very early flight (PHL)- what time to be at airport?

[Lewisc]

A poster, on another board, once said a flyer who never missed a flight is a flyer who's wasted too much time in airports over the years.

OP--There may be few, if any, places open at the airport. Don't assume you'll be able to get breakfast at the airport. Check. It's possible the only place open is before security. I made that mistake at JFK. I was give conflicting information. Correct answer is the only place open before 6a was a Dunkin Donuts before security.

Only one or two places open, there might be a long line.

 

[goofy4tink]

Your best bet is probably staying over the night prior. For a 6am flight, you really should be at the airport no later than 4:30! That means getting up very early in order to get to the airport. If you live less than 30 mins away, terrific. But more than that and you'll be getting up around 2:30!

 

[Lewisc]

Your best bet is probably staying over the night prior. For a 6am flight, you really should be at the airport no later than 4:30! That means getting up very early in order to get to the airport. If you live less than 30 mins away, terrific. But more than that and you'll be getting up around 2:30!

Maybe. You'll be leaving your hotel prior to any breakfast being available. Shuttle service is probably every 30 minutes. Sleep an extra few minutes and you might be waiting half an hour.

There won't be much traffic at that time. I'd price a car service. As long as you're not driving I'd bump your 30 minute rule of thumb to an hour, maybe a little more.