Seriously, SWA 2hrs before the flight?

[pjs755]

We're flying out of Bradley (Hartford) on SWA on Monday. First time with Southwest, we usually fly Jet Blue from JFK or HPN. The SWA site says they want us there 2 hours before the flight?? Is that necessary? Seems a tad extreme...

Paul

 

[mmouse50]

This isn't really going to help you much but flew out of Houston Hobby on Sat. March 6th - nothing going on that I could tell but it took me over 1.5 hours just to get through the security check point. Hobby isn't a large airport.

 

[ancestry]

This is a standard recommendation from all airlines.

DME usually follows this policy as well and schedules pickups from the hotels with enough time to get people to the airport two hours prior to their flight. I.E. DME picks people up 3 hours prior to their flight departure for domestic flights.

In a major airport like Bradley I always arrive 2 hours early especially if I am checking baggage. In my smaller local airport I am familiar with the traffic patterns. Most flights out of my airport leave in the morning. If I am flying in the AM I always give it two hours. In the afternoon there are less flights and I might get away with 90 minutes.

 

[bumbershoot]

We like getting to the airport WELL in advance. Much better to be early and sit around at the gate, vs be late and freak out.


The website shows....

"Due to new security measures, travelers purchasing an airline ticket or checking bags must be checked in 30 minutes prior to flight departure."

"In addition, all ticketed passengers must be at the departure gate 15 minutes prior to departure. Reservations are subject to cancellation if these procedures are not followed."

In addition, they show the average wait times for getting through security...

"Terminal A – East Concourse Peak Periods

5:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.: 30 Minutes

1:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: 20 Minutes

Continental Airlines
Continental Express
Northwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines"


So....add the times altogether, and you're getting up there!

 

[dburg30]

We're flying out of Bradley (Hartford) on SWA on Monday. First time with Southwest, we usually fly Jet Blue from JFK or HPN. The SWA site says they want us there 2 hours before the flight?? Is that necessary? Seems a tad extreme...

Paul

Well, you have a couple of choices.

1) show up early, dont have to worry about rushing, get thru security and if you have to, wait a while for your flight

2) show up when you want to, hope you dont run into any snags checking bags (bad weather somewhere else and people rebooking which will really hold up the line) a busy day and it takes you more time to get thru security etc etc. If you are late for your plane and miss it, IMO, not really the best way to start a vacation. We're talking probably max an hour difference from when you would probably show up anyway. Is that extra hour REALLY that important that you cant use it to show up at the airport early?

 

[tinkerdee]

We always fly out of blardley and we have a;ways gotten there 1 1/2 hours early or less, never 2 hours and we have never, ever had a problem. I hope this helps you.

 

[justplaingoofy]

If you are inquiring about arriving 2 hours prior at Bradley, I think thats a little early. That is a small airport so if it were me I would do 1 1/2 hours.

If you are inquiring about arriving 2 hours prior at Orlando..yes I would be there 2 hours in advance.

 

[FINFAN]

2 hours has been the recommended time for a few years now pretty much across the board. If your flight is at peak time, say Monday A.M., allow even more.I agree, not worth stressingout over missing a flight, I always leave 2 1/2 hours earlier and prefer knowing I have that cushion.I ahve had all sorts of delays from late cabs, traffic, weather, they guy ahead if me in security who took forever, gate was switched to the other side last minute, and then I have had where I am there in plenty of time but the flight was delayed due to weather, flat tire, problem with exit door not closing properly, late crew, de-icing...you just have to pbe prepared to be fleixible and figure that day of travel is more than just a 2 hour flight.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's the airports that set those times, not the airlines. Orlando puts the recommended arrival time at 2 hours prior for domestic flights, that's why DME picks you up 3 hours prior.

Dulles has theirs set at 1 and a half hours. If I'm not checking luggage I make it 1.

Some airlines may add extra time for baggage checking.

If you google your local airport you may find their arrival time recommendations. But the usual motto in air travel is "the earlier, the better"

 

[sjs314]

I always though 2 hours was pretty much the norm that is one reason we normally go to the airport the night before and stay at a nearby hotel so we don't have a long drive in the am or unexpected travel delays to the airport. We do this at Bradley, and JFK and this year will be doing the same at HPN.
Better safe than sorry

 

[Rpsemont]

Generally, I try to allow an hour to check bags and go through security so what time I get there depends on whether I have to park and shuttle or whether I'm being dropped of and anticipated traffic. 2 hours is not unreasonable at BDL if you're flying at a busy time although certainly allows for those that get delayed in traffic and have other delays before getting to the terminal. Here's how I would figure it - allowing for no extra time:
Flight departure time 10AM
This flight could start boarding at probably 9:35
Want to be checking bags by 8:45
Need to be parking car 8:25
Need to leave for the airport by 8AM

Now this has very little wiggle room, so I would probably leave for the airport at 7:30 -7:45. If everthing went great, I would probably be at gate before 9AM. If time allows, I'd rather hang at the gate for an hour, then stress about not being there in time.

FWIW a few years ago, DH, DD and I were flying out of BDL. DH dropped off DD and I and we checked bags and were through security and to the gate in less than 20 minutes DH, when parking the car, had a slight delay with the shuttle bus, then got to the terminal and was in line for over 45 minutes getting through security. We kept calling him saying, the plane is here, they're boarding, we're boarding, it's take off time, are you through yet???, can't you try to cut ahead and just explain your plane is leaving!!!! THey actually held the plane for over 20 minutes because well over half the passengers were not at the gate by take off time.

