What time do you arrive at the airport long haul flights ?

[crazymama79]

First time travelling on my own and I keep seeing that I have to arrive 3 hours before departure my flight is at 1:45pm Gatwick airport long haul flight travelling business class what time would you say it’s a safe time to arrive it’s saying my travel time to the airport from my home is between 1 hour and 15mins to 1 hour 45 mins ?

2 hours, but we missed a flight last year because it took over an hour to get from the car park to the terminal (this was Gatwick, there were hardly any shuttle buses and every single shuttle bus that came was full - it was awful). I’ll rely on taxis from now on though and stick with 2 hours. I dislike waiting around (especially with two small and restless DC!).

If I am flying long-haul it means I am flying business class, so will have lounge use :-) Last time I flew, I got to the airport at 12:30 for a 15:20 departure. I had already checked in online, so just dropped off my suitcase, went through passport control (electronic) and headed to the lounge.
On the return journey I usually get to the airport about 3 hours before departure because there are more interesting things to look at and the business lounge has a much better offering.
If I am flying short-haul I usually get to the airport about 90 minutes before the flight.

I do long haul a lot (family overseas). Allow for 3 hours at the airport. Yes you might sail through, but chances are you won't and boarding takes a lot longer due to the sheer numbers of passengers on long haul. At most, I generally only get an hour / 1.5 hours in the airport lounge before boarding.

You can go to the lounge so it doesn't matter if you're early. The priority check in is usually really quick.

If you are business class then you can get through checking in, security etc very quickly then relax a bit in the lounge.... So I'd aim for 3 hours - 2.5 at at push.

If you're a British citizen, with the correct visa etc for wherever you're going, and flying Business, I'd allow 2 hours. You'll have a dedicated check in & shouldn't have to queue to drop your luggage. You'll have a dedicated Fast Track security line, and then you can go to the Business lounge for your airline, and they'll call you when boarding opens. You'll generally have the freedom to board whenever you like. The joy of Business class is never having to queue.

If I'm doing really long haul (ie over 8 hours) I do like to board relatively early to get my little cabin sorted - stow my stuff, get out the seat cover & duvet, change into the lounge clothes some airlines give you.

On shorter flights, I board as late as possible, although you can get stuck behind people faffing about in Economy.

But leaving most EU countries can be pretty long & involved on a British passport now (looking at you, Düsseldorf) Thank you Brexit voters.

Have you looked at the time that boarding closes for your flight? As PP have said, long haul flights usually board much earlier than short haul because the planes are much bigger. Eg A380 flight to Australia and the boarding time can (from memory) be close to a good hour before the take off time as they have to get 300 odd people onto the plane. We always allow the full 3 hours for that flight, whereas we tend to find that 2 hours is enough for a short haul.

i would be about 4 hours early and go and have something to eat (in case the airline food is dire) and buy a book. I like people watching so would be happy people watching.

Get there as early as I can so I can sit in the lounge.

Always early, even for short haul flights. I usually fly from Manchester to Dublin or Belfast International or City and back. Trust me, things can happen.

I aim for 2.5 hours before the flight, for British airports.

I generally fly from smaller airports. I avoid Heathrow & Gatwick if I can.

This.

I prefer to arrive early, then go and relax in the lounge.

I don't like to be at the airport too early, max 2 to 2.5 hours, but you need to know in terms of check-in how many other flights are departing +/- 1 hour of your departure time with the same airline, that impacts how big the bag drop queue might be and if a smaller airport it depends on how many flights with all airlines departing +/- 1 hour of your flight, because this impacts the security queue. We just flew back from Jamaica. Arrived at the airport 2.5 hours before the flight, we were about 20 people from the back of a reasonably lengthy queue to check-in, lots of package tourists all arriving enmass, and honestly wished we said we wished we'd arrived 20+ mins later, as by that stage the check-in queue would have been a lot smaller and we wouldn't have wasted time. Ours was the only flight with the airline that day, so there was never going to be a constant stream arrivals for that particular airline. We've never missed a flight and we fly a lot.

Depends when bag drop opens, no point arriving too much before that as you'll just be standing around waiting to drop bags. Last time I flew (not long haul though, maybe bag drop opens earlier with long haul?) the airline told us to be there 3 hours early and then didn't open bag drop until 2 hours before departure.

I would leave at 9am because I like to eliminate potential stress factors.

Id allow 2 hrs travel time.
Plus the 3hrs for tbe airport.

So leave 5 hours before departure.

Ive travelled alone for most of my life and being a planner by nature I treated it like a military operation. Always got to airports about 3 hours beforehand but that was back in the days before huge security queues. Like others upthread I relaxed, had a meal, looked around the shops and people watched. More recently Ive heard of people missing flights because of standing in a line. I would never have allowed that to happen. I was once at Atlanta airport for a change over to Vegas. There was a huge queue and a woman going along the line sending some people to the front because their flight was closing. I tagged onto the group before me and bunked the line. Sure you get some black looks but you are never going to meet them again. Needs must.

For long haul I plan to arrive 3.5 hours before flight. That way if my train or taxi is delayed I won’t get stressed.

I’d stay at a nearby hotel the night before. I never drive on the day after nearly missing a flight due to a hold up on the motorway years ago.

Always at least 3hours in advance.