queuing at the non on-line check but were at the airport in plenty of time so the queues are negligible.Nine times out of ten we`ve walked straight to the on-line check in desk wheres theres been maybe 6 or 8 standing at non on-line check in desk.

I have done online checkin many times and yes you have to get your luggage weighed when you arrive but it's usually at a separate desk only usually takes a few mins,but I thought we could do night before check in from Manchester we only live 30mins away so would have been great but I'll check it all out nearer to time we don't go till June.:)

Ekco (Jan) is the expert at checking in at Manchester as she does it regularly and lives near the airport. Sadly she has not been posting as she has been ill since she came back from her cruise on Majesty a few weeks ago. If she is feeling better and sees this thread she will let you know what to do.:)

:(Sorry to burst your bubble people thought i had read it somewhere maybe Dan at thomson is about and can enlighten us as to why there is a difference between cruise and cruise and stay. As for online check in as I am an expert on using a certain Irish (cHANGE OF BOOKING MADAM CERTAINLY THAT WILL BE £800 IN ADMIN CHARGES) Airline Its not too bad to do the check in online only problem that I can see happening in the future is that a lot of us are now using our phones and ipads for our surfing and certainly my wifi printer will not print from them without some expensive software being loaded so for now I am keeping my really slow laptop to do the printing of the boarding passes on. Other option indeed is to print them at work but only when the boss is out.

When did this change then? We checked in overnight on our Feb 1st flight. Just convinced DH that an overnight stay would be a good idea and he is going round boasting how easy it is (like it was his idea :rolleyes:)and they have changed it :(:confused:

Boo hiss naughty thomson

Ekco (Jan) is the expert at checking in at Manchester as she does it regularly and lives near the airport. Sadly she has not been posting as she has been ill since she came back from her cruise on Majesty a few weeks ago. If she is feeling better and sees this thread she will let you know what to do.:)[/quote

 

I'm alive thank goodness. We did day before check in a few weeks ago but it looks as if it's changed, link below, but worth double checking. Very strange and I'm not happy if it's true.

 

http://www.thomson.co.uk/editorial/faqs/flights/checking-in.html#daybeforecheckin

 

Jan:):)

Thoms are doing on-line checkin!!....this sounds great!.....does this mean you can choose your own seats (together?....for free?) or are they auto allocated so you cant change them?

Ah that's a very good question where's Dan when you need him shall one of us email Thomsoncares.co.uk

Well now I am confused. I will book a hotel at the airport and wait and see about the booking in of the case. It is strange that a cruise and stay has different rules. I wonder why they came up with that? :confused:

I'm willing to bet that they will pre allocated!.....knowing my luck with pre allocations recently, I will have the seat with the broken armrest, half an inflight magazine, an overhead light that doesn’t work and a constant drip from the ac on my head!!

Well now I am confused. I will book a hotel at the airport and wait and see about the booking in of the case. It is strange that a cruise and stay has different rules. I wonder why they came up with that? :confused:

It doesn't make any sense, they used to push it as a perk for going on a cruise so why stop it? What's the difference between a cruise, a cruise and stay and a hotel holiday as far as day before check in is concerned? I don't see what your end holiday has to do with the flight. Has anybody contacted Thomson for clarification? Very strange.:confused:

Jan

I'm willing to bet that they will pre allocated!.....knowing my luck with pre allocations recently, I will have the seat with the broken armrest, half an inflight magazine, an overhead light that doesn’t work and a constant drip from the ac on my head!!

I've sat in that seat as well :)