Passing through Dublin Airport can be a daunting task at the best of times.
Ice, snow, freezing fog and -10C weather conditions can only make things harder. The Baltic cold snap has resulted in hundreds of flights in and out of the airport being cancelled since last week. And with the freezing weather set to last until Friday at least - Dublin Live have put together some advice to help make the journey a little easier.
I travelled through Dublin Airport on a midday flight to Frankfurt on Monday January 12. There were some difficulties but I ultimately made it.
Dublin weather Live: Met Eireann map shows temperatures could drop to -10C this week
My advice to intending passengers is below:
Getting to the Airport
Make sure to leave plenty of time for your trip to the airport. Icy roads, fog and rush hour traffic meant my normal 45 minute bus ride from Stillorgan lasted an hour and a half.
Another passenger on my flight almost missed it due to a crash on the M1 so be prepared for the worst.
Delays
It is not unlikely that your flight will be delayed. I didn't board my 12.00pm flight until 1.30pm and the plane didn't take off until 2.20pm. A quick scan of the flight board showed there were seven delayed flights. To keep yourself occupied, bring some reading materials.
While delays are bad, it isn't the worst case scenario - a friend I met had his flight to Amsterdam cancelled and was left waiting at the rebooking desk.
Changing Gates
There was a lot confusion over what gate my flight would leave from. It changed from 303 to 301 to 305. Thankfully, they are all within two minutes walk of each other but it could be a real headache if you had to go further a field.
Travelling to London
The cold snap hit the UK much harder than it did Ireland. Those travelling to London and any other mainland UK destination are advised to consult with their airline before travelling to the airport.
One passenger had two separate flights to London cancelled in as many days and was left waiting three hours on the plane before being told the flight was cancelled on the second day.
Security and check in
In the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdowns, there were major issues with delays getting through Dublin Airport's security and check in. I found my check in was a breeze as was getting through security. In all, it took me just over half an hour to drop my bags off and get through security to the gates.
I arrived after the morning rush which is likely much busier and more time consuming, however in general airport passengers have been happy with security times in recent weeks.
Read next:
Young girl dies sleeping rough in freezing conditions in Dublin
Dublin school closures update as cold snap brings dangerous conditions to capital
Motorists warned to avoid this 'really bad' hack to defrost car windscreens
Motorist fined after making embarrassing mistake while driving in fog
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