Shortest Time From Buying Ticket To Boarding Plane

[Bundy Bear]

Had to buy a new ticket on my way to Perth 2 weeks ago.

Purchased ticket at 3:30pm for flight that departed at 4:10pm.
Email came in at 3:35pm. I got the itinerary after I finished the flight.

Anyone brought a ticket in a shorter time and boarded the plane.

This was a new ticket not change of flight.

 

[mm472]

I had to had deliver some parts a few months back,

bought the ticket at 3.45 for a 4.05 departure,, only carry on !!
I had to beg and plead for it all to happen.
got on the plane to hervey bay, got off handed parts over, and got back on same plane back to BNE.

Things you do for customers !!

MM

 

[Tooner]

I can't beat those times, but on the day after Ansett folded, we bought the last ticket on the red-eye to Sydney about 45 mins before the flight took off.

Cost a fortune for 2 tickets, but we were lucky: the Gov refunded the cost.

 

[NM]

I once had an international ticket issued about 90 mins before departure. It was booked before I left home for the airport, but when I arrived at the check-in desk it had not been issued. I called the TA and found she was still trying to get it issued. They were trying to issue as an e-ticket but eventually gave up and had a paper ticket printed at the ticket counter at the airport.

At least I still had some time in the FLounge before departing.

 

[Dave Noble]

My best is approximately 1 hr after arrival at the destination

Dave

 

[bfmi]

My best was traveling in a taxi from downtown Manila headed to the airport to catch a flight to ICN to pickup a nearby replacement. ETix bought on phone to Asiana call centre during the taxi ride @ 1hr 40 prior to departure.

 

[jpk]

2 hours before dep for a QF LHR-PER back in mid 2005. i had only just made silver then, so no real expectation of any benefits, and despite a fairly full plane surprisingly got an ok seat in the first bit of economy, with the one next to me blocked.

dave noble's effort would take some beating though...

 

[JohnK]

I thought I was doing OK until I read the replies.

I purchased a return ticket SYD-CBR on a Sunday afternoon at 3:15pm for travel at 5:55pm and returned on the last flight same day at 8:10pm. I left for the airport straight after purchasing ticket and had some time in the Qantas Lounge before departure.

 

[Shano]

A few years ago I turned up at CAN airport and purchased a ticket to HKG that was departing in 65 minutes from when I arrived at the airport.

 

[serfty]

Some years ago I fronted up at MEL at 6 to collect paper tickets for my 7:30pm flight to SYD. These had been booked by Client's TA.

They could not find them initially, then found them in the "no-Show" pile. I had been booked on the 7:30am flight.

The ticket was not refundable with some flexibility, but no class availability that evening so I had to purchase a full Y ticket on the spot. I did get reimbursed.

 

[serfty]

My best is approximately 1 hr after arrival at the destination ...

Sounds dangerous, did you get -ve FF points?

 

[NM]

My best is approximately 1 hr after arrival at the destination

Dave

Ahh yes, the old Purchase a picket to LAX before departure, which happens to be after arrival .

 

[Platy]

My record is FIFTEEN MINUTES before departure or 10 minutes before being the last to board!!!

I was doing a contract for Gold Coast Airport, but hadn't booked the return flight to Cairns because I didn't know how long the job would take. I finished up the job about 20 minutes before the only QF flight OOL-SYD of the day (most are Deathstar now) and decided to "go for it" and then catch up with my SYD drinking mates in the Combined RSL before getting the evening flight SYD-CNS.

I rang the priority booking number and secured the last J seat whilst running across the airport car park from the QAL offices to the terminal and they held check in for me whilst the AMEX transaction cleared!!!

I boarded 5 minutes later and then departed ten minutes after that.

Surely that's impossibly to beat?!

 

[Evan]

I did purchase a ticket approx 1.5hr before a flight and the flight was full !

SIN-SYD-MEL, was supposed to be tickted by QF the day before as a WT+ flight but by the time i got to the airport no ticket (only a booking, tickets not issued), so BA did it on the spot as a WT+ and upgraded me to club world for the trouble and the fact the plane was fully.

Very happy boy at the upgrade, good food and tried to sleep the whole flights but the clubworld seats just not long enough for me at about 183cms.

So not winning any prizes for the shortest time, but interesting when it happens like this anyway.

E

 

[Dave Noble]

My record is FIFTEEN MINUTES before departure or 10 minutes before being the last to board!!!

Surely that's impossibly to beat?!

I refer the honourable gentleman to post number 5

Dave

 

[NM]

I rang the priority booking number and secured the last J seat ...

Its a good thing that QF had not filled the J cabin with all those ODU freeloaders and kept some J capacity for last minute sales .

 

[Platy]

I refer the honourable gentleman to post number 5
Dave

The question was "the shortest time from buying a ticket to boarding plane", NOT "boarding a plane to buying a ticket"!!!

 

[Dave Noble]

The question was "the shortest time from buying a ticket to boarding plane", NOT "boarding a plane to buying a ticket"!!!

mine is measured at approx -120 minutes

Dave

 

[Platy]

mine is measured at approx -120 minutes
Dave

Well, my fellow traveller, if you had already managed to complete the flight without paying for the ticket, you must have been mad to give the airline the money at T-120!!!

 

[Dave Noble]

Well, my fellow traveller, if you had already managed to complete the flight without paying for the ticket, you must have been mad to give the airline the money at T-120!!!

Not really, I had more sectors planned on the itinerary

Dave