How early do you arrive at the airport on your way to Disney ?

[TDC Nala]

I am of the opinion that it is better to be waiting at the airport than to miss your flight.

What I allow depends on whether I plan to check luggage or not. With luggage, an hour and a half to two hours. Without luggage, an hour.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Another vote for 2 hours.

Yes, 90% of the time, we arrive much earlier than necessary. We usually plan on having a meal in the airport before our flight, which is a good way to use the the time.

However, we've also run into unexpected delays, such as needing more than an hour to go through security. The funny thing is that that the same airport where everything is fast and efficient on one trip can be a complete mess on another trip. Traffic to the airport is anther unpredictable factor. If there are lanes closed on the expressway for any reason, the drive can take four times as long.

The consequences of getting to the gate too late are awful. The airline will usually try to confirm you on the next flight with empty seats. With so many flights operating 100% full (especially to leisure destinations), your new flight might be the same day, but it also might be another day. They'll usually let you standby for an earlier flight, but leisure travelers without elite status are near the bottom in standby priority.

 

[maryj11]

I am of the opinion that it is better to be waiting at the airport than to miss your flight.

What I allow depends on whether I plan to check luggage or not. With luggage, an hour and a half to two hours. Without luggage, an hour.

That's what I was thinking maybe an hour early with just carry on

 

[ancestry]

We, too, arrive two hours before our flight no matter which airport we are flying out of. I'm definitely a safe rather than sorry person. I would rather sit at the airport for 60-90 minutes that be rushing or afraid of missing the plane.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

That's what I was thinking maybe an hour early with just carry on

Keep in mind that aircraft boarding begins 30 minutes before scheduled departure.

Even if you have only carry-ons and you printed your boarding pass at home, you still have to go through the TSA process -- which can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 60 minutes.

On most airlines, if you are not at your gate and ready to board at least 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure time, the airline can and probably will give your spot of the flight to someone else.

Also, the time that you pan to arrive at the airport and the time that you actually arrive can be two different things. I always plan to be at the airport 2 hours before departure, but, for one reason or another, there are times when I've arrived later. Fortunately, I've never missed a flight (although I've come close a few times).

 

[macraven]

when i fly out of Ohare/chgo for a 7:00 am flight, i give myself 3.5 hours.
45 minutes for car service.

rest of the time going thru security and waiting for my flight.


if i have to fly out at 9:00, i still give myself 3.5 hours as the toll way get backed up all the time.......

when i fly out of Mitchell Field/mkw, i give myself 2 hours.
39 minute ride for car service.

small airport.
can get thru security very quickly.

 

[Day-Day]

70 minutes

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I live an hour away from the airport. I leave my house 3 hours before my flight.

The Atlanta Airport is so busy that you never know if you'll have a 20 minute wait to get through security or an hour wait. Better to be safe than sorry.

My husband has missed plenty of flights because he leaves the house 2 hours prior to flights so now he leaves 3 hours before too.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

We have a fairly small airport, but we still arrive at least 60 min early in the terminal. When we add in parking and taking the shuttle to the terminal, check in/security that easily adds another 30 min. We would rather sit around and not have to stress about missing the flight.

 

[Nancy F]

We stay at The Philly Airport Marriott the night before and take the 5:00 AM shuttle for a 7:00 AM flight. (So afraid I'd run into traffic on 95 if we left from home in the morning.) Better early than late. Then by the time we go thru security and have breakfest, it's just a short wait to board.
Nancy

 

[maryj11]

Ok 2 hours at least

 

[Hoopfamily]

At least 2 hours early. I am an always early never late kinds person. Search around enough here, and you'll find threads galore where people show up later and get stuck in the tsa line, miss flights, blah blah blah. We are usually the first people at the gate, my wife hates it but has learned to love my ways. Go early, have time to relax.

