DCA to SNA how early should we leave the hotel

[DCrockett]

First time flying from SNA. We have a 11:25 am departure, what time should leave the hotel?

 

[StageTek]

On a good day the trip hovers around 30 minutes. If you figure 50 minutes you'll have a bit of a comfort zone.

If you're like me and don't like to cut it too close I would suggest planning on one hour on the road. It's overkill, but...

 

[KPeterso]

First time flying from SNA. We have a 11:25 am departure, what time should leave the hotel?

I would leave around 8:30 to give a cushion for morning commute traffic (you don't say what day of the week or if you need to return a rental car).

 

[DLgal]

More info needed:

Rental car return?

Checking bags?

Domestic or international?

If you are not returning a rental and checking bags for a domestic flight: leave at 9:30.

 

[DCLMP]

SNA is a very small airport getting there an hour before departure is plenty.

 

[PirateBrigade]

Personally, I would look to arrive at the airport just after 10am (and leave DLR around 9:30am), but under this scenario:

1) Southwest, which boards at approximately 11am.
2) I have PreCheck
3) No kids to wrangle/no bags to check

If I had to return a rental car, wrangle kids and check-in bags, and if the "worst case scenario" of missing the flight is problematic (that is, maybe it was the only flight to Chicago that day, and not one of the many hourly flights to northern california), I'd try to arrive at 9:30am just to be on the safe side. That would mean leaving DLR around 9am.

If this is a workday (M-F), the commute direction is southbound 5/55/405, but 9am should still be okay. Turn on Waze and kind of play it by ear that morning.

ETA: I legitimately thought this was a thread about flying from DCA (Reagan National) to SNA (John Wayne), and thought it was cool both are named after California actors of another era, lol.

 

[DCrockett]

On a good day the trip hovers around 30 minutes. If you figure 50 minutes you'll have a bit of a comfort zone.

If you're like me and don't like to cut it too close I would suggest planning on one hour on the road. It's overkill, but...

Is an

More info needed:

Rental car return?

Checking bags?

Domestic or international?

If you are not returning a rental and checking bags for a domestic flight: leave at 9:30.

going to use karmel or lansky’s, no rental car
Will have to check luggage
Domestic - SNA to Albany NY
Flight is on a Wednesday

 

[PiratesOfTheSea]

Leaving around 9:30-10am should be plenty enough time to get to SNA.

 

[DLgal]

Is an

going to use karmel or lansky’s, no rental car
Will have to check luggage
Domestic - SNA to Albany NY
Flight is on a Wednesday

Get picked up at 9:30.

 

[milieu_mouse]

We did this last Saturday and were picked up at 9am.
I agree that 9:30 would have been better.