That's going to vary by person. Again, it's about your own risk tolerance. Getting there early doesn't hurt anything when it comes to your travel day. As far as other things you may have going on in life, that's going to significantly vary. If you're sitting at home watching TV, well, you can easily watch tv/movies at the airport. If you're spending time with your kids, that time is probably more valuable where you don't want to lose any more of it than you have to. There is no one-size fits all here. There are so many variables that each person needs to consider what's in their best interests and what their risk tolerance is.