AIBU to ask if people are arriving at airports four hours early?✈️

Im going to start arriving 3 hours ahead of my flights when leaving hotel to return home. we’ve nearly missed 3 flights as the coach transfer dont allow enough time for all the post brexit airport checks and we often get put in the family queues which are sooo long and slow! Its stressful

How much traffic do you expect between an airport hotel and the terminal?

I agree about accounting for traffic, delays getting parked, flat tyres etc but there's a limit.

Four hours sounds mental to me, but it's your time you're wasting.

No, we flew to Alicante earlier this month, arrived 2 hours prior to departure in the UK (absolutely fine) and got through security in Spain within 10 minutes.

We did last week for our flight to Italy from stanstead. It was stressful trying to navigate those bloody self service check in desks with Ryanair and the queues were big. By the time we got through security we had two hours till boarding which gave us time to relax, have some food, look at the duty free and walk to our gate. Was a very relaxed experience with no rushing around

No, generally you can't even drop your bags then so pointless.

Go by what tour operator says. Ours was 3 and a half hours before .

Given the chance DH would arrive 4 hours early. More if he could. I would rather scrape through and run to be last on the plane. 2 hours is ideal.

I always, always arrive four hours early. Well actually, I go the night before, and stay in a hotel, but I actually go into the airport four hours early. I cannot understand why anyone would risk going later, what if there’s bad traffic or something?

Theres loads to do at airports anyway, the time flies by.

I always turn up to the airport four hours early, but I like being at the airport.

we always arrive at the airport

3 hours for long haul

2 hours for Europe

Am sure you could easily knock a half hour off both of them but I prefer to do everything slowly and calmly rather than rush about

As others have commented arriving early may be of no use if you have a bag to check in. Last week I had endless reminders from easyJet to allow extra time because of possible delays - but bag drop still only opened 2 hours before. I think the airport finances will be suffering though - I got through security very quickly but went straight to the gates to deal with immigration- which means no time in the shops or cafes, as once through immigration you’re at the gates with nothing other than a few vending machines. As a minimum I’d have got a coffee and snack.

out flight was then nearly 2 hours late due to issues with the plane leaving Gatwick and getting to us lat, so we would have had lots of time.

Nope just done Lanzarote there and back from BHX and two hours as usual.

I am flying to Chicago on Monday. I will be at the airport from the night before and will stay in the hotel airport. You never know what shenanigans will occur between here and Manchester. I don't need the stress of travelling there on the day.

Depends on where I’m going. If long we haul, we like to do business class
or first depending (quite rare) and I do get there early. My DH is also into planes, so we like to get there, get into the lounge, great seats to watch the planes.

I usually get something to eat, an early champagne and just relax.

if short haul and I’m doing cattle class (it’s a joke guys) I get there 2 hours before. The less time possible, the better

We have been to Barcelona and found there was no queue for immigration when arriving, although a friend was queueing for an hour, so might depend on when you arrive. On the way out we arrived three hours early to check-in (as the BBC recommended), but had to kill time for an hour as bag drop only opened two hours before the flight. There was no queue for immigration on the way out of Barca either

Arriving in Prague it took 1.5 hours for EES machines and then passport stamping. For the return trip we allowed three hours and were through in six minutes !

I've spent an hour at Berlin (on arrival) and 45 minutes at Copenhagen (when leaving) and that was before the EES was introduced.

Either travel with a cabin bag only, or check in hold bags as soon as you are allowed.

It's one thing having to queue to get into a a country (though it really shouldn't take more than 15 minutes in my view) but nobody should have to queue to leave - it's ludicrous. And that's on top of any queues you may have had at security, too.

We fly from Manchester and haven’t had any issues leaving the UK. Flying from European airports has been tense though.

We did a connecting flight at Schipol (so literally landed and were straight in the passport control queue) and were waiting for an hour and a half, having to skip to the front of the queue in the end. We got to our next flight 15 minutes after it was meant to have left, but they’d held the flight. We weren’t the last ones to board so it clearly happens often enough now that the airlines accommodate it. (Our flight was KLM so they own the airport and can do that)

Coming back from Copenhagen, we again were in the passport control queue for over 90 minutes and had to skip to the front. We were the last ones on the plane. We’d only arrived at the airport 2h15 in advance so luckily we’d gone through security and bag drop off quite quickly.

Both times there were staff roaming the passport control queues calling out different flights that were departing imminently so those passengers could skip ahead.

We aim to get to the car park 3.5hrs before a flight, can take 30 mins to get to terminal so drop bags and through to the lounge, dump DH with the bags and a beer and go shopping!

Not 4 hours. Out Stansted 2.5 hours early and only just made flight due to queues. Into Tenerife and out of Tenerife very quick, very few in queues and straight through.

Heathrow was fast going there and back as was Colombo.

Don't need 4 hours in advance.

We went away the first week of July. Arrived 2 hours before flight, at uk airport which was plenty of time. When we arrived at our destination, however it took over 2 hours to queue for biometrics/passport control. Going home arrived 2.5 hours ahead of flight but it was a lot quicker on the homeward journey

David Cameron, in desperation to get re-elected, followed by Bojo the Clown forcing Brexit through despite blindingly obvious signs that the tide had turned. They profited from it all.

Various European nations vary from disliking Brits to absolutely hating Brits. Their governments (with EU backing of millions of Euros) happily proceeded with plans to ‘sort out’ the immigration problem, confusing Ryanair and EasyJet with rubber boats.

They claim the EES (Entry Exit System) is working well. It is not.

How many hours needed? It varies from place to place and day to day. No help at all I’m afraid. It’s a lottery.

See: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg5gg6n9x3o

Yes but only because I like the lounge and want my full three hours relaxing. An hour to check and shop and then off to read and enjoy some quiet before we fly

I don't bother for my local UK airport (Stansted). Never had security take more than 23 minutes (I time it) even when I have been taken apart.

On the way out I speed off the plane as fast as possible if I am flying into a small local airport as if there are only 2-3 passport gates it can make a good hour's difference to how fast you leave.

On the way home, I follow whatever the airline instructs me. Last time that was a small regional airport with EES and 3 hours in advance. And it was entirely unnecessary. I reckon I could have arrived an hour and a half before and been fine. But would I risk my flight on it? No.

Brexiters