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

[thiabelle]

Planning a last minute surprise trip for DD to see the Frozen Summer stuff.

Cheapest flight out of PHL (Philly) is $116 but leaves at 5:50am

What time would I want to try to be at the airport for check in? What time would the SW folks be at their check in post ??(I will have one bag cause it's flying free)

I've flown early but never that early.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I always aim to be AT the airport (like, inside of it) at least 1 hour prior to travel, more if I have bags to check. You may want to call and find out what time the desk opens for bag drop, I would assume an hour before the first flight. Obviously with SW you will have checked in online and have your boarding pass ready to go 24hrs beforehand so I would aim to be at the airport and parking by 4:00am. Even though its early, I never want to chance being late and losing my flight. Much better to be early

For example, our upcoming trip's flight leaves at 7am (also on SW). We have prepaid for our parking since we are using a shuttle lot and have planned to arrive in the lot by 5:15am. This allows us time to get shuttled to the front desk, check our bags and get thru security with enough time to use the bathroom and/or grab a snack and still be at the gate prior to loading. We also try to allow extra time when we travel with kids as they need assistance with security, etc.

For a better idea, I went to SW's website. They say to have your bag checked no later than 45mins prior to your flights departure or it will be considered "late"

Late Check-In
When checking baggage, allow sufficient time for it to be placed on your flight. Baggage checked at curbside or at the ticket counter less than 45 minutes before scheduled departure will be tagged with a Late Check-In Tag.

Although every effort will be made to get late checked baggage on your flight, in the event your baggage does not arrive with you at your destination, Southwest will not assume delivery charges to get your baggage to you.

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/checked-bags-pol.html

 

[thiabelle]

Thank you so much! I think I will try to call SW and see what time they open the check in desk for the luggage. That's a good idea.

I am leaning to just going down the night before and staying at our cheapy motel that has 24 hour free shuttle. I won't annoy DH and I will keep my anxiety in check!

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

Thank you so much! I think I will try to call SW and see what time they open the check in desk for the luggage. That's a good idea.

I am leaning to just going down the night before and staying at our cheapy motel that has 24 hour free shuttle. I won't annoy DH and I will keep my anxiety in check!

Haha, that is probably a good idea! I am a night owl and there is no way I would be able to sleep if I had to be up for an early flight... heck, I might stay up all night before our 7am flight

 

[sam_gordon]

I always aim to be AT the airport (like, inside of it) at least 1 hour prior to travel, more if I have bags to check. You may want to call and find out what time the desk opens for bag drop, I would assume an hour before the first flight. Obviously with SW you will have checked in online and have your boarding pass ready to go 24hrs beforehand so I would aim to be at the airport and parking by 4:00am. Even though its early, I never want to chance being late and losing my flight. Much better to be early

For example, our upcoming trip's flight leaves at 7am (also on SW). We have prepaid for our parking since we are using a shuttle lot and have planned to arrive in the lot by 5:15am. This allows us time to get shuttled to the front desk, check our bags and get thru security with enough time to use the bathroom and/or grab a snack and still be at the gate prior to loading. We also try to allow extra time when we travel with kids as they need assistance with security, etc.

For a better idea, I went to SW's website. They say to have your bag checked no later than 45mins prior to your flights departure or it will be considered "late"



http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/checked-bags-pol.html

How busy is Philly airport? For my local airport, it takes 20 minutes to get from parking to the gate (30-40 if I'm checking bags). Because I know that, I'll show up ~an hour before the flight.

If I'm flying out of Orlando, I want to be there two hours before the flight. It depends on the size, how busy it is, and how familiar I am with the airport.

 

[lilkimmyk]

I have never (but considering it for our Nov. trip) done the stay, park, fly out of Philly. but a friend of ours who goes to Disney every year and gets the earliest flight out like you swears by it. He goes to the hotel the night before and the shuttle takes him right over. He leaves his car at hotel lot for the trip. Then when he gets back he just calls them from his cell (or there is some phone that is in baggage pick up) and they are there within 10 min.

Our flight leaves at 11 am so I just haven't decided if I want to just drive early or spend the extra dough to stay the night.

