Do you really need 3 hours before international flight?

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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If you know you'll be traveling during a peak time, it's probably still a good idea to plan on the standard two hours for domestic flights and three hours for international flights. If you're heading to the airport at a slower time of day, then you can consider arriving a little later.

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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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We recommend getting to the airport three hours before your flight if you're travelling internationally, or two hours if you're travelling domestically or to Europe.

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Normally, you will need to arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time if you have baggage to check for an international flight. In the case of major carriers like British Airways, the long-haul flight bag drop closes 60 minutes prior to departure.

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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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We recommend all passengers arrive at the check-in or bag drop desk at least 2 hours before they are due to fly. If you have booked through an Online Travel Agent, have been required to verify your booking, and wish to do so at the airport, please make sure you arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight.

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How early should I arrive at Athens Airport? A two-hour arrival before the flight is recommended, especially during the peak season, which is during the summer.

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When to arrive. We recommend getting to the airport three hours before your flight if you're travelling internationally, or two hours if you're travelling domestically or to Europe.

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To check-in and check bags at the airport, you must be there a certain amount of time before scheduled departure: Within the U.S. – 45 minutes. To or from destinations outside the U.S. – 60 minutes.

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While you're there, check the number of security lines available and see if they offer real-time updates on wait status. Even with these programs, you should still plan to arrive at least 60 to 90 minutes before departure for domestic flights, and 90 minutes to two hours early for international flights.

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Two to three hours is the minimum recommended time for an international layover, but more might be needed. Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020. She previously wrote about travel and credit cards for The New York Times and its sibling site, Wirecutter.

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working definition by pilots is short-haul flights are those less than three hours in duration; long-haul flights are those lasting more than six hours; flights lasting between three and six hours are considered medium-haul flights.

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Athens International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Greece.

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A two-hour arrival before the flight is recommended, especially during the peak season, which is during the summer.

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Depending on your destination your check in time may vary. Are you travelling with hand luggage only? If you are, you may be able to check in online for free and print off your boarding pass, so all you need to do when you arrive at the airport is go straight through security.

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If you have not reserved a seat and this is being assigned to you randomly, check-in opens 24 hours before your flight and closes 2 hours before.

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If your flight's delayed for 3 or more hours You're entitled to get compensation if the flight arrives more than 3 hours late and it's the airline's fault - for example, if they didn't get enough bookings or there was a technical fault.

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If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.

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We recommend the two hours so that travelers have enough time to get dropped off or park their cars, check their bags and get through security to their gates.

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