Most flights start boarding 30 - 50 minutes before scheduled departure, but the exact time depends on your destination and plane. Boarding ends 15 minutes before departure.

In 2026, the "final boarding" period is the critical window before an aircraft's doors are sealed, and it is shorter than many travelers realize. Typically, boarding begins 30 to 45 minutes before the scheduled departure, but "final boarding" usually refers to the last 10 to 15 minutes of that process. Most airlines in 2026 strictly enforce a policy where the boarding gate closes exactly 15 minutes before departure for domestic flights and 20 minutes for international routes. This allows ground crews to finalize the passenger manifest, secure the cargo, and ensure the pilots have accurate weight-and-balance data for takeoff. If you arrive at the gate after the "Final Boarding" call has ended and the gate agents have closed the flight, you will almost certainly be denied boarding, even if the plane is still visible on the tarmac. Modern "smart gates" and biometrics have made this process faster, meaning there is less "grace period" for latecomers than in the past, so being at the gate at least 30 minutes prior to takeoff is the only safe strategy.