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How early do you need to get to the airport?
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. You may think you are an expert at getting to the airport with just enough time to check your bags, pass through security and reach your gate just as boarding begins — but we’d never recommend cutting it that close. There …
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
You may think you are an expert at getting to the airport with just enough time to check your bags, pass through security and reach your gate just as boarding begins — but we’d never recommend cutting it that close.
There are a multitude of variables that can affect how long it takes you to get from the airport entrance to your gate. And with the Transportation Security Administration consistently breaking records for the most passengers screened in a single day, giving yourself ample time at the airport is more important than ever.
Exactly how early you should arrive at the airport depends on several factors, like whether you are flying domestically or internationally, if you are checking a bag, and if you participate in a priority screening program like TSA PreCheck or Clear.
Here’s everything you need to know about when to arrive at the airport so you never miss a flight.
How early should you arrive at the airport?
Airlines generally recommend arriving at the airport at least three hours before an international flight and two hours before a domestic flight. However, there are a few extra considerations that may affect your timing, which can vary from trip to trip.
For example, driving to the airport, parking and riding a shuttle to the terminal will probably take longer than catching a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft, which can drop you off near your airline’s check-in counter.
Similarly, if you’re checking luggage, you will need to allow for more time than if you only bring a carry-on. Most airlines require you to check your luggage at least 45 minutes before departure time for domestic flights and at least 60 minutes prior for international flights.
If you have kids or other family members in tow, it may take longer to get around the airport than if you fly solo and can power walk to your gate without leaving anyone behind.
With those factors in mind, here are some of our top tips for speeding up your transit time at the airport.
Get Clear, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
Clear
Clear is an expedited airport security program that allows you to get through security much faster. It’s currently available at more than 50 airports and other locations such as stadiums.
Travelers enrolled in Clear have their own security lane, which allows them to use biometric authentication to check their identification instead of waiting for a TSA screener to check their ID and boarding pass. If you like to arrive at the airport at the last minute, Clear might be your best bet, because the lines are typically manageable.
Clear can be an economical option for getting through the airport faster, especially if you hold the right credit card. Cards that currently cover the Clear membership fee via a statement credit for up to $199 annually (enrollment required) include:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Centurion Card from American Express
- American Express® Green Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
The information for the Centurion, Amex Green and Hilton Aspire cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you want to test out Clear and see how much time it can save you at the airport, TPG has a special offer for a two-month free trial.
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry
TSA PreCheck is an expedited security program run by the Transportation Security Administration. With TSA PreCheck, you can speed through security without removing your shoes, belt or light jacket, or your laptop or liquids from your carry-on — potentially saving precious time ahead of a flight.
Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows expedited clearance for preapproved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States.
Global Entry members can enter the U.S. through automatic kiosks at select airports and access all the TSA PreCheck benefits described above. Global Entry can prove especially helpful when you’re pressed for time trying to connect domestically after an international flight.
Membership for TSA PreCheck lasts for five years with a nonrefundable $85 application fee. Global Entry requires a $120 membership fee that will provide membership for five years if you are approved (and includes TSA PreCheck).
Several credit cards can alleviate the cost of TSA PreCheck and Global Entry by offering a statement credit to cover the cost of membership (enrollment required):
-
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- United℠ Explorer Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees)
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- The Business Platinum Card from American Express
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- United Club℠ Infinite Card
The TSA website has a full list of credit cards offering this discount.
Don’t forget to renew
The cards mentioned above offer a Clear, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit — but remember to renew your membership so you don’t lose the benefits.
A TSA spokesperson told TPG that the agency sends members an email reminder to renew six months before expiration. The TSA again reminds members three months, one month, and two weeks before their membership expires. The agency recommends that PreCheck members check their spam filters if they don’t see the reminders in their inbox.
If you don’t want to rely on your inbox, set a calendar reminder to renew your membership before the expiration date.
How much time will I need at the airport?
How much time you need once at the airport again depends on several factors: Are you checking a bag? Traveling with a pet? Planning to visit an airport lounge?
If you’re checking a bag and have elite status with an airline, you can use the airline’s priority lanes, which are generally shorter and provide faster service. If you aren’t checking a bag, you can proceed straight to security and use your TSA PreCheck or Clear membership to expedite your security screening time.
If you’re traveling with a pet, some airlines require you to check in at the airport to confirm your paperwork and collect your pet travel fee.
If you plan to visit an airport lounge before your flight, allocate enough time to do so — especially if you plan to eat in the lounge.
Bottom line
It’s important to weigh all of the questions addressed above individually for each trip. Circumstances may differ greatly from a family vacation with lots of checked luggage to a quick business trip with only a carry-on.
Use the airline recommendations of arriving two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights as a guide — along with your personal variables — and you’ll at least be able to eliminate some of the stress that might come with travel these days.
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