While airlines often like to tell us what time we should arrive at the airport before our flights, you may be wondering whether this really is the best time to arrive. After all, arriving too early can be tedious, while arriving too late can make you miss your flight. Here is how early you should really arrive at the airport.
Domestic Flights
Domestic flights certainly require less planning than busy international flights. If you already checked in online, enrolled in TSA PreCheck, or perhaps have no bags to check in, then you can arrive around 90 minutes before your flight’s departure. If you’re on a larger flight, however, you may want to give yourself another 45 minutes to board.
International Flights
Airlines seem to be pretty accurate when it comes to advising you when to arrive at the airport, namely three hours ahead of time. In addition to arriving three hours early, you should arrive at the boarding gate around 45 minutes before the departure time as it could take a while for every passenger to board a very busy international flight.
On Holidays
If you’re planning to board a flight before Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, then you’re probably best off giving yourself some extra leeway due to the influx of passengers. A particularly good idea is to get TSA PreCheck so that you can get through security faster and beat the crowds.
