Originally Posted by
T/BE20/G
You and I have different opinions on what constitutes rookie
As someone who travels frequently, I have a pretty good idea of how long I need to get through the airports I frequent, and I don't care to spend any more of my time than necessary at the airport waiting around. I regularly show up 30-40 minutes before departure, and would consider the rookie behavior to be there 2 hours early for a simple domestic departure, especially early in the morning. (Example: A friend of mine who flew SMF-SAN for Christmas told me that, heeding the airline's advice, she showed up 1:30 or 2:00 before departure. Rookie mistake, since the counter didn't even open until 1 hour before the flight!) Definitely a YMMV situation!
That's why I make a lousy gambler -- I only take the sure bets, and as far as I'm concerned, 30 mins prior is not a sure bet. For the life of me, I can't figure out the ebb and flow of the security line at my home airports.
If you live in a big city and have to take some sort of shuttle (for me, an employee bus), and walk through a large terminal, that makes the buffer much harder to estimate. Really small airports on the other hand, are a pleasure to fly out of. One I fly out of frequently has a SINGLE gate...pure bliss.