When do you need to get to the airport? We did the math
How early should you arrive for the busiest air-travel day in U.S. history? There have been seven such days since late May alone, fueled by strong leisure and business-travel demand. Friday is projected to break the record again, the Transportation Security Administration has warned.
The agency expects to screen a record three million people at airport checkpoints. The previous record of just under three million was set on Sunday. Airports and airlines generally recommend two hours for domestic departures and three hours for international flights.
But with so many people taking to the skies this summer, these standard guidelines for time to the airport might not apply. To determine how much of a buffer you should give yourself, The Wall Street Journal asked travel experts which factors would add or reduce how much time that travelers need at the airport before a flight. Note: These recommendations are rough estimates—you’ll probably never need to arrive at 7 a.m.
for a noon flight—and can’t account for factors like weather. About 99% of travelers wait 30 minutes or less in the standard screening lanes at security checkpoints, TSA says. Boarding generally begins around 30 minutes before the scheduled domestic departures.
People traveling with only carry-on items need at bare minimum a 90-minute buffer before their flight, including the time it takes to walk to their gate. Preparation pays off. Try to check in for your flight before you leave for the airport.
Getting your mobile boarding pass (or printing out a copy at home) lets you skip the wait for a check-in kiosk. Airports naturally see crunches in mornings and late afternoons. Likewise, weekends are busier than Wednesdays.
Read more on livemint.com
