How Early Do You Have To Be At The Airport For A US Domestic Flight?

• Many different factors influence how early you should arrive at the airport for your flight, including time of the year, day of the week, time of departure, and the airport you’re flying with.
• Generally speaking, you should get to the airport two hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours for international flights.
• Being an airline’s elite customer might save you some time thanks to access to preferred lanes. The same applies to those benefitting from the TSA PreCheck and CLEAR programs in the US.

Travelers might be categorized into two different kinds: the chilled, easy-going ones, who are not even sure which airline they are flying and from which airport, and those who regularly consult their checklist to make sure everything is running smoothly.

For the first category, going early to the airport is out of discussion. In their view, they’ll always have enough time to make it onboard, even if it is at the very last second before the gate closes (a category airport staff don’t like). For the second one, on the other hand, it is essential to arrive at the airport well ahead of the scheduled time of departure “in case something goes wrong”.

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The reality, however, is that there is not a fixed rule. How early you should get to the airport depends on several factors, including the flight you are taking (domestic or international), the time of the day, which day of the week, for the same reason, which terminal you are flying from, etc.

The golden rule

Generally speaking, most airlines do have suggestions for their passengers regarding how early they should get to the airport.

Most carriers differentiate between domestic and international flights as follows:

• Domestic flights: you should arrive at least 2 hours before departure
• International flights: you should arrive at least 3 hours before departure

The more time required for international flights often depends on the fact that international flights require additional documentation to be checked at different touchpoints of the passenger journey, such as check-in and border control. Another factor to consider is that international flights are generally operated with larger aircraft carrying more passengers. This means that boarding time requires more time, and that’s the reason why it usually starts 15 to 30 minutes earlier than a domestic flight.

A second factor you should consider is the time of the year you are flying. It is safe to assume that winter is generally a less crowded season than summer when it comes to air traffic. Especially following the Christmas holidays, January and February see a peak in demand.

Therefore, airports will be less crowded and, thus, less time is required to go from check-in to the gate. Besides the time of the year, it is essential to consider the time of the day. Keep in mind that:

• There is usually less demand for early morning and late night flights
• These flights are also generally preferred by business travelers, who most likely travel light.
• Therefore, there are usually no long queues at check-in desks or security

Check-in and gate closing times

One thing you should always check before deciding when to set off to the airport is how long before departure the airline will close the check-in and, in case you are traveling light and don’t need to check any luggage, the gate.

For check-in closing times, most US carriers, including the three largest, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United, follow these rules:

• Check-in for domestic flights closes between 30 and 45 minutes before departure
• Check-in for international flights closes between 60 and 75 minutes before departure

When it comes to the gate, on the other hand, passengers need to be at the gate ready to board:

• 15 minutes before departure for domestic flights
• 30 to 60 minutes before departure for international flights.

Additionally, it is always important to consider the airport you’re flying from. Delta Air Lines, for instance, offers a list of airports for domestic and international flights where the minimum time required for check-in and boarding differs. It is, therefore, always important to check with the airline you’re flying with the closing time of check-in and gates, and if these vary for the airport you’re flying from.

How frequently you travel is important

Airlines know how stressful and annoying waiting at the airport for your flight can be. Therefore, for their most loyal customers, carriers do provide the chance to skip the lines, thus reducing the time required to go through all the different steps of the passenger journey.

Among other benefits, an airline’s elite status allows passengers to benefit from priority check-in irrespective of their class of travel. Additionally, they also give access to fast-track security and priority boarding. If you are one of these lucky customers, you can definitely rethink how early you should get to the airport before your flight leaves.

If you are a US citizen, there is also another way to make your way through the airport faster:

• TSA PreCheck
• CLEAR

The first aims to make security screening as smooth as possible for low-risk travelers. Those with the TSA PreCheck are not required to remove their shoes, belts, and light jackets. Additionally, laptops and small liquids can be kept in the luggage. According to the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), the TSA PreCheck allowed 89% of the holders to wait an average of five minutes or less in the lane.

CLEAR, on the other hand, uses biometrics to speed up the screening process. Once you become a CLEAR member, all your travel-relevant documents, such as your ID and boarding pass, are replaced by your face. Additionally, the CLEAR program also enables one to always skip the lane, thus further reducing the waiting time at the airport.

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