When Flying, How early (how long before your flight is scheduled to leave) do you get to the airport?

Please tell us what airport, or airports and such. I may end up doing some traveling again and I'm curious. I usually get to the airport (like Columbus yesterday) an hour early and didn't have a problem (I was through in 15 minutes so I had a 45 minute wait at the gate). Just wondering what others are doing.

When Flying, How early (how long before your flight is scheduled to leave) do you get to the airport?

Please tell us what airport, or airports and such. I may end up doing some traveling again and I'm curious. I usually get to the airport (like Columbus yesterday) an hour early and didn't have a problem (I was through in 15 minutes so I had a 45 minute wait at the gate). Just wondering what others are doing.

Marc,

I fly out of Charlotte, NC. I am usually there 1.5 hour before departure.

Here (http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/index.html) is a site (TSA) that shows security checkpoint wait times.

Safe travel Marc!

Stijloor.

Marc,

I fly out of Charlotte, NC. I am usually there 1.5 hour before departure.

Here (http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/index.html) is a site (TSA) that shows security checkpoint wait times.

Safe travel Marc!

Stijloor.

Very cool site Stijloor !

I especially like the security gate times from an airport in Deadhorse, Alaska... :biglaugh:

Deadhorse Airport (SCC)
6am 7am 8am 9am 10am
avg. max. avg. max. avg. max. avg. max. avg. max.
SCC-01 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3 min. 3 min. 3 min. 3 min. 3 min. 3 min.


3 minutes !!! on a Monday morning... pretty good !


My recent travels have all been International... I arrive at the airport (Brazil - São Paulo) always at least 3 hours before... when going through Chicago O´Hare also at least 3 hours... when I was there in August it was about 1 hour wait to get through security.

I always play it safe and rather wait comfortably at the gate rather than have to do the 100 meter dash to the airplane and when boarding having to look at all the passengers faces and their thoughts of "So this is the guy that made our plane late !!" :mad:

WoW! One hour to get through security? Bummer!

WoW! One hour to get through security? Bummer!

This was International security checkin... not sure if Domestic would be any different... could also just have been the day or time to have that many people...

Usually 1.5 hours before flight.
Recent airport visits have been Tampa, Fl, Raliegh-Durham, NC & Hartford, Conn. 1.5 hours has worked very well!

Pittsburgh airport, I typically arrive 1 hour early and have time at the gate. :D
Philadelphia airport, do not even go here. This is a very congested airport. :frust:

Some airports in China are huge like Shanghai, Guangzhou and has lot of walking to be done inside. For those airports, I gv 2 hrs or else 1.5 hrs for other airports is my specification.

Fort Smith, where I normally fly out of, my ticket is often in the hands of the counter person and my up-grades have been requested before can I even get out of my car in the lot. There are about a dozen or so of us regulars that are Exec Platinum with American Airlines and it's one of the local perks. Security takes about 5-10 minutes depending upon the number of folks and Yankee tourists.

At Dulles I normally can go thru check-in and security in 10-15 minutes.

DFW Terminal B/D averages about 10 minutes - 20 tops
DFW Terminal A/C can take up to 20 minutes

O'Hare my last trip took 30 minutes because of people trying to wear bling thru the metal detector and complaining (DUH! It's a metal detector dummy.)

The longest waits seem to be Oakland and San Jose, CA (very poor design and flow) and Newark, NJ.....for me anyway.

In all cases Yankee tourists, week end travelers, and people going to see mee-maw or Mickey can really bog things down really bad.

In all cases Yankee tourists, week end travelers, and people going to see mee-maw or Mickey can really bog things down really bad.

Yup, but they're Customers too....:D

Stijloor.

Yup, but they're Customers too....:D

Stijloor.


Yep, they may fly once a year and spend $1500 and the business guys will only drop $15,000 - $25,000 per year.

I'm a firm supporter of and will vote for the guy that endorses and runs for office on the platform of "Business Flier lines" in airports:applause: That dude will get my vote.

WoW! One hour to get through security? Bummer!