Whatever you decide have a nice trip!

 

[lurkernj]

We fly out of Philly a few times a year and security is usually kind of long.

Last year we had a flight to key west (though it stopped in orlando first), at 7am. We waited just over 45 min to get through security (on a thursday, for reference). There was a woman crying on line because they weren't going to make their flight(though she finally got someone to help her cut through - I'd be mortified to do that though). I've never breezed through security there.

Bag check has always been very quick, but I always try to be at that airport 1.5 hrs prior, even if it means I'm sitting at the gate with a cup of coffee for a while.

 

[eangel12]

We fly out of Philly a few times a year and security is usually kind of long.

Last year we had a flight to key west (though it stopped in orlando first), at 7am. We waited just over 45 min to get through security (on a thursday, for reference). There was a woman crying on line because they weren't going to make their flight(though she finally got someone to help her cut through - I'd be mortified to do that though). I've never breezed through security there.

Bag check has always been very quick, but I always try to be at that airport 1.5 hrs prior, even if it means I'm sitting at the gate with a cup of coffee for a while.

Our flight leaves at 7am on a Wednesday morning. My plan is to be at the airport, PHL, by 5:15am at the latest. We have two little ones, lots of luggage, a MIL to get through and to the gate. I have had to stand in some awful lines at PHL so giving myself 1.5 hours is the only way to go. We are leaving our house at 4:15am, driving to Winner and then letting them drive us over to the airport. Hoping everything goes super smooth!

 

[kamik86]

Agree that it depends on the airport and I don't know yours.

My local airport I have only seen a busy line at security for the early flights probably because they don't start sending people through until like 5 and alot of the airlines have 6 and 6:30 flights. Same thing with the SW counter, only has a line first thing in the morning. So for an early morning flight with a checked bag I have to be inside by an hour and 1/2 before my flight... preferably 2 hours for time for a coffee before I leave.

However if I was flying at 2:00 I could park my car at 1:00 and be fine. (the lot is a 2 min walk as its a tiny airport, no wait at the bag check or security at this time and I'll get to my gate just as they start to board)

 

[emilymad]

It depends on the day of the week. If it is during the week I would allow extra time. We usually see long security lines when you also have business travelers. Our goal is always to be at the airport 2 hours before our flight. We fly out of PHL and have seen some crazy lines both to check bags at SW and for security.

 

[jel0511]

We have a flight at 5:45am on a Saturday. We are doing one of the park/fly hotels for the night before. We live an hour away from PHL, so there was NO WAY I was getting up at 3 to make it to the airport by 4. This way, we will get an extra hour of sleep and our parking is included in our hotel rate. We'll ask what the shuttle schedule is when we check in to decide which shuttle we need to catch in the am. I'd like to be checking my bags by 4:30......

 

[firegurl]

I tend to panic when it comes to being late. For our upcoming trip our flight leaves from BWI at 7am on a Saturday. I live about 40 minutes away so we will be leaving our house no later than 4:15. That will give us plenty of time to drive there, park and get through the lines. We have a 6 year old so I prefer to get through the lines and have a few minutes to sit and chill out before we board. We will probably grab something to eat at the airport. I would much rather sit for a few minutes waiting to board than have to run at the last minute and worry. It makes my morning much more calm.

 

[thiabelle]

OP here- Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. I've flown out of phl early before just not this early and have seen the lines be crazy long. It's just they (the lines) are so unpredictable. DH tends to pooh pooh my anxiety about being late and sometimes I swear he deliberately slows down just to see my reaction (totally denies it of course). My DD and I should have PreCheck or whatever they call it because we have Global Entry and I gave SW our numbers. So security isn't as much of my concern. It's just getting there and getting checked in.
The only thing I keep thinking about is I will be able to have breakfast in Disney if all goes according to plan!!

 

[bumbershoot]

No matter what airport I'm leaving from, I aim to be walking in the doors of the airport 2 solid hours before my domestic flight. 3 hours for international.

