Originally Posted by
jsloan
No.
You are required to be at the gate at T-15 for domestic departures or T-30 for international departures; I think there are some exceptions in the North Pacific where you need to arrive a little earlier.
What you really seem to be asking about is “when will they start boarding,” which has a ton of variables, most of which won’t be known to the traveler.
Yeah pretty much, I am happy to not go to the gate until boarding starts. Usually I can rely on the push notification or text, but sometimes I can see the gate from a lounge or cafe/bar/etc, and that gives me more confidence I won't miss the boat. I think I always see them close the boarding door for a few minutes after the cleaners get off, then come back out and start boarding some time soon after. I'd like to use that as my cue to get up and head over!
If it wasn’t apparent, this really only applies when things are running behind schedule. 🫠