How early to get to airport at the moment?

[GymRefresh]

We are flying from Manchester in a couple of weeks. At 8am. I would normally arrive 3 hours earlier but seen all the queues recently. Anyone have any recent experience?

[MissAmbrosia]

Following as I have a flight out of Man in a couple of weeks. On a Monday morning.

[EmpressCixi]

3 hours should be more than enough time even if you have to check in and have checked bags.

Haven’t flown recently from Manchester but have flown very recently from London Heathrow, Stanstead, and Edinburgh.

[WifeOfTiresias]

Flew from Gatwick to Spain on Saturday. No queues at bag check or security. Was through to the departure hall in less than 15 minutes.

[girlywhirly]

I like an early morning flight, less people to get through check-in, luggage drop and security. Presumably now there will be less documentation to check for each passenger than at the start of the pandemic.

[maddy68]

I've flown twice this last two weeks out of Manchester. 3 hrs is plenty. Coming back into Manchester is a bloody nightmare. Passport control took almost two hours (thanks brexit !)

[BarbaraofSeville]

@girlywhirly

I like an early morning flight, less people to get through check-in, luggage drop and security. Presumably now there will be less documentation to check for each passenger than at the start of the pandemic.

I'm not sure it is quieter in the early mornings. Lots of business flights going out along with holiday flights too. We've often arrived at 4-6 am for a flight a couple of hours later and it's been awful. Last time it took us 2.5 hours with no stopping to get from the car park across from the terminal to the gate and it was just queue, queue, queue. They were pulling people out of the security queue for flights with a departure time just 20-30 minutes away and it can be a good 10 minute walk to the gate from there.

If the OPs 'in a couple of weeks' coincides with the school holidays, it could be very busy with lots of families going away.

We're flying next week and we're going to be there just over 3 hours before and we're hand luggage only. Luckily we're on a relatively short flight so it won't be a disaster if we don't get breakfast before we fly.

[Gentlemanwiththistledownhair]

Flew out of Heathrow last Weds afternoon. We arrived at checking with 2.5hrs to go and were sat at the gate within 45 mins. Boarding took longer (so started earlier than normal) as they checked masks, covid passes, plf as well as boarding card and passport

[Gentlemanwiththistledownhair]

Oh and we were hand luggage only, but still had to go to check in (even though we checked in online the night before) to have plf checked

This was to Italy

[AlwaysOneMissing]

OP is asking specifically about Manchester as they have been in the news recently with queues snaking outside of the buildings, hundreds of people deep. People missing flights etc. It’s not just ordinary queueing, they’re in a mess right now. OP there is a similar thread on here and people were saying it’s hit and miss, some waiting longer than usual, some straight through with no problems. Latest advice from the airport is to get there as early as your airline allows for check in.

[NeedleNoodle3]

No queues at Heathrow the week before last.

[maddy68]

I flew today from Manchester. It's was actually bthe quietest I've ever seen security however they are doing substantial roadworks on the motorway so still allow am extra hour or so