I once messed up the timing every moment of that day, and by all rights we shoulv have missed that flight. The ONLY reason we didn't was because there was a delay just before boarding. Running down the halls with shoes undone and belt off with a young child absolutely flipping out about what's going on? I will literally take HOURS of being bored at an airport than deal with that ever again.

5:50 am flight I'm walking in the doors at 4. I'll give that extra 10 minutes because it's so early.

And to figure out when to leave the house, etc, I count backwards giving extra time to each step. I've learned since that long ago LAX-SEA flight...

 

[mikehn]

Not necessarily at PHL, but in general, the biggest bottle neck that early in the morning is TSA. These are govt employees, and there wont be many working at 5 am. So for example, if there are usually 6 TSA lanes, maybe only 3 lanes will be open at 5 am.

 

[Saimaeve]

I tend to be at the airport super super early. (Because I am slightly paranoid)

For instance, our next trip is in September. We fly out of Sky Harbor at 12:50 am

I'm leaving my house at 8:30 PM (I live less than 30-45 minutes from SkyHarbor) But I also build in time for things like: wanting to eat before the flight, getting to the airport, realizing I left something at home (like my suitcase, medication, left my dog outside, my husband) so I'll have time to go back and get it or him.

Then park, go through bag check, lose husband again, go through security, grab food. Find my gate, read, etc.

I figured given my normal pre-trip shenanigans it puts me running up to the gate ala Home Alone 2 roughly 5 minutes before take off.

 

[KJSJpipe]

We always fly out of PHL on the earliest flight possible. We get to the airport about 4 am and the curbside checkin guys are there and the counter people are there as well. We still get there 2 hours before even when flying that early, you just never know what will happen.

 

[sarmat1]

I am leaning to just going down the night before and staying at our cheapy motel that has 24 hour free shuttle. I won't annoy DH and I will keep my anxiety in check!

This is likely your best answer given how early the flight is. Price might not be much more depending on how many days you'd be otherwise paying to park your car at the airport/off-site. I've successfully used Microtel at Philly before. Basic hotel, tiny room, but it works. Worth it just to know that you're already there come the early AM.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

No matter what airport I'm leaving from, I aim to be walking in the doors of the airport 2 solid hours before my domestic flight. 3 hours for international.

I once messed up the timing every moment of that day, and by all rights we shoulv have missed that flight. The ONLY reason we didn't was because there was a delay just before boarding. Running down the halls with shoes undone and belt off with a young child absolutely flipping out about what's going on? I will literally take HOURS of being bored at an airport than deal with that ever again.

5:50 am flight I'm walking in the doors at 4. I'll give that extra 10 minutes because it's so early.

And to figure out when to leave the house, etc, I count backwards giving extra time to each step. I've learned since that long ago LAX-SEA flight...

I agree 100%!!

We only live 20-30 mins from PHL but we allow extra time so we're not stressed out and rushing. Why start a vacation that way intentionally?

So we leave our house 2.5-3 hours before our flight to allow for possible traffic, time to park (we use PreFlight on Island Ave.) and plenty of time to check our bags and get through security. Regardless of our flight time we allow time to eat in the gate area whether that's dinner or a light bite for breakfast.

We have plenty of gadgets to keep us busy at the gate so even if we're done eating and still have time to kill, that's ok.
Boarding usually starts roughly 30 mins prior to the departure time so it would seem silly for someone to pay for EBCI, get A section BPs, then arrive at the gate late and end up boarding with the B group.

 

[PSUGuy]

I've never missed a flight or even came close but this is my paranoid fear. PHL is our most frequent departure point and we've used 2 approaches. We've driven 2 hrs to Winner Parking where they drop you off at PHL in your own car, park it, then pick you up when you land and away you go in your own car.

Lately we've stayed at Sheraton Four Points, getting our ressie for the sleep 'n fly through Buyreservations.com. They have fabulous shuttle service and the hotel is steps away from the Sheraton Suites which has a fine bar/restaurant for a happy hour the night before the flight. We also shoot to be at PHL 2 hrs in advance. We always have a long wait bet once my butt is seated by the gate, the vacation has arrived. The plane ride is the first Disney ride.

Bill From PA