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They start boarding 30 minutes before the flight, so if you are at the gate 30 minutes before your flight time then you are in good shape. Start adding minutes or hours for the security line (which depends on where you live, which day of the week you are traveling and what time is your flight), checking luggage, drive to airport, parking your car and you will know how many hours do you need to be there. Safe travels.
They start boarding 30 minutes before the flight, so if you are at the gate 30 minutes before your flight time then you are in good shape.
If the gate is busy with planes in waiting, the boarding procedure will started earlier so flights can depart up to 10 minutes earlier than scheduled with very little prior announcements. It happened to us many times over the years.
Should I be there to make sure I don't miss the flight? What is the very latest I can show up?
Check in time requirements vary from airline to airline. The cutoff time to check in can be anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes before departure. Some airlines require you to be at the gate 30 minutes before departure. Others might only require you to be there 15 minutes before departure. International travel requires you to arrive sooner. Most airlines post their check in requirements on their website.
I try to be at the airport 1 hour before take off. Gives me time to park and get through security. I have been denied boarding when arriving 15 minutes before a flight.
Since many airlines overbook, trying to check in at the last moment you could find your seat has been filled by another ticket holder who arrived earlier.
It can also depend on what terminal you're flying out of. That's true, for example, for the San Diego Terminals 1 & 2 vs. the Commuter Terminal.
My suggestion is to check with the airport and use their suggested time. When things get overcrowded and backed-up, airports are usually pretty good about re-arranging priority so people don't wind up missing flights. But if you just rush in at the last minute ... not so much.
they stop accepting checked luggage about 45 mins before the flight so I'd say at least 1 hr minimum for domestic and 2 hrs+ for international.
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