How many hours before flight do you go to the airport?

[poorloor]

We are flying to Cyprus in a week.
Our flight is at 10.40 am and we are staying at the airport hotel.
We have checked in online.
What time would you get to airport for?
It's Newcastle airport
Haven't flown in years so unsure

Are you checking in bags, or just taking hand luggage ?

Id get there for 7:30

We flew from Stansted this week and it was manic so definitely 3 hours in advance.

Remember customs and security take much longer now with covid and brexit. I would be there 2 hrs in advance minimum.

We fly on Tuesday from Stanstead. Normally we would allow 2 hours, this time it’s going to be 3.
I’d rather sit in a cafe than miss my flight

Newcastle in normal times? About 9.00.
So probably 8.00.

We use Stansted Airport whenever we fly. I'd get there three hours before take-off.

Usually 2-3hrs before. More towards the 3hrs. Sometimes the queues to check in outage can take over an hour. We once had a taxi driver who was going the strangest ways. We got to airport with less than just over an hour to go. Check in was in different building and it was very stressful. We only made it to check in with about 1hr spare and then had to bolt through security and had no time for a drink or food etc. it was grab a sanshwcih at a shop

The airports are saying arrive 3 hours in advance.

3 hours now that there’s long queues

We flew at weekend. Airline and Heathrow advised three hours before, but we couldn't do our bag drop until two hours before. We went straight to security after that, a bit of a queue but staff were directing to shortest queues, making sure we had passport ready, asking us to remove belts, boots for scanner while waiting.

We always allow extra for travel problems so had lots of time to wait. We had no difficulty hogging a table in cafe for a hour as lots of free tables.

@SushiGo

Remember customs and security take much longer now with covid and brexit. I would be there 2 hrs in advance minimum.

It really doesn't, the only difference I've found with Brexit is having my passport stamped.

Re Covid, as long as you're organised it really doesn't take much longer. I flew to Spain and back two weeks ago.

No one in UK checked Covid passes, Spanish entry form etc. I had uploaded all on app so not sure if at check in it was flagged as complete.

In Spain just walked through another queue to have entry form scanned.

It really isn't the ballache everyone makes out.

Check when your airline’s bag drop opens if you are taking bags.
No point going earlier.

Well, our flight is in August, so I expect DH will want to set off any day now....

We flew from Manchester on Sunday afternoon (this week). We aimed for 3 hours but got there 4 hours ahead because the car journey was amazingly traffic-free.

They wouldn’t let us go through bag-drop until 3 hours before flight time. And then we got through in under 2 hours, it was all very orderly and efficient, staff were polite and helpful and it didn’t feel that busy.

Check if you can do bag drop the evening before, some airlines/airports have this and it means in the morning you just head for security.

Newcastle security wasn't bad last time I used it (about 6 weeks ago, on business so hand baggage only), probably the quickest I'd ever got through. I still err on the side of caution when going on holiday so would probably do at least 2 hours before but more likely closer to three.

I always arrive three hours before my flight I wouldn't arrive any later if I was you

I flew from Heathrow earlier this week, arrived two hours before my flight with no problems.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal

Well, our flight is in August, so I expect DH will want to set off any day now....

Ah, I see your husband is related to my mother.

I aim for 2 - my reckoning is is everyone else gets there earlier than me, there will be less queues at bag drop/check in.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal

Well, our flight is in August, so I expect DH will want to set off any day now....

I wish mine was like that! He loves cutting things fine - to him it’s really good fun if you have to frantically sprint to the gate with ‘last call’ flashing…

After the last such stress-fest I have very firmly put my foot down, though.

I fly several times a month, have used over 50 airports in the last decade alone.

My general rule is 1.5h for short haul with no check in/bag drop, 2h for short haul with check in/bag drop, 3h for long haul. London City and my local airport are an exception, I can get there 1h before departure and be sure to make it on time.

I have never once missed a flight.

These days I refuse to connect flights in the UK until the situation improves, and if I’m flying direct from a London airport, I allow an extra hour. So for Stansted on hand luggage only, I’d get there 2.5h before departure. Heathrow flying to US and bag drop at an airline I’m not a frequent flyer of (so queueing required), 3.5-4h.

@Frazzled2207

Check when your airline’s bag drop opens if you are taking bags. No point going earlier.

Also, this. A lot of people are arriving 3h+ early, to find out bag drop doesn’t start until 2h before departure.

The departure halls then become even busier with hundreds of people forming unnecessary queues who aren’t even moving because, well, bag drop isn’t even open.

Normally I go the latest time I can but airports look like chaos so I’d go early!