I'm about midway between O'Hare in Chicago and Mitchell in Milwaukee, and it's normally pretty quick in Milwaukee (~15 minutes, depending on time of day) and at O'Hare the longest I've seen was a little less than an hour, but usually it's on the order of 20-30 minutes or so. Ted is traveling through the international terminal, so that probably makes a difference. The problem with Milwaukee is that it's often tough to get direct flights, and fares are substantially higher than from O'Hare in general.

Yep, they may fly once a year and spend $1500 and the business guys will only drop $15,000 - $25,000 per year.

I'm a firm supporter of and will vote for the guy that endorses and runs for office on the platform of "Business Flier lines" in airports:applause: That dude will get my vote.

Randy,

You don't have to vote for that dude, it's already available. :D Well....at least something close to it.

See this (http://www.flyclear.com/) and this (http://www.fastlaneoption.com/).

Stijloor.

Randy,

You don't have to vote for that dude, it's already available. :D Well....at least something close to it.

See this (http://www.flyclear.com/) and this (http://www.fastlaneoption.com/).

Stijloor.


Been there, done that and it's still a pain because of the cost, limitations and no "real" guarantee.

I fly out of Cleveland and allow 1.5 hours before the flight. Security isn't usually bad (although 1/2 hour isn't all that uncommon) but the Continental concourse stretches all the way to Columbus :biglaugh: My health requires I take my time "rushing" to the gate.

I lost my seat in West Palm Beach because I didn't arrive before the 1 hour minimum check-in (Continental). It meant I was a day late getting home but they treated me very well.

Orlando can be difficult. There are two "sections" there joined in the middle by an enormous "mall" and if you drop your car off at the wrong one you have a monster walk ahead of you. It took the better part of an hour for me to get to the right side. Once you get there the security is

From O'Hare I always arrive 2 hours early. The airport is enormous, crowded and poorly marked. There are so many people running through that airport you think you are running the Boston Marathon.

Dave

It depends on the season and the departure times. I have gone out of Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, and St Louis recently. Usually early or after noon departures, the worst was after thanksgiving 40 Minutes though security. Usually I get there 1.5 hours before departure and had no issues.

I usually depart out of St. Louis - Lambert and try to arrive there 1 - 1 1/2
hours ahead of departure time. This routine normally has me sitting around
for a half hour or so however, I prefer that to being rushed.

Flying out of Detroit I usually get there about 90 minutes ahead of time. For international flights a little earlier, for regional jet flights a little later as boarding time is longer/shorter. Having elite status helps since I can use the short security line.

For small airports (ie Huntsville, AL) I push it to 30-45 minutes.

Most of my recent flying has been out of Pittsburgh, and I've been trying for 2 hours at the parking lot. By the time I get in, pick up tickets, send luggage off, etc. I'm out to the gates a little over an hour before the flight leaves. Gives me time to get a quick dinner, as they've been evening flights with late arrival times.

I showed up at Boston's Logan this AM at 6AM. It took 45 minutes, but there was a big push (I assume) of people trying to get out from the snow.

My flight was for about 7.30a. Then 8.30. Then 9.30. Then 10.30. Then 11.00 am. Needless to say, Delta is on my sh!t list for the moment.

I'm glad I started this discussion. This little trip has given me some things to think about, and the info is appreciated.

I'm about midway between O'Hare in Chicago and Mitchell in Milwaukee.

Ditto here for me.

It has taken me an hour to get thru security at O'hare during "rush hour" on domestic flights.

I always opt for Mitchell when ever I can.

I showed up at Boston's Logan this AM at 6AM. It took 45 minutes, but there was a big push (I assume) of people trying to get out from the snow.

My flight was for about 7.30a. Then 8.30. Then 9.30. Then 10.30. Then 11.00 am. Needless to say, Delta is on my sh!t list for the moment.

I'm glad I started this discussion. This little trip has given me some things to think about, and the info is appreciated.

Marc,

What is your destination? Did you (finally) arrive?

Stijloor.

I showed up at Boston's Logan this AM at 6AM. It took 45 minutes, but there was a big push (I assume) of people trying to get out from the snow.

My flight was for about 7.30a. Then 8.30. Then 9.30. Then 10.30. Then 11.00 am. Needless to say, Delta is on my sh!t list for the moment.

I'm glad I started this discussion. This little trip has given me some things to think about, and the info is appreciated.You have my sympathy for the stress such a series of delays invokes.

