How early to arrive for domestic flights?

[Anonymous]

15 minutes guy is simply lying.

OP, if you're an anxious traveler, get there as early as you can. It's so much less stressful to be sitting at your gate sipping a cup of coffee with your boarding pass in hand -- even if you have to sit for a while.

[Anonymous]

For domestic flights I always aim to arrive about 45 min prior to boarding time (typically 30-40 min prior to departure time), or an hour before if I am checking backs or want to have time to grab a bite/drink.

However based on how crowded airports have been lately (I'm not familiar with Dulles) I would definitely pad the above a little bit.

Planning based off the boarding time rather than departure time ensures you have a cushion in case of delays checking in or long TSA lines.

[Anonymous]

I'd get there at 7:00 for an 8:30 flight. Showing up at 6:30 is needlessly early and it's awkward to pass the time by drinking alcohol in the morning without appearing like an alcoholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would roll in no earlier than 7:30. During Normal Times, I'd arrive at about 8:15. I've never missed a flight. I don't like sitting around airports.

This is awful advice. I would assume your flight will start boarding at about 7:55 and doors close at 8:15. If you have carry-ons, you will want to board as early as possible, as there is often not room for them all. If you don’t, there is no reason to board early, but I would still be at the gate at 8:15. I fly a few times a week, and I usually do pre-check. Last week, I couldn’t use pre-check for the first time in a long time, and I went through smallish looking lines twice at National (the club was in a different terminal), and one was 19 minutes, one was 21 minutes. National is generally much faster than Dulles or BWI (or almost any other airport), so you better count on half an hour there. No idea about bags, I don’t take luggage. But, in summary, you should arrive by 6:30 to be calm but if you are better with cutting it close, 7 would almost certainly do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would roll in no earlier than 7:30. During Normal Times, I'd arrive at about 8:15. I've never missed a flight. I don't like sitting around airports.

This is awful advice. I would assume your flight will start boarding at about 7:55 and doors close at 8:15. If you have carry-ons, you will want to board as early as possible, as there is often not room for them all. If you don’t, there is no reason to board early, but I would still be at the gate at 8:15. I fly a few times a week, and I usually do pre-check. Last week, I couldn’t use pre-check for the first time in a long time, and I went through smallish looking lines twice at National (the club was in a different terminal), and one was 19 minutes, one was 21 minutes. National is generally much faster than Dulles or BWI (or almost any other airport), so you better count on half an hour there. No idea about bags, I don’t take luggage. But, in summary, you should arrive by 6:30 to be calm but if you are better with cutting it close, 7 would almost certainly do it.

You don't want to be just getting to the gate at 8:15 for an 8:30 flight. They close the doors 10-15 min prior to departure.

[Anonymous]

never understood wanting to cut it close especially early morning flight..8:30 not that early but what are you losing out on? 20 minutes of sleep? I like getting to the gate 45 minutes beforehand.. arrive at airport 2 hours prior get a coffee, relax

[Anonymous]

I like to arrive about an hour before boarding starts.

[Anonymous]

Hope you have a great trip!

[Anonymous]

6:30 is a good time to arrive during these times.

-airport employee

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:6:30 is a good time to arrive during these times.

-airport employee

OP here again. Thanks. I’m a nervous Nellie so some insightful advice reassures me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would roll in no earlier than 7:30. During Normal Times, I'd arrive at about 8:15. I've never missed a flight. I don't like sitting around airports.

This is awful advice. I would assume your flight will start boarding at about 7:55 and doors close at 8:15. If you have carry-ons, you will want to board as early as possible, as there is often not room for them all. If you don’t, there is no reason to board early, but I would still be at the gate at 8:15. I fly a few times a week, and I usually do pre-check. Last week, I couldn’t use pre-check for the first time in a long time, and I went through smallish looking lines twice at National (the club was in a different terminal), and one was 19 minutes, one was 21 minutes. National is generally much faster than Dulles or BWI (or almost any other airport), so you better count on half an hour there. No idea about bags, I don’t take luggage. But, in summary, you should arrive by 6:30 to be calm but if you are better with cutting it close, 7 would almost certainly do it.

They're trolling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would roll in no earlier than 7:30. During Normal Times, I'd arrive at about 8:15. I've never missed a flight. I don't like sitting around airports.

This will not work if you check bags.

It can take 20 minutes to get through security and 20 minutes to get to the gate at Dulles. This is would work at DCA but at Dulles, I’d do at least 1.5 hrs ahead, but I do 2 when I travel with kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:never understood wanting to cut it close especially early morning flight..8:30 not that early but what are you losing out on? 20 minutes of sleep? I like getting to the gate 45 minutes beforehand.. arrive at airport 2 hours prior get a coffee, relax

I don’t drink coffee, and don’t find hanging out in the airport relaxing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:never understood wanting to cut it close especially early morning flight..8:30 not that early but what are you losing out on? 20 minutes of sleep? I like getting to the gate 45 minutes beforehand.. arrive at airport 2 hours prior get a coffee, relax

I don’t drink coffee, and don’t find hanging out in the airport relaxing.

Yeah I don’t find hanging out in an airport can remotely relaxing especially this summer. Give yourself enough time but there is no need to be there so early you have tons of time to kill. You’ll be lucky to find a seat at the gate. Just hanging out there pretty much sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would roll in no earlier than 7:30. During Normal Times, I'd arrive at about 8:15. I've never missed a flight. I don't like sitting around airports.

no way you would arrive at the airport 15 minutes before a flight and still make it on the plane.