Airport Gate number / Boarding time

dannywaugh1 · 3 Jun 2025 at 21:18

Hi all,

Its been quite a few years since I last travelled. We are going to spain next week via Jet2 and noticed on our boarding passes the gate closes 30mins before departure (7:05 flight). I was also reading on the Newcastle Airport website (I think) that boarding gate are announced 30mins before departure also.

Is this right or am misreading something?

I'm under the impression the gate is announced 30 mins before departure (in this case 06:35) then I need to go straight to the gate.

leoncuprar · 3 Jun 2025 at 21:24

When you get to the airport and have gone through security, just check the screens. They will normally tell you your gate number well in advance.

The screen will then tell you when it's time to "go to gate".

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 3 Jun 2025 at 21:31

30 mins I would say its about normal for a gate to close before take off.
You may be fine if you get there at say 25 minutes but your risking it.
They cannot take off with luggage on the plane for a no show passenger so if you arrive late but they haven't yet got people to search for your luggage then they will likely let you on, but I wouldn't rely on it, nor are you likely to be popular with crew or fellow passengers as risk you will miss your slot.

Normally they seem to call gates about an hour before take off, so in effect you have 30 minutes to get there. Most gates in most airports are 5 mins max away, a few of the gates in the larger airports may be closer to 10 minutes walk.

If you are "proper checking in" as opposed to self check in the person will normally tell you when you gate will be announced.

dannywaugh1 · 3 Jun 2025 at 21:37

@Mercenary Keyboard Warrior Thanks for the information.
We are planning to arrive at the airport for 5am, we have already checked in online and have boarding passes. Will need to check in our luggage though and have fast track security.

Penfold101 · 3 Jun 2025 at 21:40

There’s a good chance that’ll be the first flight of the day so the plane will be there already - it’s really only an issue at larger airports where a delay in one plane leaving can cause the gate of an incoming one to be changed at short notice.

5am will be more than fine for an airport like Newcastle.

dannywaugh1 · 3 Jun 2025 at 21:43

Penfold101 said:
There’s a good chance that’ll be the first flight of the day so the plane will be there already - it’s really only an issue at larger airports where a delay in one plane leaving can cause the gate of an incoming one to be changed at short notice.

5am will be more than fine for an airport like Newcastle.

Yeah I think our flight is one of the first of the day. Its a 07:05 flight.

Vandle · 4 Jun 2025 at 08:55

Newcastle is a pretty small airport, they also have those newer security scanners which quicken things up quite a bit. You'll have absolutely loads of time. There's a Greggs before security but not one after so stock up on your bait after check in and enjoy a pasty and a 12 quid pint for breakfast at the other end

DJMK4 · 4 Jun 2025 at 13:45

Use the screens, aslong as you get to the airport atleast 2 hours before your flight, you will be fine

allow around 45 mins to get through security

I usually fly from heathrow, so e.g. if my flight is at 5pm, i would get aim to be at the airport around 3pm - but depends if you want to get there earlier and just lazy about

get there, go through security and whilst doing that look at screens

usually the gate is announced about 1 or 1.5 hours before flight departs

Always look at the big screens to check, as they could change the info

mattyfez · 4 Jun 2025 at 14:43

I genealy aim to get to the airport 3 hrs before takeoff time just incase I get delayed. I aim to be airside 2 hrs before take off time.

I'd sooner buy an overpriced beer and a bit of grub from KFC or whatever airside than get stressed stress rushing about.

Although beer in normal pubs in the uk is so expensive now.. I had a pint in Manchester Airport the other day and a pint was only about a quid more expensive than my local...

OldKitMan · 4 Jun 2025 at 14:57

you can never be too early for a flight, but you can be too late.

Must admit though in my frequent flyer days, when I was getting the first flight of the day I left the house 2 hours before the flight was due to take off, had that down to a fine art, if I'm getting anything other than the first flight of the day I leave a bit earlier to allow for traffic.

montymint · 4 Jun 2025 at 15:07

dannywaugh1 said:
@Mercenary Keyboard Warrior Thanks for the information.
We are planning to arrive at the airport for 5am, we have already checked in online and have boarding passes. Will need to check in our luggage though and have fast track security.

5am for a 7am flight at Newcastle is fine. Even if some of the scanners are off you'll have enough time.

I tend to get there about 90mins - 2 hours before flying and am never rushed.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 4 Jun 2025 at 15:37

We just book a lounge now and get in pretty early. Book lounge for 1-3 hours before flight (max 2 hours in lounge), reduces the stress of an issue and the holiday really starts then.
Last lounge was £40 each but that included fast track security.
We went through security in like 3-5 minutes, quick purchase in duty free then off to lounge.

Asked for flight when we got there then what we wanted for brekkie.
Had breakfast a few coffees a few sparkling wines and our host walked over and said "your flight gate has just come up, its xx"

arknor · 4 Jun 2025 at 16:34

dannywaugh1 said:
Its been quite a few years since I last travelled. We are going to spain next week via Jet2 and noticed on our boarding passes the gate closes 30mins before departure (7:05 flight). I was also reading on the Newcastle Airport website (I think) that boarding gate are announced 30mins before departure also.

newcastle airport is the smallest airport in the world.
even when its busy its not that busy.

the gates aren't that hard to find, usually they tell the gate 30+minutes before the flight roughly when the baggage lanes close, with easy jet I would usually be sat at the gate for like 25mins every time before boarding starts

just sit somewhere you can see a board. down the escalators/stairs to the entrance to all the gates, there is a small shop there with seats and a departure board, also much more quiet and less busy down there.)

