How long before flight should i arrive

We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. For more information, please see How we make money. Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission.

Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. But how early do you really need to be there? Domestic travel is a bit easier than international travel when deciding what time you should be at the airport.

Some airlines recommend arriving two hours before departure. For domestic flights, a safe range to ensure you make your flight is 45 minutes to two hours. This is the average cutoff time for airlines accepting checked bags. Be forewarned; airlines are sticklers when it comes to the minute rule. My husband just had an occurrence where he was 43 minutes early and the airline would not accept his bag.

Thankfully, there were a few other passengers in the same scenario, and the airline reluctantly agreed to run the lot of them to the plane. This varies from minutes before departure depending on the airline, but be aware that the gate could be shut even earlier if the pilot decides to make up time.

It should only take about five minutes with a quick input of your confirmation code and a few questions to answer.

Your tickets and tags will print out. You could also skip this step entirely if you added the number of checked bags when you checked-in for the flight ahead of time and already have your mobile boarding pass. With nearly every airline offering online check-in through a browser or an app, you should never wait until the day of departure to check-in for your flight at the airport.

Quickly pop into the dedicated lane for bag drop-off. The counter agent will take your bags and put them on the conveyor belt behind the desk.

Make sure to have your I. The ticketing agent will take your I. Now that your bags are on the way to the plane, airport security is your next hurdle.

Normal circumstances should process you through security within 20 minutes from entering the line to putting your shoes back on. I can get from the airport entrance to my gate in about five minutes with my small home town airport.

Estimating the time it takes to walk to your gate all depends on the airport itself. You may even need to take a bus or a train! In the U. Some airlines, like American, do it even earlier and close the door 15 minutes before departure.

The greatest increases are at check-in and border control emigration and immigration , IATA says. On international flights, the plane is less likely to take off without you if your bag is already on board.

This also holds true for domestic flights, but the timeframe is usually 15 to 30 minutes from departure; check your airline's rules. That being said, planes can taxi away from a gate as early as 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

Special travel times like pre-holiday travel days, i. You're much more likely to miss a flight if you're booked on a top holiday travel day, when snaking security lines are most common.

Use the MyTSA app to check how busy the airport is likely to be on your departure date and time based on historical data. And if you haven't already, look into applying for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry , which can greatly reduce your wait time in the event of a long line. In , 94 percent of TSA PreCheck passengers waited less than five minutes, despite the swell of seasonal passengers.

Don't make the mistake of thinking airlines or fellow passengers will always let you move to the front of the security line if your plane is about to leave. Times are tough for travelers. But with the world preparing to reopen in , we're here to keep you dreaming and planning for your next adventure - whether that's a staycation or flying off to parts unknown.

Until then, we've got the latest COVID travel advice and updates to keep you up to date and ready to go. Even in COVID times, the standard rules about when to arrive at the airport usually apply: For domestic flights , plan to arrive at the airport 2 hours early For international flights, plan to arrive at the airport 3 hours early In most cases, that should give you plenty of time to make your way to the gate.

Arrive at the airport later by skipping the check-in counter. When is the best time to avoid crowds at the airport? Save time by arriving at the airport through a rideshare or public transportation. No matter when you arrive at the airport, check your flight status frequently.

How can I make sure I leave my home or accommodation to arrive at the airport on time? What time should I arrive at the airport with an unaccompanied minor? Find the help you need Want to see what the world has to offer? Like what we do? If airport cops will mistake you for the criminal, you will miss your flight with no doubt.

Find out if you are owed compensation for a disrupted flight Check Your Flight. For long-haul international flights, it is best to arrive at the airport at least 4 hours prior to departure.

The queues to get a boarding pass are generally much longer than for domestic and European flights. The destination also plays an important role. In the case of destinations such as, for example, the United States or Israel you are going to have to spend more time at the airport, as there will be heightened security checks.

It migtht happen that the airline cancels your flight. Don't panic. Check your eligibility with our free flight cancellation calculator.

It is best to check the exact departure time several times to plan for any changes or delays before your flight. Also remember to differentiate between check-in time, boarding time and departure time. The departure time is the time when a plane leaves the gate, while the check-in time represents the time when the airline's doors open to greet passengers and check their baggage.

If you did online check-in, you will be left with more time at the airport to spend shopping or simply relaxing. The boarding time refers to the time when passengers board the plane. In general, boarding closes 20 minutes prior to departure. Nowadays, there are many possibilities to know the exact times of check-in, boarding, and departure:. Almost all airlines offer the online check-in alternative.

When you make an early check-in online, you can also see when you should arrive at the airport. Typically, you will need to arrive at the airport at least ninety 90 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time if you need to check-in your bag on an international flight.

If you are not checking bags or flying domestically, you must arrive at the airport at least sixty 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure. It is always better to have 30 minutes extra time since airlines likely have additional procedures due to Covid You can easily check the status of your flight online at any time.