Do you have to check-in for international flights?

When you're traveling outside of the United States, we suggest arriving at least 3 hours prior to your departure. You must be checked in at least 1 hour before your scheduled departure. Additionally, we recommend being at the gate and ready to board 45 minutes before your scheduled departure time.



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When you're traveling outside of the United States, we suggest arriving at least 3 hours prior to your departure. You must be checked in at least 1 hour before your scheduled departure.

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It is always a good idea to check into your flight early, as it can help you avoid any potential delays or issues. Checking in online 24 hours before your flight leaves gives you the opportunity to select your seat and print out boarding passes ahead of time.

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The General Guideline for How Early You Should Get to the Airport. Generally speaking, most airlines advise that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to a domestic flight, and at least 3 hours prior to an international flight.

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Most airlines recommend arriving at the airport three hours before departure for international flights. It's common for international flights to start boarding earlier than domestic flights (the aircraft are often larger and have higher passenger capacities), which accounts for the earlier recommendation.

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When you're traveling outside of the United States, we suggest arriving at least 3 hours prior to your departure. You must be checked in at least 1 hour before your scheduled departure. Additionally, we recommend being at the gate and ready to board 45 minutes before your scheduled departure time.

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You'll need to clear customs and immigration. Next, you'll recheck your luggage for the domestic flight. Finally, you'll need to go through Transportation Security Administration screening. This may include a physical inspection of your luggage and personal items with a metal detector or a full-body scan.

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There's also the consideration of border control if you're traveling internationally — sometimes border agents might ask to see your boarding pass, and it's usually easier to hand them the paper version rather than your whole phone.

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Yes. TSA PreCheck® is available when you depart from a U.S. airport to a foreign country, and for domestic, connecting flights after you return to the United States. If you travel internationally four or more times a year, consider enrolling in Global Entry instead of TSA PreCheck®.

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What is the recommended layover time for international flights? International flights require longer connections as you will often have to go through immigration and customs upon arrival. For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection.

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If you are wondering “do you go through customs when leaving the U.S.”, the answer is no. All countries have customs inspection procedures at borders and international airports. However, only passengers entering a country are subject to customs inspection.

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Board tired.
The night before, cheat yourself of a couple of hours of sleep—not more. This works well for very long flights that last long enough to get your usual hours of rest. For flights that are just a little too short for that, like a 5-hour run from New York to Paris, this tactic can be risky.

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Depending on the requirements of airport authorities, you will need to present a mobile boarding pass, a paper boarding pass printed out by you or a paper boarding pass picked up from the check-in desk.

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A boarding pass is a document provided by an airline during check-in giving a passenger permission to board the airplane for a particular flight. At a minimum, it identifies the passenger, the flight number, and the date and scheduled time for departure. Boarding passes are always required to board a flight.

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Even if you have bags to check in, the bag drop process is much faster if you have already checked in online. If you are running late, say arriving at the airport only 30 min before departure, the airport check-in counter may be closed. Checking in online helps you beat the counter close time.

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