 

[tink15823]

We get to the airport at least 2 hours before . I think there is a lot to take into consideration size of the airport , time , Day and our last name is Smith. All of these things can add up. For example we fly out of Pitt on a Friday morning early 7am check points are fuller. We have flown out at noon and not as bad.. Last year I watched 5 people running to make there flight and they did not. So I would rather play cards or let the kids ride the people movers and escalator a million times than miss my flight to Disney.

 

[deegack]

If we are flying first class 2 hours. Anything else 3. DH is 6'7" and usually exit row seats can't be reserved in advance. So we get there super early to snag one for him. We also try and fly first class whenever we can. It just makes life easier for everyone.

We usually check-in, do the security thing, then grab some food and wander around a bit.

 

[Lewisc]

This is kind of a "stupid" question. Different airports have different suggested times to be at the airport. Some DIS live 5 minutes from the airport. Others are driving hours to their nearest airport, or to the nearest airport which offered good fares. A person driving from Canada to take a flight from Buffalo is likely to arrive at the airport very early if they properly allowed enough extra time for traffic and customs and said extra time wasn't required.

A better question might be how many DIS allow more time then suggested by the airport or how many posters think they know more and plan on arriving at the airport with less time to spare then recommended by the airport.

I plan on getting to the airport at least as early as suggested by the airport. Typically 90-120 minutes.

Some people think they can get to small, local airports, close to flight time. A small airport may only have one, or two, security lines. At least one small airline shuts down (or used to shut down) baggage checkin something like an hour (more?) before the flight. The employee who checks luggage closes the checkin desk and becomes the gate attendant.

People need to find out the deadline to check luggage and the suggested arrival time at the airport.

Flights are frequently overbooked. Getting to the gate early might make it easier to accept a bump and make it harder for the airline to involuntarily bump you.

 

[pooch]

no question asked here is "stupid" and it's rude of you to say so!!

Perhaps if the OP gave us the airport out of which she will fly, the answers could be more helpful and specific to that airport.

I for example, live 10-15 min from a regional int'l airport (Bradley Int'l out of Harford CT) I base my schedule on boarding time, not departure. So for a 7am flight, I estimate boarding to begin around 6:30. I will leave the house (always get dropped off right at the door) around 5am. There's no traffic between me and the airport and detouring around any unusual problems would be quick & easy. I've never waited in the TSA line more than 10 minutes (now I've probably jinxed myself!!!) The real variable for me is the baggage check-in line which has taken up to 20-25 minutes so I look at both the cubside & inside checkin for the shorter line. I still have time to grab a cup of coffee & hit the restroom prior to boarding.

Funny, but the one time I was really running late was DH's & my last trip to visit DD in Sarasota. We were driving back to Tampa & got stuck in a VERY LONG traffic jam due to an accident on a small bridge. We flew into the car return, threw the keys at the attendant & ran for the checkin. SWA, however, apparently knew I was running late and graciously delayed our flight 4 hours!!! This was in late May due to the horrible storms in the middle of the country. All their planes were on the wrong side of the storm. Our 8PM flight didn't take off until 12:15AM!!

 

[tink15823]

At least 2 hours early. I am an always early never late kinds person. Search around enough here, and you'll find threads galore where people show up later and get stuck in the tsa line, miss flights, blah blah blah. We are usually the first people at the gate, my wife hates it but has learned to love my ways. Go early, have time to relax.

Always better to be early and wait. I would throw myself on the floor kicking and screaming clinging to the person on the gates leg crying if I missed my flight to Disney

 

[Lewisc]

Stupid was a poor choice of words. I should have said the information offered in this thread is worthless and irrelevant.

Southwest has a table which lists the suggested arrival time at airports. One column for Tue-Th and one for F-M You see 1 hour, 1.5 hours and 2 hours.

There is a big difference between arriving 1 hour before your flight, when the suggested time is 2 hours and arriving 1 hour before your flight when the suggested time is 1 hour.

The way the OP phrased the question doesn't provide any useful information.

