Airlines and airports tell you to arrive at the airport 2 hours in advance for a domestic flight and 3 hours in advance for an international flight. And then during peak times they warn you to show up even earlier than that. This is insane.
Here are the things you need to account for when arriving at the airport.
- The time to get from the parking lot into the terminal, if you park
- The time it takes to check you bag, if you aren’t just carrying on
- Maybe you think it’s still 1996 and you want to wait in line for a human to give you a paper boarding pass?
- And you have to go through security – if you’re listening to the airline’s or airport’s advice you probably don’t have PreCheck or CLEAR
- Plus it’s a long flight and you may want to stop for a snack, and if you go to the bathroom prior to boarding you’ll weigh less so the airline saves a little bit of money on fuel.
If you’re leaving on an international flight throughout much of the world you’ll have to go through departure immigration, as well as security. For the most part that’s not how it works in the U.S., Canada, or U.K. Extra time for a U.S. flight assumes you’re waiting in line, document check takes awhile, and maybe there’s some confusion over your eligibility to travel (visa issues).
Even with all of this, an hour or hour and fifteen minutes is probably fine for domestic flights – maybe a little more for international if you’re unsure your paperwork is in order – 90% of the time. But it’s the outlier cases for which the advice is given.
Since airlines and airports are giving advice, they are kinda (not really) responsible if it’s wrong. So they offer an amount of time that will cover 99.9%+ of cases. And that leaves you with far more time twiddling your thumbs by the gate, in the lounge, or milling about the terminal than you possibly need.
On the other hand, maybe it’s all a conspiracy? They just want you to shop.
the myth that you have to arrive two hours before your flight is propagated by airports to make you spend more money on overpriced snacks. you really only need to arrive 5-10 minutes before departure
— Sam Weinberg (@SAMUELJWEINBERG) December 7, 2023
This is possible! Or at least, this explanation is consonant with other incentives that those giving the (usually bad) advice face.
Airports generally take a cut of retail sales on top of per square foot rent payments. And the higher the sales, the bigger those lease rates they can charge. Airlines generally share in this revenue. High end retail in airports isn’t because the average passenger has a huge urge for last minute Gucci. It’s because passengers skew higher-income, they have time on their hands, and a percentage of expensive item sales adds up.
This is also why airports have removed moving walkways. It cost $1 million to take out the walkway in the Dallas – Fort Worth D terminal. People were simply passing by retail shops using the walkway instead of wandering in. A walkway was similarly removed at O’Hare for the same reason.
Passengers aren’t the customer at airports in fact airports usually don’t even know who’s in the terminal (cameras and facial recognition notwithstanding).
The truth is – either way – is that you do not need to show up at the airport as early as you’re told. If you’ve never missed a flight you’re spending too much time in airports.
You need to evaluate, in each case, what the consequence would be of missing a flight. Sometimes it just means you’d take a later flight. Sometimes you’d just skip the trip. And other times it is a ‘very big deal’ and so you want to show up early for a flight that gets you to your destination very early, giving you plenty of buffer if things go wrong.
So when should you really show up at the airport? Check in online or using your airline’s mobile app and then:
- If you have no elite status and no TSA PreCheck and you’re checking a bag, probably 90 minutes. That gives you half an hour to get through the line and check your bag, and half an hour to go through security. Then go straight to your gate. You do not need to be the first to board.
- If lines are long to check your bag, see if it’s an option to pay a Sky Cap outside to take your bags and give you your boarding pass if you need it.
- If security lines are especially long, ask passengers around you to cut in line because you’ll miss your flight. If the terminal has CLEAR they do signups on the spot, and it could be a good time to join. Look for a Priority line that may not have anyone in it
If you’re traveling with young children, adjust accordingly. If you’re traveling the Sunday after Thanksgiving, out of Las Vegas at the end of the Computer Electronics Show or Austin after Formula 1, adjust accordingly. If you’re flying out of Denver, my condolences, the airport and TSA have never managed to get that one right. But in the limit, 90 minutes should be fine for most, almost all of the time.
Personally, with status and CLEAR and PreCheck and no checked bags I like to leave home 75 minutes prior to departure, hitting the airport 50 minutes out. Even if security takes 15 minutes, and I’m heading to the other end of the terminal, I’m still walking up just after boarding has started – so I’ve got at least a 15 minute buffer.
