Flight departs at 8:45. OK to arrive at the airport by 8pm if ..?

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by morecup

will it be OK if my Uber arrives at the airport door at 8:00pm? If not, what about 7:30 pm?

That’s plenty of time

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by Dopo

That’s plenty of time

This is for an international flight from an airport in Latin America. It's nowhere near enough time.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by WRM20

This is for an international flight from an airport in Latin America. It's nowhere near enough time.

Clearly Dopo had a bad experience once and wants others to feel his pain.

[mkwensky]

Even for a domestic flight at Hobby that's cutting it close.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

I had three different experiences related to time... I travel about every 4-5 weeks to Europe, one time I arrived one hour before the scheduled flight time, and I was told I could check in, but no guarantee my luggage would arrive... the luggage did not arrive.

Another time I arrived 45 minutes before flight time, I was denied check in, the next flight was fully booked, so I had to return the next day.

A third time I arrived late, the flight left in 30 minutes. I could not check in for the flight, but was booked on the next flight. This one flight 'hurt' because I knew the purser personally and she had saved a Business class seat for me! Oh well.

All my problems were my fault, all happened in the last 4 years. The point is, it is not worth the problems... just arrive early.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

Clearly Dopo had a bad experience once and wants others to feel his pain.

I don’t want to be the only one

[roodd279]

Is this a for-real question? I'll pretend it is.


First - you give no specific info about the airport - so all the helpful tips are mainly useless. If you're asking this question for real, I have to assume you've never flown before.


You will be expected to be ON THE PLANE about 30 minutes before departure. If the plane leaves at 845 - and you are at the airport door at 8 - you could conceivably make it if a) The airport is really tiny and b) there is zero security.


As it is, nearly all airports have security - even in Latin America - and you can expect that line (with or without luggage) to be anything from zero minutes to 3 hours long - gamble if you wish. Beyond that - many nations require passport control when leaving the country - a separate line - also from minutes to hours long. Gamble if you wish.


The guidance for 2 hours or 3 hours or whatever - is good advice for flights originating in the USA if you do not have pre-check. But for anywhere else in the world - it's a complete guess. Some places don't even have a security line open until just before the flight - so you're golden. Other places will take, frankly, half your day.


Ask someone / anyone who has recently traveled from your particular airport. It's the only way to know.


If this question is for real, that is.


Dopo, that really made me spit out my coffee. Thanks for that

[Mescalero]

No.

Just no.

Now, I have shown up 15 mins before an international flight at Narita once but that's only because the bus info I was given was out of date so I left Tokyo like an hour before the flight. The staff somehow didn't seem to mind and there was essentially nothing but check-in and the gate was down the hall, but no, never a good idea.

[Felt38]

I'm a lounge lizard, so like arriving four hours prior to an international flight, three for domestic. Call me crazy, but it gives me peace.

[Htown2013]

Two hours for domestic. 2.5 hours for International from US. 3 if departing International on an International flight. 4+ hours if lucky to fly Polaris out of a place with a Polaris lounge. You can cut time if not checking bags and already have a boarding pass.