I used to fly out of newcastle all the time, with only carry on luggage and would just leave my house exactly as the luggage lane opened or within 30 mins of it closing. (city centre so like 20mins in a taxi)

with a 7.05am flight the bag drop should close at 6:25am so you wanna get there for at least then at the absolute minimum assuming you have no check in bags.
with bags probably 6.05am at the latest unless you want big stress

btw don;t get the metro there it'll probably break down with a bus replacement

BUDFORCE · 4 Jun 2025 at 17:39

Vandle said:
enjoy a pasty and a 12 quid pint for breakfast at the other end

mattyfez said:
Although beer in normal pubs in the uk is so expensive now.. I had a pint in Manchester Airport the other day and a pint was only about a quid more expensive than my local...

Noobs, buy cans in the duty free and neck them before you get on the plane.

Vandle · 5 Jun 2025 at 04:05

arknor said:
newcastle airport is the smallest airport in the world.

Is that taken from their Wikipedia page?

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 5 Jun 2025 at 08:00

Over 5 million passengers a year (based on 2024) not even remotely the smallest airport in the world.

You would hope thats a comedy comment but considering who it was posted by may well have been serious.
Gatwick for 2023 (cant see 24) was 40 million for reference, so Newcastle 1/8 the size of Gatwick, still sounds fairly busy.
St Lucias international airport (UVF) handles about 1 million a year, which takes up to 747 type planes so newcastle is deffo not a small airport by international standards.

Vandle · 5 Jun 2025 at 08:08

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Over 5 million passengers a year (based on 2024) not even remotely the smallest airport in the world.

You would hope thats a comedy comment but considering who it was posted by may well have been serious.
Gatwick for 2023 (cant see 24) was 40 million for reference, so Newcastle 1/8 the size of Gatwick, still sounds fairly busy.
St Lucias international airport (UVF) handles about 1 million a year, which takes up to 747 type planes so newcastle is deffo not a small airport by international standards.

I flew in and out of Hervey Bay airport at Easter. I think that's the smallest one I've seen. Even smaller than some of the domestic African airports I've been in.
I dropped off the hire car in the industrial estate next to it and walked over the field into the airport. First for me, I have never walked into an airport before.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 5 Jun 2025 at 08:24

Vandle said:
I flew in and out of Hervey Bay airport at Easter. I think that's the smallest one I've seen. Even smaller than some of the domestic African airports I've been in.
I dropped off the hire car in the industrial estate next to it and walked over the field into the airport. First for me, I have never walked into an airport before.

Very nice.
This airport is on my bucket list to fly to, but means I need to take an internal French flight (very ££££) as they are the only ones allowed to fly there.
really they recommend helis, but youcan get a small light plane to fly there.
Many times I have watched in winter (from ski resort) people flying in there and I just want to do the same.
I consider these sorts of facilities a small airport, "As of 2024, the facilities at the altiport for aircraft include a 10 space hangar, a single fire truck, a tractor for aircraft towing and a refuelling station. Customers and pilots can make use of two small chalets by the runway."

Courchevel Altiport - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Anyway, enough about real small airports

Pigeon · 5 Jun 2025 at 09:20

The only thing I have to add is not to rely on the airport websites for the gate update information. We nearly had a mishap in Birmingham where we were relaxing over breakfast and no gate details were input on the website. We were lucky as we got up to do bathroom break etc and happened to glance at screens and see a final call for the gate. We made it ok with the gate being closed behind us and in some ways it was good having less time in the little pen before boarding but not worth the stress of doing the home alone rush through the airport.

The smaller airports I have visited on the continent have generally been great and very relaxed in the way they are set up, I know that it is budget flying and so limited facilities but it all feels very relaxed when there is only one or two flights worth of people around at a time. Carcassone springs to mind as just being a bit of a throwback in how basic and relaxed the process felt, Trapani as well although the security felt busy/disorganised when we got there and more than 10 people were waiting. By contrast the very busy basic/budget flight airport at Warsaw Modlin was an awful place to spend time, it was like being in a busy train or bus station hall with no space to get away from all the people. What surprises me sometimes with airports is how grand the building seem from the outside but once you get down nearer to the gate and particularly after the passport control how they are often just a basic shed of a building where you are often waiting for an hour or more.

arknor · 5 Jun 2025 at 12:13

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Over 5 million passengers a year (based on 2024) not even remotely the smallest airport in the world.

dood its literally a tiny airport... anyone whos used it knows.

walking from Security to the gate departure is like 5-10minutes, in bigger airports that walk can be more like 20-30+

its a small airport Obviously I didnt mean literally ther smallest airport in the world.

what happened to society that people take everything literally and as gospel..... holy crap...

its basically an overly large corridor or a straight section of a mall, its super small, it's super simple, everythings pretty close to each other...

trying to hint that its a stress free place to fly from...

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
You would hope thats a comedy comment but considering who it was posted by may well have been serious.

hard lefty doesnt like my politics so doesnt like me at all awww diddums.... grow up and stop being tribal...

youy know in the 909s when youi were friends with loads of people regardless of politics or views? you just accepted people saw the world differently...

what a utopia that was.

HAVE YOU ACTUALLY DEPARTED FROM NEWCASTLE AIRPORT? IM TALKING FROM ACTUAL EXPERIENCE NOT A WIKI PAGE.

YOU DO REALISE i LIVE IN NEWCASTLE RIGHT? I LITERALLY SAID I LIVE 20MINUTES FROM IT IN THIS THREAD IM LITERALLY TALKING FROM EXPERIENCE OF USING IT.

its laughable how opinions make enemies tribal thought is destroying society

I'm against illegal migration, he loves it, so I'm the bad guy with crazy opinions

Airport Gate number / Boarding time

Pet Northerner