Fraser

Exactly what it says.....

I know on Concorde you can arrive I think 30 or 20minutes before departure, very handy for businessman, celebrities and the like.

Personally, I prefer to check in about 2hrs before departure, gives me time to browse the Duty Free for a short time and enjoy a glass of champagne or a pint in the lounge an relax

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'There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror'
Orson Welles (1915–1985)

StarGoldmember

When I fly from ICN (Seoul) I usually arrive in SFO about 5 hours before I departed ... oh that's not what you mean, is it?

My rules (generally):
Domestic - 45 minutes
International - 90 minutes

Usually I end up cutting it a little closer, but I don't have baggage to check, so it's not a problem.

UALOneKPlus

As little time in advance as humanly possible.
Usually 40 minutes to an hour...

Braindrain

For domestic flights, about 30-40 min before departure. If I want to spend some time in the lounge, 60 mins.

For int'l, the maximum is 90 min.

But then, I can usually get into the "Fastpass" line in YVR!

Eastbay1K

Depends on the time of day and day of the week. I always have to allow for traffic disasters with no practical alternative routing. I'd say it averages 90 minutes prior to departure. I just do the morning coffee/paper in the lounge.

oldpenny16

I arrive much earlier than the others have written. Part of it is my own comfort level. I am happier having tea at the airport than having a nervous fit while stuck in traffic. Also, I've run into some awful lines over the past few months. Lines at check in and lines at the security stations. I have no problem arriving at least 2 hours early for domestic and longer than that for international. I don't travel to the airport with people who aren't willing to do the same. Sometimes those folks miss the flight!

jsmeeker

I show up from 60 to 90 minutes in advance.. I don't like surprises. I don't like the stress of possibly not making the flight.. My experience shows there can be a wide variation in the time it takes to check in and clear security.

Leumas

Domestic ~45-60mins
International >120mins

Varies depending on what I'd planned earlier that day and whether there's anything I need to do at the airport (e.g., I often get thirsty...

I've made a flight (with checked luggage) with 3 minutes to go, but it's not recommended... (Even the luggage made it too...)

On the other hand, I've made it there as much as 4 hours prior, because I'd nothing better to do.

Marysunshine

I, too, don't like worrying about traffic which is the norm here, especially if you need the Belt Parkway. I always arrive 90 minutes to two hours prior to a flight. I enjoy having coffee and being in the bustle.

Daydream

If I know everything is ok with ticket and my luggage:

in MUC for international: 90 minutes

in the US for international: 2 hours
domestic: 1,5 hours at the bigger airports. I waited 30-40 minutes in the security lines before, dont want to miss the plane.

Next week I will fly with a lot of luggage, on an upgraded ticket with someone elses SWU, from Terminal 2 in MUC which has very long ways to walk, plus I still have a 40 euro gift certificate to spend in the airport center, so we leave the house at 9 am for a 12 am flight (around 30 minuts drive).

I like to have some extra time, we were drilled years ago in germany to be very early at the airport, and my Mom added another half hour just to be sure. So taking this timeframe with my usual half hour being late, I am just in time

oldpenny16

Daydream, your mother and my mother had the same opinions about when to arrive! I've traveled with people who insisted they didn't have to keep my schedule. I went ahead to the airport and they missed the flight! One of my friends said 'It is so early to make her happy. Just get her to the airport early.'

I've recently waited over an hour in the security lines at LAX when changing from an international arrival to a domestic flight. I had 2.5 hours between flights.

doubleflyaway

It depends on the time of day, really. These days, I generally get there 60-90 in advance for domestic. Last year, though, my boyfriend and I were living in different cities, and I would take a lot of 5:50 AM Monday morning flights home. I got to be really bad about those... getting there at 5:15 or later. Never missed one, but came awfully close.

MelP

These days, 75-90 mins. for domestic, unless I really know I can get through check-in and security quickly, in which case it's more 45-50 mins. - alas, the only airport I go through with any frequency that qualifies is RSW. Unfortunately, I definitely can't reliably cut it that close at my home airports (LGA, JFK, EWR)...

International, I get there 2.5-3 hours prior to the flight. Sorta international (aka Canada) I get there no later than 2 hours prior.

Bonehead

That's what I thoght he meant...you know, dateline games.

empedocles

Domestic: 45-120 minutes, depending upon the airport.

Int'l: 2 hours+