Not to be at the airport 2 hours before my flight

I don't really get gate closing times. The gate is just an area to sit in, and in most airports you can wander to and fro from the shops /restaurants etc assuming they are close enough, without scanning your ticket again.

With the flights we use regularly, we know which incoming plane we'll be flying out on, and we never go to the gate until it's pretty near. Your tickets aren't scanned until your board so staff don't know if you're at the gate anyway. We always allow time for traffic, security etc but I don't want to sit at a hot, crowded gate until absolutely necessary.

Yes get there asap because if anything goes wrong on the journey there you could miss your flight, or they could give away your seat

Well it might be.

Or it might not.

Is it really worth missing your flight, or at very least putting yourself though stress, for the sake of an hour? Do you have something really important to attend to in that one hour?

Last time we flew with easyJet the check in gate closed about 40/50 minutes before the flight was due to leave.
Depending on the flight time/how many flights due to leave around the same time the airport could be very busy for security and bag drop. Also how big is the airport ? Is the security and check in far away from the entrance ?
What about parking ? Sometimes checking your car into the parking can take a while too.
Arriving An hour before flight will not be enough time.

The way the world is at the moment, expect security to be at a high alert and therefore checking more than they possibly would at other times. Have a coffee at the gate thinking' I'm all done and I'll get on the plane nice and calm when they open the door'.

I’ve flown through Bristol and it’s a big enough airport that you could get caught up in big queues at security if it’s busy. There also might be a longish walk depending on your gate number. I really wouldn’t risk it. And I frequently fly from my local airport which IS small enough to risk it.

Usually fly from Birmingham which is about 70 mins drive. Given we allow time to get stuck on the M6 or use slower/longer routes we're usually entering the terminal c3 hours ahead of departure time.

We then go through security and have 2:30 hours to kick our heels.

But that's for trips outside summer peak and when aircraft, at least in Jet 2, are not so intensively used that there's massive number of early departures with consequent security and baggage drop queues.

You should be OK with as little as 60 minutes hand baggage only but don't come crying to the media if the nasty airline denies boarding 'cos they've closed the gate smartly so as to push/start on time for a tight slot.

I fly from Bristol regularly and wouldn’t give myself less than 90 mins because of that snaking security queue during peak season. Also all the roadworks to get to the airport can slow things down a lot - even had to queue in traffic for the drop and go last time

Truth of the matter is it might be fine, might not be simply.

I've been in the queue for literally seconds in Bristol airport and have been stuck in it for 45 minutes - which depending on who you're flying with, leaves very little time before boarding.

I'm a very relaxed traveller but I don't risk it, all you need is someone who apparently flies weekly from this airport but has also never apparently heard of the 100ml limit and will not move their arse to let anyone past until he can take his revolting Oreo flavoured coke through a small hold up then everything gets a bit tighter

Bristol ... mmmmaybe

Desks close 40 mins before flight for shorthaul

So one hour might be cutting it fine in case of traffic jams

But check your travel docs, if they say 2 hours, they mean it

Bristol has been absolutely bonkers lately. Security took us about 40 mins recently. I wouldn’t risk it…why wouldn’t you just get there in plenty of time, have a coffee and save yourself the stress? I don’t get it

Edited to add that EasyJet and Ryanair were the worst queues at Bristol. If you’re going on a Thursday or Friday it’s completely rammed with hens and stags, and everybody is using the same check in desks…

@RatherBeOnVacation

The flight time is the time your flight is due to actually take off.

Sorry but that is completely incorrect.

The departure time on ticket/timetable is the time the aircraft brakes should be released with the intention of going flying..so aircraft doors normally get closed a couple of minutes before that.

FWIW arrival time is time on gate on arrival (not the landing time).

Unless travelling business class so you can use priority security access, you need 2 hours

Flew from Bristol to Malaga in May half term and I would say we were cutting it fine. You still have to check in on arrival there. Although we had cases so maybe it was different without cases.
we then had barely enough time to grab a coffee before the flight let alone browse duty free.
the gates are a long way from the lounges we set off as it announced the gate on the app (which was before the board) and as we were approaching the gate it gave the final warning messsge.
also what parking are you using. We used silver zone which was quite easy to do but the bus only runs every fifteen minutes so you’d need to time it right if you arrived with a shorter amount of time.

My view, I fly a lot, I’d rather wait at the airport all checked in, than wait somewhere else.

Might does an awful lot of heavy lifting in that sentence!

and it might and it might not - everything might be with you and you get it or something might go against you pushing it and more than one thing might and then it is impossible.

I have missed flights (connections due to awful queues at US immigration) and just got put on the later flight so was only a matter of 90 minutes later in the end but with Bristol I imagine there isn’t a later flight that day.

what is so important you can’t get there two hours instead so that hour is spent having a coffee rather than at home

I would, but only because Bristol can get backed up at security so unless you have a fast track pass it's not worth the stress. Same applies to parking.

If you're in the short term or multi storey you don't need extra time, but if you're staying in the silver zone there's often a queue to drop your key off then you have to get the bus, which depending on how busy it is might mean you have to wait a while.

If I was flying from Exeter, where those problems don't exist I'd get there an hour before, but definitely allow more time from Bristol.

Ok. Assuming an hour is fine for 90% of the time, what if you lucked out and hit the 10% where they have staff shortages and you missed your flight?

Bristol airport is relatively small but incredibly busy at this time of year as it’s the main airport for all of the south west region.

I bet more than half the people on the flight will only have hand luggage. You can’t all arrive at the last minute.

Also, I flew Ryanair recently from Bristol and they closed the gate on time, despite the flight being delayed half an hour. We were sitting in the pre-boarding room and they were turning away people outside. I didn't believe they would actually do that.

You could spend over an hour just getting through security, it's so much worse than it used to be before covid.

I would be there 2 hours before, then you can chill and have a drink/coffee/snack if the queues aren't massive. It's not worth risking not making it for the sake of saving an hour!

I usually find 1.5 hours is ample for UK small airports (disclaimer I don't know Bristol at all).

If I allow 1/2 hour for 'things going wrong' that means aimiing for 2 hours arrival before stated departure time anyway, unless I live within 3 miles & the trip is at like 4am when no traffic.

I ruddy hate waiting around in airports, too!!

I flew RyanAir last week out of Spain. We landed 20 minutes early in spite of gate not closing until 5 minutes before stated departure time.

I’m usually relaxed about these things, and aim to get there 1.30-2 hours before. However I had a horrendous experience with Qatar at LHR. I had checked in and had one bag to drop. It took 1 hour and 40 minutes. There was one queue. And 2 big flights. And a hell if a lot of passengers with too much baggage. I nearly missed the plane. So did others. I think it was qatars poor management of check in that caused it and they delayed take off to ensure we all got on. Stressful doesn’t begin to describe it.