Thankfully, my days as "road warrior" are over and when I DO travel by air, business or pleasure, I take the delays in stride, building the real horror stories into grist for my story mill.

Jim Wynne is correct about Milwaukee's Mitchell Field - there is really no comparison to the horror that O'Hare Field has become. When my daughter flew in for a visit recently to Mitchell, I was able to park fifty feet from the door between the parking lot and the terminal. The terminal layout is like a shopping mall food court with corridors running through Security to airline gates. I arrived just as the plane landed, ordered coffee from a stand, turned around and my daughter was right behind me. We went down an escalator to pickup her luggage which was already on the rack, rode an elevator back up to the level where I parked, got in the car and drove off. Total elapsed time from entry into the parking lot until exit was 20 minutes, no Fee for the first half hour. The return trip had an elapsed time of 12 minutes from the time I dropped her off at the door of the terminal until she called me on her cell phone from the boarding gate.

At O'Hare, it would take 20 minutes from the time of entering the parking lot to just find a parking space, then another 20 minutes to walk to any gate corridor for an incoming passenger. Luggage could take up to 30 minutes after a plane lands. Price difference on tickets from a given destination to O'Hare average about 30% cheaper than same airline and destination to Mitchell. I think it is worth it to avoid the hassle of O'Hare and often subsidize tickets for family and friends to use Mitchell if I am going to pick them up.

I flew out of Columbus, OH to Boston and returned there. It was US$1100 cheaper than Cincinnati or Dayton.

Finally landed about 1.15pm today in Columbus. It's about 100 miles or so from my house to Columbus, but it's all expressway.

I was talking to a fellow who was scheduled on the flight I was this morning. Turned out he was flying to Cincinnati via Columbus but lived about 5 miles from me. He, of course, missed his Cincinnati connection by hours. I offered to drive him home, but his car was in CVG so.... Anyway, he told me he was on a flight out of Boston leaving at 1 PM yesterday. He said they were on the plane 7 hours before they headed back to the gate and canceled the flight. Seven hours - I'd have been livid!

Then we finally board and they call for de-ice. The plane didn't look like it had any ice on it anywhere, and had just flown in from somewhere else. But, I can't say much about that. I thought they only did de-ice if it is snowing or something. The sun was shining and it was almost 30 degrees out. Then after de-ice, they say no baggage had come yet. The gal says "We'd have to load sand bags to balance the plane without the luggage, so we have to wait for it to come and be loaded." About 20 minutes later the luggage truck came...

I flew out of Columbus, OH to Boston and returned there. It was US$1100 cheaper than Cincinnati or Dayton.

Finally landed about 1.15pm today in Columbus. It's about 100 miles or so from my house to Columbus, but it's all expressway.

I was talking to a fellow who was scheduled on the flight I was this morning. Turned out he was flying to Cincinnati via Columbus but lived about 5 miles from me. He, of course, missed his Cincinnati connection by hours. I offered to drive him home, but his car was in CVG so.... Anyway, he told me he was on a flight out of Boston leaving at 1 PM yesterday. He said they were on the plane 7 hours before they headed back to the gate and canceled the flight. Seven hours - I'd have been livid!

Then we finally board and they call for de-ice. The plane didn't look like it had any ice on it anywhere, and had just flown in from somewhere else. But, I can't say much about that. I thought they only did de-ice if it is snowing or something. The sun was shining and it was almost 30 degrees out. Then after de-ice, they say no baggage had come yet. The gal says "We'd have to load sand bags to balance the plane without the luggage, so we have to wait for it to come and be loaded." About 20 minutes later the luggage truck came...I think the practice of keeping folks sitting out in a plane for hours waiting for a slim or none chance to take off in some narrow window of opportunity verges on "illegal confinement." Is anyone aware of passengers trying legal action for compensation for this practice?

Being parked on the plane is FAR WORSE than sitting in an uncomfortable chair at the boarding gate where one can at least change one's mind and leave.

If I had been similarly trapped, old guy that I am, I might have complained of heart attack symptoms to get taken off the plane.

If I had been similarly trapped, old guy that I am, I might have complained of heart attack symptoms to get taken off the plane. I'm going to keep that in mind!