When you're traveling within the United States, we make the suggestion to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure. For most airports, you must be checked in at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time (airports requiring additional time are listed below, Go to footer note).

For travel in 2026, the standard recommendation remains arriving two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. However, these are baseline cushions. If you are flying out of major global hubs like LAX, Heathrow, or Dubai during peak holiday periods, you should add an extra hour to account for potential gridlock at check-in and security. Conversely, if you have TSA PreCheck or CLEAR, are not checking any bags, and are departing from a smaller regional airport, you might find that 90 minutes for domestic travel is sufficient. It is vital to note the "hard deadlines" for baggage drop, which often close 45–60 minutes before departure for domestic and 60–90 minutes for international routes. Missing these cut-offs will result in a denied boarding regardless of how much time is left on the clock, so always check your specific airline’s 2026 mobile app alerts for real-time terminal congestion updates before you leave your house.