With record numbers of holiday travelers expected to take — or have already taken — flights this weekend, WTOP hit the airport to ask: How early should you arrive for a flight?
“I’m a planner. So I’d say two hours,” passenger Christina Benson told WTOP.
“For me, that seems to be the magic number, yeah,” agreed fellow traveler Mychael Willon.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), most transportation experts and most major airports all say two hours prior to departure is ideal. But 90 minutes should be your baseline.
“You’re waiting in TSA lines. Like, they’re ridiculous. All the time,” lamented Tamiah Truesdale, who was in the D.C. area from Charlotte until July 3.
“We’ve cut it close a couple times,” added Dave Mickelson, who told WTOP he’s visiting the District from Wisconsin.
There are several factors that could influence that hour and a half to two-hour window.
For instance, experts say you can actually subtract 20 minutes if you print your boarding pass out or download it on your phone ahead of time. You can subtract another 20 if you have TSA pre-check.
But there are a lot more factors that add time too.
Traveling at peak time? Add 30 minutes. Checking a bag or traveling internationally? That’s another 30 to 45 minutes respectively.
Dropping off a rental car or parking adds another 20 minutes. If it’s a major airport, TSA says, another 20 minutes for you.
With a record 3 million people expected to turn up at airport checkpoints for Fourth of July travel this week, passengers like Smiriam Limon told WTOP they don’t mind arriving three hours early — or more.
“Pack snacks. A good book — something to read,” she said. “I kind of just always enjoy the moment no matter what. The flight’s delayed? That’s OK. There’s always something to do.”