I enjoy spending time in airports. Once I am done with security, I wander around the terminal and look at the planes. Or I take a nice meal. Also, in most Canadian airports, you also need to leave time for pre-clearing US customs. This does not take much time in small airports, but can take 30 minutes in larger ones.
While I completely agree with the sentiment here, we arrived at OGG on Fri night at 10:00 PM for an 11:59 PM flight to SAN. The security line was at least an hour long. Clear was already closed, and the only accommodation they had for TSA PreCheck members was a card they handed you that allowed you to keep electronics in your bag and use the metal detector vs. the full scanner. Everyone had to wait in the super-long regular line, regardless of status.
Thankfully, we made our flight with time to spare, but there were numerous folks who showed up desperate to cut the line to avoid missing their flight. I’m all for not wasting time sitting around at the airport, but there are sometimes cases like the one I experienced at OGG that can bite you in the rear if you’re not careful.
Anything to distract from J6 and Epstein, huh? Sure, 2 hours before is fine; so is 3, or 1.5, or staying home. Clear eGates and lounges make it better. Global’s still helpful.
I used to work on less than the “recommended times”. That changed after one day several years ago (before the advent of virtual boarding passes) when I was flying internationally from LHR T3. All went well until the taxi arrived at a line of stationary traffic a few hundred yards from the tunnel underneath the runway. It took over an hour and a half to get through the tunnel due to a broken down vehicle blocking one lane of the tunnel. (Extremely poor terminal access design at LHR.) I was stuck in the taxi and could only sit and watch the minutes tick away. When the taxi finally got to the terminal I ran all the way to check-in. I received my boarding pass and asked when check-in closed, “Now sir” was the answer.
The lady who arrived at check-in behind me was not so fortunate.
Now I always add at least 30 minutes to those recommended times, because you never know….
The biggest uncertainty is traffic and security. It can also be parking if you park your car.
I used to cut it really close. Several times, I was the last to board. Twice, they even re-opened the door for me. One time was when the ramp agent just closed the door and heard banging when she was walking down the jetway. Another time, she forgot to close the jetway door and actually pull the jetway back a little. She screamed “whoa!!!!”, not wanting me to fall through the crack onto the concrete below.
Now, I don’t cut it close. I merely use the extra time to do work on the laptop.
In 2024, I thought I was ok, being there 90 minutes before an international flight. However, I had a bag to check. The line was halfway across the ocean. Ok, not that long. I cheated and cut in line.
In 2025, I had a 6:20 am flight connecting to an international flight. By the airline’s advice, I would have to be there at 3:20 am! I got there at 5 am with plenty of time to spare. Got a paper boarding pass, 30 second wait. Security, 1 minute wait. At the gate by about 5:10 am.
This must be your favorite topic because you write about it so often. The horse is dead, move on.
The airport I fly out of most often is LAX. If I drove directly to the airport it could take an hour or it could take 2 hours. If I did it at 3am it probably would take around 40 minutes. Because airport parking is expensive, I take the Van Nuys FlyAway and that adds extra time. Some times of the day take longer than others because of traffic. Sometimes there is a traffic jam caused by a crash or something else that can add an hour or two to the time. With all of those things in mind, I usually leave for domestic flights at least three hours before the flight and at least four hours before international flights. On both I am happy if I arrive 2 hours before the flight and am ok with arriving 1 1/2 hours before the flight but I prefer to arrive for an international flight at least 2 1/2 hours before the flight. Once at the airport, checking in for a domestic flight is only slightly faster than checking in for an international flight. Gambling on timing is not in my blood because the recovery from not making a flight could have severe consequences. I am glad that other gamble on the timing. Sometimes I have an empty seat next to me.
Wishlist ~
That we could all have $1 for everytime you’ve written
….’If you’ve never missed a flight, you’re spending too much time in airports’….
We booked a ticket from SIN to YUL on Air Canada. The first leg three weeks ago was ANA from SIN to NRT departing at 6:35am. Air Canada told us to arrive at Changi FOUR hours before departure. This is just nonsense. Some airlines have lost the plot. Imagine arriving 4 hours before departure and not being able to check in because the counters are closed? And when they open one can check in and drop bags in 5 minutes. Ridiculous!
