Originally Posted by
milepig
The very first thing you need to do when you get off the plane as LAS is find the nearest departure monitor and double check your gate. Don't trust what's printed on your BP as gates can change. Then, unless you're in serious need of a potty break walk to your gate first to check things out and THEN find a rest room.
^
Always check departure info, hit the bathroom if needed, then go to the gate to confirm everything is as you expect. Then if you have time, feel free to grab a quick snack or drink. So many people (including my wife when flying alone once) get off the plane with an hour to kill and assume the info they had is correct. Then they show up to the gate 20 min before scheduled departure to find something has changed and miss the flight!
My wife did this on an Alaska Airlines flight when she connected in LAX. When she landed, she checked the monitor first thing and saw what gate her next flight was leaving out of. Instead of going to the gate, she went and got a drink and a snack. She showed up to the gate 20 mins before departure only to find that the gate is actually a shuttle bus get-on that takes you to another terminal! She ended up missing the flight and had to take the last one of the night.
You should probably plan on arriving at the airport 1.5 hours before your departure. A seasoned traveler with no checked luggage could probably do it in 45 mins, but give yourself time to account for delays or missteps. If you are driving to the airport, it might take you an extra go around to get to the right parking area, and you might have a shuttle or long walk to the terminal. It might also take you a little longer to find the right security area (go to the one closest to the Southwest check in counter), and the security line might be long. Having a bunch of bumps along the way will be stress free if you have extra time. And if everything goes smoothly, then there's time for a drink or snack in the airport.