How Early Do You Show up to The Airport?

How early do you show up to a domestic flight?

The airline is recommending 2 hours before departure but that seems excessive considering it's just a domestic flight.

Poll Options

  • 58
    2 hours
  • 80
    1 - 2 hours
  • 16
    Less than an hour

Comments

  • +1

    Depends on the airport, the airline and what time of year
    1 to 2 hours normally

  • +9

    Domestic, 1~2 hour if checking baggage. 1 hour if carry on only.

    • +1

      Pretty much this.

  • +5

    I always aim for two hours just incase there is an issue with my car or uber getting there

  • +16

    I like to go a few hours beforehand so I can have emotional farewell lunch at the airport Burger King.

  • +3

    2 hours, because I like to get mcdonalds and watch the planes take off.
    I don’t airport often.

  • +1

    45 mins domestic, 2 hours international. Adelaide airport. I may add maybe 15 minutes to those times if the airport is likely to be busy (6am rush hour).

  • +1

    20 minutes before bag drop closes

  • +2

    Depends on the airport

    I'm in regional NSW and at my airport I can swagger in 15 mins before the flight without a problem, but I generally don't like to cut it finer than 60 minutes at major airports.

    • +1

      Same.
      At Launceston airport, I've literally parked a rental car, dropped the keys on their return desk, walked through security scanning, onto the tarmac and boarded the plane, all done in probably <10 minutes.

      Conversely, at Melbourne T4, from security to the boarding gate can be close to a 2km walk.

  • +3

    You never know if there will be traffic or a road accident or you get to the airport and realise you forgot something at home.

  • +4

    When I have Qantas club then 2hrs to get good and free drinks

  • *

  • I've had my name called out on the PA system 3-4 times. Does that mean I'm cutting it too fine?

    • -3

      no not at all.

      it makes you feel important though don't it.

      happened to me flying back from hong kong. was in the bar having a few heard my name, rushed and had a ciggie then got one of those golf cart taxis to the plane.

      the stink eyes i got walking down the aisle was priceless.

  • Why would I rock up earlier than the flight? My G6 isn't going anywhere without me.

    • +2

      If your G6 never leaves without you, doesn't that mean you showed up earlier than your flight?

      • But wouldn't that mean I can never be on my flight?

      • Technically it means he shows up perfectly on time every time…

        • +1

          Or the plane leaves perfectly on time and I am early no matter what time I arrive.

          I need a drink.

  • +1

    Chill at the lounge :)

  • Depends of whether you have lounge access or not.
    Depends on which city and traffic conditions. Sydney is usually terrible - if you leave it too late you could miss the flight stuck in traffic.

  • 2hrs

    The office guys who travel for business are sub 1hr, 30mins even…. 95% of the time they're fine… But they do occasionally miss flights. ie Traffic,

    That being said, if they were to miss a paid domestic flight once, I doubt they'd do sub 1 hr again.

    I rarely fly, rarely domestic anymore. If I fly its international and I'm always 3hrs, I just chill out in a lounge.

  • For economy domestic, I check in online and arrive at airport with 1 hour to spare.
    For business, I arrive with at least 2 hours to spare.
    Ironic as it's business class that gives you more buffer, but i wanna enjoy all the perks that come this class.

  • 3+ hours if i'm in a foreign country.

  • In Mel Airport, depends if you have GST to claim via TRS.

    2 Hours may not be enough if most people in front of you are Chemist Warehouse fanatics (I am not going to name which country they're from but they were absolutely disgraceful in their conduct) that has rolls of receipts and THEN have problems at the claims counter (because they didn't realize they have to show the baby formulas / vitamins they hogged) and as the result, on my last trip, despite being there 2 hours earlier, I had to abandon my claim.

    Oh, the TRS closed the Fast-Track queue for web claimers meaning I had to queue with non-web claimers despite I was ready to show my stuffs.

    Yes. It is that crazy.

  • +1

    Domestic 1-2 hours depending on where I’m going.

    International (from Aus), 3 hours. Always there at check in time. Especially if I have lounge access!

  • 2 hours for Domestic. You want to make sure you are there and checked in with plenty of time to spare.
    Just never know with traffic, trains, number of people lining up, the airline systems…

  • +1

    2 hours, or little bit more if I have GST to cliam via TRS

    with the extra time I just sit in the lounge check ozbargain….which is probably what I would be doing at home if I didn't leave early for the airport.

  • Domestic, I'm usually flying straight out after work on Friday arvo so I aim to be there at least an hour before my flight but I'll always assume that the skybus will take about an hour in the Friday afternoon traffic. The result is that I'm usually about 90 minutes early.

    Internationally, I always try and get there when check in opens. If I'm with virgin it means as much lounge time as possible, if I'm flying a budget airline it means I have more choice of seats.

  • For international flights I usually arrive 2+ hours to the airport. One time I dropped off my girlfriend 3 hours before the flight and they told us the flight was boarding in 30 minutes. Definitely would've missed it if we arrived any later!

    For domestic around 1.5 hours would be my usual arrival time.

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