How many hours do you arrive before international flight?
Sep 13, 2018, 10:28 pm
#46
Join Date: May 2010
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Lots of variables but we generally go for 2 hours. If its work flights on flexi tickets I might cut it fine, whereas personal bookings in economy on cheap non refundable fares with the family we might give ourselves a little more than 2 hours.
Sep 14, 2018, 1:32 am
#47
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Sep 14, 2018, 3:43 am
#48
Join Date: Sep 2018
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My home airport is Jakarta and I always try to arrive 2 hours before the flight. However, reaching the airport 2 hrs before flight means leaving home 4 hours before because of the notorious traffic, and in cases of flooding (which happens every year), I have to leave home 5-6 hours before the flight. In a normal situation (like very early in the morning), it only took me 60 minutes to the airport by cab or 1.5 hr by bus. When I went to Singapore, my colleague laughed at me for trying to go to Changi Airport 2.5 hours before my flight, LOL.
Sep 14, 2018, 4:31 am
#49
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
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Guess, the question is US centric...
Because I live in country where all flights are international. My standard arrival time is 1h before flight. Couple of times I've arrived at the airport 40 min before the flight and it took me max 10 min to reach my gate from the moment I entered the building.
Because I live in country where all flights are international. My standard arrival time is 1h before flight. Couple of times I've arrived at the airport 40 min before the flight and it took me max 10 min to reach my gate from the moment I entered the building.
Sep 14, 2018, 7:11 am
#50
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It's not convenient to take public transport to Heathrow from my house so I have 2 options - drive and park or take a car service. Lately I've been taking a car service as staying near the airport can be a faff.
Sep 14, 2018, 9:42 am
#51
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I live in San Diego, not far from the airport. It is generally easy for me to just use a car service like UBER, which only takes a few minutes. I used to live in Phoenix and before that in Toronto, where my only good option was to drive and pay the parking fee. PHX wasn't too bad offsite, but YYZ charged ridiculous prices. Luckily I was able to expense them. In both those cities however the commute to the airport was much longer. YYZ is in a far-from-downtown suburb and has lots of traffic. PHX is downtown, but at the time I Iived in the northern section and PHX is spread out, so it was a long drive.
Sep 14, 2018, 10:26 am
#52
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Home airport (MCI): it's always been a domestic hop first, so I don't do anything unusual if I'm connecting to international. Probably show up 75 minutes early if I'm checking a bag, 45 minutes early if not. Obviously assumes I had no issues with OLCI, a Precheck BP, etc. If I could not OLCI (e.g., because an agent has to validate a visa or something), then I allow extra time.
I'd add time for the Iceland flight since I've yet to fly Icelandair and don't know their processes. (Obviously, I do not have any elite status on them.) We also have one Jazz flight that I've taken a few times and I just treat it like a domestic flight.
Foreign airport: varies widely by how well I know the airport, the foreigner-exit processes, etc. In India or any other country that has multiple layers of perimeter security, usually 3 hours. Europe, 2 hours. Canada with GE preclearance, 90 minutes. If I'm in a situation where I have *no* elite status at all, I add some time.
Home transportation is usually drive & park. Occasionally Lyft.
Foreign transportation varies: certainly a train if that's efficient, otherwise whatever type of hired car service makes sense for that location. (Could be Uber, taxi, hotel car, or airline-provided car as with EK.)
I'd add time for the Iceland flight since I've yet to fly Icelandair and don't know their processes. (Obviously, I do not have any elite status on them.) We also have one Jazz flight that I've taken a few times and I just treat it like a domestic flight.
Foreign airport: varies widely by how well I know the airport, the foreigner-exit processes, etc. In India or any other country that has multiple layers of perimeter security, usually 3 hours. Europe, 2 hours. Canada with GE preclearance, 90 minutes. If I'm in a situation where I have *no* elite status at all, I add some time.
Home transportation is usually drive & park. Occasionally Lyft.
Foreign transportation varies: certainly a train if that's efficient, otherwise whatever type of hired car service makes sense for that location. (Could be Uber, taxi, hotel car, or airline-provided car as with EK.)
Sep 14, 2018, 11:39 am
#53
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
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The question from OP can, in my opinion, not be answered generically.
Basically, since there are way too many variables.
Do I have lounge access? And if so, how good are the lounges? Do I travel in the morning, needing to eat breakfast at the airport, or can I eat at home? Do I come from a meeting straight before the flight? How is the transportation to the airport, reliable like in Switzerland or Singapore, or more like Jakarta? How is security excepted to be regarding queues, priority lines? With how much "reserve time" do I feel comfortable travelling? Do I travel alone, and if so, how fit am I? Do I travel for business where I better not run in the suit and business shoes, or casual and worst case, can just run if things get too tight? Is it an airport with strict gate closure times like Singapore, or "all goes" like Zürich? Do I need to pass immigration, and if so, are there automatic lines, or is chaos the modus operandi? Did I checked in online, do I want to change seats at the airport, or otherwise be in contact with airline staff?
There are airports where I arrive - scheduled - just 45min before the flight. And there are others where I'd never arrive less than 2.5hrs before it.
Basically, since there are way too many variables.
Do I have lounge access? And if so, how good are the lounges? Do I travel in the morning, needing to eat breakfast at the airport, or can I eat at home? Do I come from a meeting straight before the flight? How is the transportation to the airport, reliable like in Switzerland or Singapore, or more like Jakarta? How is security excepted to be regarding queues, priority lines? With how much "reserve time" do I feel comfortable travelling? Do I travel alone, and if so, how fit am I? Do I travel for business where I better not run in the suit and business shoes, or casual and worst case, can just run if things get too tight? Is it an airport with strict gate closure times like Singapore, or "all goes" like Zürich? Do I need to pass immigration, and if so, are there automatic lines, or is chaos the modus operandi? Did I checked in online, do I want to change seats at the airport, or otherwise be in contact with airline staff?
There are airports where I arrive - scheduled - just 45min before the flight. And there are others where I'd never arrive less than 2.5hrs before it.
Sep 15, 2018, 3:12 pm
#54
Join Date: Sep 2017
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I use a black car service. Had the same driver for 7 years now.
Why does it matter though ? The traffic is the determining factor for the transit time, not what you rode to the airport in. A bus or a Bentley takes the same amount of time where I live.
Why does it matter though ? The traffic is the determining factor for the transit time, not what you rode to the airport in. A bus or a Bentley takes the same amount of time where I live.