“If security lines are especially long, ask passengers around you to cut in line because you’ll miss your flight.”
What a horrible attitude. Your failure to plan isn’t my problem to resolve.
@jns. Definitely. I have been there. 3 hours hours to spare. But the 405 (maybe I am supposed to say the San Diego Freeway) was a parking lot (more so than usual). I made the plane, but just barely.
Somehow the time the door closes at the airplane is rarely taken into account (domestic vs international) when this advice is given.
Or that the time to get through security varies a lot airport to airport and morning/afternoon – weekday/weekend
Or that it can take you 2 minutes security to gate or 20 minutes
Know your airport and adjust accordingly
A big decider for me is: what am I going to do with that extra time if I arrive later? If I have a 2pm flight from home, I will most likely get up my normal time, finish packing my bag, and contact ride share for an immediate pickup. That might, in the extreme, get me there at 10am. I could have waited 2.5 hours and arrive within your recommendation. But, what am I going to do with that extra 2.5 hours at home? Nothing productive. I’d probably surf or stream. What do I do with my time at the airport? Same thing. It is easy enough to find a seat away from the crowds with power at my airport. So, I don’t care where I spend that 2.5 hours.
But, here’s the kicker. One strange advantage with my homeport having no nonstops outside of North America is the options it gives me. Say, my 2pm flights is to BOS on DL, where I’ll board a flight to CDG. If a problem occurs, and I’m there early enough, I have a lot of options (DL to CDG through MSP, DTW, JFK, ATL).
Oh, and my homeport has a couple of restaurants I’d actually use if not at the airport.
I prefer to peruse of the lounge commodes in peace
Gary I do think that maybe leaving this one alone for a while would be the way to go. Any remotely regular reader knows your feelings on this matter and you’re certainly entitled to your views but this topic is a lot more nuanced than you let on and you’re really repeating on this a lot. You write great stuff and you’re extremely prolific; Perhaps keeping these to once a quarter might reinforce your opinion without getting too repetitive.
On Sunday I had what I thought was a fairly routine ATL- major city flight- 8 flights a day, etc. There were 43 people on the standby list, so something happened earlier in the day. Had I missed check in, I would have been #44 with probably not a lot of luck on my side. That’s why you get there on time.
At DFW American is notorious for changing gates. Sometimes the new gate is far away. And then it changes again. You need time to run from one gate to the next. I do not have TSA Precheck or Clear. During Spring Break we almost missed our flight as security was extremely backed up. My husband has had both knees replaced & he can’t really run. A tram picked us up & I was grateful. During holidays the airport is crazy busy. I’d rather get there early just in case. I have had some unpleasant surprises at DFW. Sometimes it is busy when I (we) don’t expect it. I can always hang out at the lounge when I have time to kill.
I live 20 minutes drive from BNE and generally allow 75 minutes, assuming traffic is normal. I have left it as late as 60 minutes before departure. Parking is generally easy and close to the terminal, security lines are generally short and quick. It’s a nice luxury to have that convenience and predictability. My not particularly fancy home, especially if my family are in it, is a much more comfortable, happy, and productive place than any airport gate or airline lounge. Unless it’s a very nice lounge, the food is generally better too.
I’ve only ever missed flights from getting the time wrong or sleeping through an alarm.
Horses for courses though. Recently went on an international trip with 6 adults and 6 kids ages 3-9. Most of the kids had never flown before and most of the adults fly rarely. Lots of bags for cold weather and snow gear, and the chaos of a holiday travel day. The adults got into a bidding war of getting there earlier and earlier, eventually settling on 3.5 hours before the flight. I went with it as it made sense for that scenario, they wanted to check in, drop bags, get through immigration and security, then toilet, feed, settle and walk the kids and still not risk being late to the gate.
If it’s an EU airport and you’re trying to get your VAT tax refund, 3-4hours might be needed, depending upon the city. Ask me how I know…
Gary beats his dead horse topic again. Slow new news?
He’s wrong too for many travelers. So many problems avoided at airport. If don’t live close to airport, a lot can go wrong without extra time built in.
