How long do you have to be at the airport before checking in?

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).



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The general guideline on how early to get to the airport for a domestic flight is 2 hours. However, those traveling at a very busy time of year or out of a large airport might want to allow more time.

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The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for domestic travel and three hours before for international travel.

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You can check in online or from the app starting 24 hours before and up to 45 minutes before your flight (90 for international). To check bags or check in at the airport, you must be there a certain amount of time before scheduled departure: Within the U.S. – 45 minutes.

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Check-In Times at U.S. Airports
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). Additionally, you're required to be at the gate and ready to board 15 minutes before scheduled departure.

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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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As with so many things in travel, there's a simple answer — and a complicated one. The simple answer is: Two hours for domestic flights, three hours for international flights. More or less.

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Can I go straight to security after checking in online? If you have additional baggage besides hand luggage, you must first go to the baggage check. If, on the other hand, you are only carrying hand luggage, you can go directly to the security check.

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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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In most cases, you will only need to go to check-in when you have checked-in online if you need to drop off an item of hold baggage. Please ensure that you are aware of the hand baggage requirements for your specific airline before you travel.

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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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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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If you book a 6AM domestic flight, for example, you'll need to arrive at the airport by 4AM. Depending on how far you live from the airport, this could mean getting on the road around 3AM or 3:30AM; traffic should be minimal at this time, as should check-in and security lines.

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As a general rule, you should arrive at the airport no less than an hour before a domestic flight. Ninety minutes to two hours is a safer bet, and most airports, such as London Heathrow and London Gatwick, recommend that you get to the airport two hours before a domestic or European flight.

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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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Checking in online is far more convenient than checking in at the airport. However, if you have to check in special luggage such as bulky goods or a pet, you should rather use the classic method.

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Save the boarding pass to your device for easy access at security and when you board. Make sure the entire barcode is visible on the screen when you show it at security.

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Can I use my mobile boarding pass to go through the security checkpoint and board my flight? Yes, simply show your mobile boarding pass on a mobile phone, iPad, or Apple Watch and a valid form of identification to the TSA Agent at security to proceed.

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Get to the airport in plenty of time and remember to take your smart phone with you or your printed boarding cards. Travelling hand luggage only? Then bypass check-in and go straight to security as normal.

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If no bag — go straight to security. Most airlines allow you to download and print your boarding pass from home or work. For a carry on, you proceed directly to the TSA screening lane— if you have Pre Check, which is annotated on your boarding pass, you go to that lane.

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If you already have your boarding pass, you may go directly to the boarding gate. If not, you'll have to request it at the check-in counter. If you're travelling with checked luggage, you also must first leave it at the drop-off counter.

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Security queues can be very long, so prep for your screening to be as quick as possible:
  1. Remove jackets, belts and all metal items.
  2. Empty your pockets.
  3. Make sure your drinking water bottle is empty or it may be confiscated.
  4. Put everything, including documents, into your bag.
  5. Place your LAG* bag and laptop in a separate tray.


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Carry-on bags are limited to 22 inches long, 14 inches wide and 9 inches high including wheels and handles. All three measurements shouldn't add up to more than 45 inches.

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