Identifying the airport and day of the week would provide the best information. At least asking people to compare their arrival time with the suggested arrival time would have some value.

A very frequent flier once said a person who's never missed a flight has wasted too much time in airports during their lifetime. Most of us don't share that philosophy. Arriving when suggested makes sense. Maybe shave 2 hours down to 1.5 if you don't have checked luggage. Maybe add 15 minutes if you're nervous and want to allow extra time.



.

no question asked here is "stupid" and it's rude of you to say so!!

Perhaps if the OP gave us the airport out of which she will fly, the answers could be more helpful and specific to that airport.

I for example, live 10-15 min from a regional int'l airport (Bradley Int'l out of Harford CT) I base my schedule on boarding time, not departure. So for a 7am flight, I estimate boarding to begin around 6:30. I will leave the house (always get dropped off right at the door) around 5am. There's no traffic between me and the airport and detouring around any unusual problems would be quick & easy. I've never waited in the TSA line more than 10 minutes (now I've probably jinxed myself!!!) The real variable for me is the baggage check-in line which has taken up to 20-25 minutes so I look at both the cubside & inside checkin for the shorter line. I still have time to grab a cup of coffee & hit the restroom prior to boarding.

Funny, but the one time I was really running late was DH's & my last trip to visit DD in Sarasota. We were driving back to Tampa & got stuck in a VERY LONG traffic jam due to an accident on a small bridge. We flew into the car return, threw the keys at the attendant & ran for the checkin. SWA, however, apparently knew I was running late and graciously delayed our flight 4 hours!!! This was in late May due to the horrible storms in the middle of the country. All their planes were on the wrong side of the storm. Our 8PM flight didn't take off until 12:15AM!!

 

[goofy4tink]

We fly out of Providence, which is a very small airport. Most times we're through security in less than 10-15 minutes, but we've had a couple if instances where the lines took 45+ minutes or more. Once we arrived at our gate just 10 minutes before boarding, which is WAY too close for our comfort.

You just never know. I like to use the extra time to get a snack (gotta hit Dunkin' Donuts) and use the restroom.

OH, don't get me started on Dunkin Donuts at Green. We got to TFGreen 2 hrs before our flight. By the time we got through security (for whatever reason, the line was ridiculously long that morning), we had about 80 mins left. No problem. We got to the gate, after dodging person after person, and got our dd settled. She sat with our bags at the gate while dh and I went off to DDs for coffee and a bite to eat. The line was huge...all the same people in the security line must have gone directly to that Dunkin' Donut's line!!! We were in line for 40 mins!!! At one point, my dd came running up to us....she was frantic. The gate attendent has just announced they were going to start boarding in 5 mins. Poor kid. I left my dh in the line and went off to get into the SW boarding line with dd. Thank heaven my dh had kept his briefcase bag with him..otherwise we would have had too many carryon bags between the two of us. Dh came ambling along just as we got to the gate area!!

I always allow 2 hrs...even with a small airport. You just don't know what can happen. I know that one time my friend and I got to Logan, in Boston, about 2.5 hrs before our flight. The person at the baggage check counter asked if we would like to get on an earlier flight...heck yeah!! If we had arrived at the 2 hr, or less, mark, that wouldn't have been an option.
Same thing when my dh and dd got to Logan 2 hrs prior to their flight to meet me in WDW, only to find that the flight had been cancelled...while they were making the 45 min ride to the airport!!! They were able to get on an earlier flight that was boarding at that moment. If they had arrived any later they wouldn't have gotten to Orlando that night...at least not on a JB flight.

It does pay to get there early, even if you do end up sitting and waiting.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

What time do you usually arrive at the airport on your way to Disney ?

The night before departure.

Nice dinner at airport hotel; check in following morning; breakfast in airline lounge; go to gate an hour later; arrive WDW late afternoon; unpack; dinner on Boardwalk; early to bed.

Andrew