My guess is they suggest 2 hours to allow for all the possible places you could be delayed.

 

[Tara]

IME, smaller airports have much wider variations in how long it will take to get to your gate. My home airport (Albany) is pretty small - 20 gates - which means during the early morning when there are a LOT of flights leaving, the lines can be long. But at 11am or 2pm, the lines are often non-existent. I've been there for a 6am departure where (if you know ALB, this will make sense) the line snaked all the way down the parking garage sky bridge, then back, then the escalator to get up to the line from the ticketing level was blocked and the line continued at the bottom of the escalator, wrapped around it and down all the way to baggage claim! I've also been for a 2pm departure when there was literally no one in line at security.

 

[meowser]

I've flown out of Bradley a lot - almost all of it with checked luggage. I always arrive 90 minutes before my flight and have always had plenty of time. No problems and no need to arrive at Bradley 2 hours beforehand. Other airports, yes. Bradley - you'll be fine with 90 minutes.

BTW, my biggest concern is traffic problems on the way to the airport. That is why I might leave more time - not anything at the airport.

 

[lovingthemouse]

Have a grp of 32 flying out of Bradley on Sunday morning, and they have all been told (by us) to arrive
2 1/2 hrs early. With such a large grp, we want to ensure they all clear security, and there might always be those last minute stragglers!!

 

[MHSweb79]

We fly through TF Green in Providence (well, Warwick) RI which is another small airport. We've gotten through security and bag check in 10 mins, and other times it has taken over an hour. You never know if you'll get pulled for extra checks (this happened once to our young teen DD- it was the hair spray on her hair brush that set off some chemical detector) or if the line for bag check or security will be backed up. If both baggage check and security are mobbed, you could well need that 2 hour lead time.

Coming through Orlando, we have had a few times where squeezing a huge crowd down through the "eye of a needle" that is, Orlando security screening, has taken us a long long time Well over an hour, maybe close to 90minutes. It was very stressful! You just never know how you'll hit that line so leave plenty of time.

 

[dort]

IME, smaller airports have much wider variations in how long it will take to get to your gate. My home airport (Albany) is pretty small - 20 gates - which means during the early morning when there are a LOT of flights leaving, the lines can be long. But at 11am or 2pm, the lines are often non-existent. I've been there for a 6am departure where (if you know ALB, this will make sense) the line snaked all the way down the parking garage sky bridge, then back, then the escalator to get up to the line from the ticketing level was blocked and the line continued at the bottom of the escalator, wrapped around it and down all the way to baggage claim! I've also been for a 2pm departure when there was literally no one in line at security.

Yikes we fly out of ALB and have never encountered those lines before and hope we never do!! But I can imagine it was pretty busy there last week!

 

[Tara]

Yikes we fly out of ALB and have never encountered those lines before and hope we never do!! But I can imagine it was pretty busy there last week!

You're lucky, then! Amazingly, I've only had these waits for work flights on early mornings, usually Mondays. I've never had such a wait for a vacation flight, and I haven't seen the line so long that they had to block the escalator since they finished the remodel that extended the queue to the right of the checkpoint. It isn't uncommon for the line to reach down the sky bridge, though.

Its mornings like those that I sorely miss Clear!

(I'm in Troy, too!)

 

[keishashadow]

We're flying out of Bradley (Hartford) on SWA on Monday. First time with Southwest, we usually fly Jet Blue from JFK or HPN. The SWA site says they want us there 2 hours before the flight?? Is that necessary?Seems a tad extreme...

Paul

fyi, most airlines won't allow u to check luggage less than a 1/2 hour before depature time, about the same time many start boarding process & seating the standbys.

 

[linzbear]

I generally plan to show up 1 1/2 hours before my flight (30 mins for boarding, 1 hour for security). I also pad "oh crap" time in case I get a flat tire, get pulled over, have to go through a detour (happened once, the interstate was closed down). So I usually end up getting there 2 hours ahead.

 

[Tara]

fyi, most airlines won't allow u to check luggage less than a 1/2 hour before depature time, about the same time many start boarding process & seating the standbys.

I generally plan to show up 1 1/2 hours before my flight (30 mins for boarding, 1 hour for security). I also pad "oh crap" time in case I get a flat tire, get pulled over, have to go through a detour (happened once, the interstate was closed down). So I usually end up getting there 2 hours ahead.

I recently had a double-connection flight to Palm Springs and got to Park & Fly 1:05 before my flight. When I reached for my wallet at the counter (this usually takes about 5 minutes from the time I pull up to the time I get off the shuttle at the airport door)...my wallet wasn't in my purse. I about keeled over right there. I dashed back to the car, called and woke up my husband (it was 5am), told him to get our DS8 up, find my wallet (I knew it had fallen out when I switched purses and be ready to jump in the car as soon as pulled up. He did all that, I raced back to the airport, right to the door so I could jump out (and DH could drive my car back home). During the drive I'd already ascertained that there were NO flight options for me that day - it would be the next day at the earliest before I could get out, meaning I'd miss the first day of the TED Conference.

When I got to the kiosk, it was 5:34, 26 minutes before my flight was supposed to depart - the flight was closed. My chin immediately began quivering...I just couldn't believe it. Thank goodness I was flying United because they know me. A counter agent walked over and asked where I was going and tagged my bag anyway. Luckily the security line wasn't too long and it moved quickly - and I wasn't even the last one on the plane. BUT MAN, that is TOO MUCH STRESS!!!