Pretty simple
This sounds like it was written by the sort of asshole who is fine showing up late everywhere because his time is more valuable than everyone else’s.
@Tangent — *plane leaves without them anyway* … *shocked Pikachu face*
I can tell you that at MIA if you’re checking a bag and don’t have status and don’t have TSA Precheck/Clear there are many days you will need at LEAST 2 hours. Even the PreCheck Lane can at times take nearly 30 minutes, particularly if you get selected for random screening or TSA wants to root through your bag. ATL is also a mess at least from a TSA standpoint.
Now if you’re flying out of a small airport no way you would need 2 hours. It’s airport specific and depending upon whether you will check a bag or have PreCheck. However, there are times when there’s 30 people in the PreCheck lane with one screener/id checkers while the ordinary lane has five screeners and two of them have no one in front of them.
If you are reading this blog do you REALLY need anyone telling you when to get to the airport? If you have figured it out by now…. :-O
Gary, this blog is read by experienced travelers. We all know when we need to arrive at the airport. Our preferences will vary, but we all know what we’re doing.
I fly out of Denver about 45 times a year. Security rarely takes more than 5 minutes with PreCheck. The new checkpoints are far faster than the mess they replaced. The renovated North security will be open fairly soon and ease travel all the further.
The real chokepoint is the train to the terminals. If they can add capacity to have those trains run every 60 seconds instead of 2+ minutes, that will help. Walkways from A to B and B to C are at least 5 years away and may not happen at all.
@George Romey — What’s up with American Airlines hating CLEAR? Like, at MIA, you’d need to go all the way to E, in order to get to D gates with CLEAR. Have they sorted that out yet?
@1990 – you should know this. DL and UA invested in Clear but AA didn’t so you rarely see it in their hubs. I live in Charlotte but only use Clear in Denver, LV, LA and NY airports.
Recently when standing in a security line a woman asked me and other people if she could cut in front of us because she was late for her flight. After letting her go ahead of us I found her at the same flight that I was taking and boarding had not even started. Perhaps someone can tell me why it is always a woman that I frequently find sitting in my assigned seat and then telling me that I can just take her seat. I always say “no!”
@Retired Gambler — Oh, I ‘memba. I just wanted to call them out again. LOL.
@Joe United — If every woman in your life is ‘the problem,’ maybe, Joe, it is actually *you* that is the problem. Or, not. Perhaps, you just get unlucky a lot.
Cutting in line jumps you in front of everyone behind that point. To properly cut, you need to get the approval of each person you jumped, not just the one that you will jump immediately in front of.
My wife and I fly all over the US and Europe. Our traveling companions cringe when we tell them how little time we allow to make a flight.
If leaving out of our home airport, ONT, we usually get there between 1 hour and as little as 40 minutes before the gates open. The longer time is to eat at the airport, but if it’s a short flight (under 4 hours) we will get there about 40 minutes before the gate opens.
At most airports you can self check your bags and print boarding passes in under 5 minutes. This is especially true in America where it seems only 5% of the population has figured out self check.
Then there is TSA pre check and clear. We have both. We’ve never been longer than 10 minutes in security. Most of the time we feel like we are literally walking right on through.
So even after self check and printing boarding passes, plus security, we end up with 20 to 30 minutes to use the restroom, get a coffee or tea, take a nice walk in the terminal, etc.
Many European airports have some kind of system to make going through security a breeze, even for US travelers. Amsterdam’s airport comes to mind. Their version of clear is free! Their self check is outstanding!
And there are airports where you will have to add extra time almost no matter what. Newark comes to mind. When leaving Copenhagen you will encounter a massive cattle call of a line to get stamped out of the Schengen region. Do plan 30 minutes minimum for it.
Tip: when you get to a line that has to go through gates, look past the gates. Does going through a certain gate then lead you to a section with more security stations than any other gate? By looking up we’ve saved countless hours. Picking a particular gate with five stations while everyone else is going through the first two gates with only three stations. So one course of inaction puts you in a section with 75% of the passengers being serviced by only 3 stations. While the other 25% breeze through the other 5 stations. Always look at what the next set of obstacles are when presented a choice at the airport.