Flight leaving at 3-4am: Do you book a hotel?

[kermatu]

My son and I are flying EK J from HKG to LCA with an 8 hour 40 min layover in DXB.

An STPC hotel plus transfer will be provided by EK, but I'm in two minds as to whether to bother with it or find somewhere cosy to rest in the Concourse C Emirates lounge.

I guess it will depend to some extent on whether the flight is on time or not.

If you can access the F lounge that would be my plan. Plenty of time to get to the A concourse too if desired. I've not used the J lounges but am sure they're good enough.

 

[clifford]

If you can access the F lounge that would be my plan. Plenty of time to get to the A concourse too if desired. I've not used the J lounges but am sure they're good enough.

I understand the Concourse C lounge is a joint F/J lounge and is usually relatively quiet.

 

[RoMambai]

In my line of work I've faced too many occasions like this to remember. After missing a flight in the early days, I now simply cost what hotel accommodation would have been, divide it by two and then drink/eat up to whatever that amount is. That way I've saved half and enjoyed the rest. I've never missed a flight since.

 

[Austman]

I understand the Concourse C lounge is a joint F/J lounge and is usually relatively quiet.

Concourse C has 3 EK lounges. A business lounge, a first lounge more-or-less opposite and a combined business + first lounge. Apparently the latter is often not very crowded because most signage directs pax to the other two.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My son and I are flying EK J from HKG to LCA with an 8 hour 40 min layover in DXB.

An STPC hotel plus transfer will be provided by EK, but I'm in two minds as to whether to bother with it or find somewhere cosy to rest in the Concourse C Emirates lounge.

I guess it will depend to some extent on whether the flight is on time or not.

Based on advice from just about everywhere (AFF, tripadvisor, you name it) I decided to stay at DXB during an 8 hour transit (F lounge). I really wish I taken the free hotel.

 

[clifford]

Based on advice from just about everywhere (AFF, tripadvisor, you name it) I decided to stay at DXB during an 8 hour transit (F lounge). I really wish I taken the free hotel.

Yes, I'm leaning towards the hotel too, if everything is reasonably on schedule. But, if not, the lounge I'm sure will do (and we'll have a nice hotel waiting for us on Larnaca seafront).

 

[RoMambai]

When I was based near the Middle East I would always go the hotel option. It works like clock work, you get vouchers to some pretty impressive buffetts and you can partake in the pool/gym. No brainer imho.

 

[theblank]

The last time I had to fly at 3.55am, I just went to the airport after dinner and waited in the lounge. Is this what others would do?

I depends.

I have booked a hotel for the night when my flight was at midnight, so i was actually only there from about 4pm to 9pm
main reason was I had a hangover that would have killed a horse, and I just wanted to die, and it only cost about $30

the hardest thing about the whole event was trying to convince this China hotel I wanted to book their airport transfer shuttle *tonight*. They just didnt get it.

 

[Flying mermaid]

My son and I are flying EK J from HKG to LCA with an 8 hour 40 min layover in DXB.

An STPC hotel plus transfer will be provided by EK, but I'm in two minds as to whether to bother with it or find somewhere cosy to rest in the Concourse C Emirates lounge.

I guess it will depend to some extent on whether the flight is on time or not.

we had a 9 hour layover flying Syd-dxb-nbo. (F). We booked the transit hotel and it was terrific. Arrived a bit after midnight, met at the gate, quick check in. 6 hours sleep, nice shower, breakfast in the A lounge and then walked to C for our flight. Much better than sitting up in a lounge.

 

[Milboo]

Will always book a hotel - even if I only doze for a few hours, at least I can rest, get some room service, have a shower and repack etc. Could not think of anything worse than spending hours in a lounge or wandering an airport!

Will also take a transit hotel for anything over 5 hours.

 

[JohnK]

I just don’t sleep at all well knowing I have to get up so early.

I've learnt to survive on 1-2 hours sleep if necessary.

 

[JohnK]

Based on advice from just about everywhere (AFF, tripadvisor, you name it) I decided to stay at DXB during an 8 hour transit (F lounge). I really wish I taken the free hotel.

Free hotel would be nice but there's nothing wrong spending the night in a lounge if it's possible to have some sleep in the lounge.

I transitted SIN Christmas Day and next flight not until 8:00am Boxing Day. Went to Casino for a few hours in evening and returned with the last train just after midnight. Spent the rest of the night in T2 KrisFlyer Gold lounge and had 3-4 hours sleep.

 

[Forg]

When I first bought return J tickets on CI to Gatwick, the CI website said there was no lounge in Gatwick.
We had a 9pm-ish flight, checkout in London was around 10am, allegedly no lounge at the airport; so I booked a room at the hotel attached to the airport (a Hilton?).
By the time we flew there was a lounge available, but the UK had a few days in a row with (gasp) over 30 degree heat so they had train delays; we therefore went to the airport ASAP, and having a hotel room in which to have an arvo nap & kill some time without dealing with a billionty people or inadequate aircon made a very comfy & worthwhile ending to our holiday.
Would book again!

 

[rikkitikkitavi]

If it was for work I’d stay on at the hotel, unless it was a connecting fight and I only had like 5-6 wait in a good lounge with resting areas, otherwise I’d book myself into a airport hotel

 

[GlobalT]

Anything over 4 hours at that time of the day/night and I would be going straight to the transit hotel to hopefully get a couple hours of sleep in a decent bed followed by shower to wake me up again before the flight.