Midway airport chicago?

[mkymouse4ever]

Anyone know how early midway is open or is it open all nite? We have a 6am flight on ata and wondering with the new guidlines just how early should we plan on getting there? Thanks, mky

 

[Figment2]

Midway is open all night. Depending on who you are flying I would allow for 1 to 1-1/2 hrs. I've been there at 5:00am and am amazed how many people are there! We try to get there early then have breakfast in the food court which is right after you go through security.

Cyn

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Did you book online? If so, you can use ATA's express check-in. These are kiosks where you scan the credit card used for the reservations, answer the questions regarding checked luggage, and obtain your boarding passes. An attendant then puts the luggage tags on any checked bags and places them on the conveyor belt. You're then off to the gate.

This is really convenient, since the wait to check-in can take 30 minutes or so for those first flights in the morning. ATA has had express check-in at Midway since the beginning of the year and we have used it three times. One time we had to wait about 10 minutes, but the line for the regular check-in was at least an hour long at that time (spring break traffic). On the other two trips, we walked up to the kiosk, completed the check-in procedure, and were on our way to the gate in about 5 minutes.

I would still allow at least an hour for a 6 am flight from the time I enter the terminal to flight time (allow more time if you are parking in one of the $9/day lots, since the shuttle buses take a little time to get around and don't seem to be as frequent that early in the morning). This is likely to be the first ATA flight of the day outbound so it won't be as busy as it gets later in the day.

Ralph

 

[inkkognito]

I would second what the previous posters said. The electronic check-in for ATA is a real time saver! We use it whenever possible. We try to get to the airport early to get exit row seats, and you can select those, if available, or even change your seat assignment to another seat, at the kiosks.
Also, the food court is a great place to wait for your flight if you don't want to hang around the crowds at the gate. We usually fly out in the late afternoon, and we simply wait there and have a quick bite. Then we head to the gate about 5 mins. before boarding time. The only big negative is the smallness and scarcity of the restrooms near the gates (MCO seems to share this problem...it has huge, gorgeous restrooms at the check-in area and stinky micro-johns by the gates where the people getting off the planes are all fighting to use them with the people going for last minute relief before boarding!).
I hope you will get to take one of ATA's new stretch 757s. They are awesome!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[mkymouse4ever]

I've been waiting in those lines cause we always want the emergency rows and thought the only way to get that was to get in the main line and ask at the front desk! You can do it on the computer for the e- tix? Do you know which seats you are getting? or are you changing your seats at the check in area at the plane if any are left?

Does anyone know if you can still check you ata bags curbside since ata / midway has the new federal government security? Thought they where opening up all baggage now?

Wow, thanks you guys, will definately do curbside and have e-tix will try it out if still doing it in october! and let you know! MKY

Hmmmm, since doing the midinns thing, staying up the nite before maybe will sneek over and try it out the nite before ? Think this could work? Might get good seats?

 

[mkymouse4ever]

Inkkognito?

 

[marn913]

We flew ATA in January to Hawaii and had a 6:30 am flight. The airport is not open all night. They open around 4:30-5am if I remember correctly. We got there at about 3:45 expecting it to take a while to get through security. We had to wait in a line in front of the ticket counter, at that time they did not have curbside check or express check-in. That may have changed since earlier this year.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Actually, ATA has had the express check-in kiosks in operation at Chicago/Midway and Indianapolis airports since summer 2001. We used it for the first time when we flew MDW to MCO in July, 2001 and again on January 2, 2002. Here is a link to the ATA web site which describes the kiosk operation and services available: http://www.ata.com/whats_hot/kiosks.html . Note that you can choose a seat or even request a new one at the time you check-in. It appears that the kiosk accesses the same seating database as used by the counter-service agents, so I would expect that you can request a change to an exit-row seat if one is still available.

I should have mentioned that we have discovered that ATA counter services and the express check-in kiosks do not start operating until after 5 am. We usually book the earliest flight MDW to MCO (this is usually flight 538). The departure time for ATA flights have a tendency to move around between the time you book and the actual date of the flight, but this flight has usually been the earliest departure to Orlando. Be sure to verify your departure time.

Ralph

 

[mkymouse4ever]

Thanks ralph & pam! That's our favorite flight 538! Nice and early! Gosh I noticed that we are almost neighbors too! I hope with this new federal security ata does not change these kiosk for the e-tix seems I've really been missing out on a great service! Thanks for your help, MKY

 

[atigeg]

Sorry, I've been absent for a while recovering from our Disney Cruise Line three-peat!!
You can definitely chooise exit rows at the e-ticket kiosk, but it pays to know the layout of the plane. Some of the exit row seats are much better than others on the 757s and 757 stretches. If you're not sure, you may want to ask the person who checks in your luggage at the e-ticket kiosk. They are usually very helpful.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com