Reading the website, Hawaiian Airlines is saying that we have to get to the airport 3 hours before the flight. How true is this? Before the lastest problem, airlines were saying two hours and really 1 hour would be OK in reality. Since the British event, I have gotten to the airport 2 hours ahead and got through security in under 3 minutes each time. I don't mind waiting some on the gate side, but 3 hours? Are they just covering their buns if something happens? Any advice and/or opinions would be appreciated. I usually hang out at the Australian board, and this is my first time here. Hi!
Sally in Seattle

Hi Sally, I do get to the airport when the airlines says to do so. And like you I usually sit around for ages. But better that than not getting on the plane for whatever reason. I make sure I have a good book, I have something to eat or drink after going through security, read and just chalk it up to one more joy of travelling..NOT.

I get there when they tell me to get there. Might be different if I traveled constantly for work but for vacations, I don't mind settling in at the airport & reading & people-watching.

I think it really depends what time the flight is at. If your flight is at 6:00 in the morning, security won't arrive until 5:00 a.m. Rush hour can be a little different--especially if you are flying around a holiday or weekend.

Also, the airport can make a difference. Smaller airports are much quicker than the larger ones.

Depends what time of day and what airport I am flying out of...I know when I arrive at MCO at 6am on a Wednesday it has never been a problem, but if I was going out of ATL in the afternoon for example, I would arrive much earlier.. it's a tough call..

I think it also depends on which part of the trip you're on...

If it's the flight TO my vacation destination, I get there early as I don't want to lose any vacation time.

If it's the flight home, I might not be so eager to get back to work so I'll take more chances.

Thanks for your input. I'm OK with 2 hours before a 10 am flight, but I think 3 hours is excessive. We'll see, won't we--we're leaving tomorrow!
Sally

When the airlines post an arrival requirement, I think it is their estimate of what time will almost certainly get you to the gate on time. My experience is that sometimes inprocessing is fast, but sometimes it is slow, and many factors could go into this, including how many flights are being processed at the time, and how many TSA agents call in sick, for example. I've never seen an airline post a time that was specific to a given flight, or even to a given day. So my rule is to honor their rule, unless that would require me to arrive before the airport was open. I just don't know enough about the traffic flow to make a reliable estimate that on Tuesday at 1000 there will be little traffic.

Since airline food is anywhere from mediocre to nonexistent, my wife and I plan to arrive within the suggested time, but to find a decent restaurant in the sterile area and enjoy a meal before the flight. Its worked so far, except for LAX.

I went to Honolulu a few years ago, got to the airport three hours before the return flight and barely made it. And that was with doing curbside check-in. I don't know if it's better now, but the lines then were excruciatingly long. I went to Maui a month ago and got through quickly.

NEVER!!!

Nope...I've flown twice since the restrictions...first time was the day after (that Friday)...had a 6:10 am flight. Arrived at 4:30 (I fly out of a smaller airport - GSP) based on news reports and recommendations. Well, nothing opened until 5 am, including security, so with everybody else that had arrived early, I'll suggest the extra time it took was induced by the airport itself - why they didn't have the staff come in early to handle the earlier arrivals I have no idea. Still made it through security and to the gate by 5:30, and the line was pretty much clear by 5:45. So, no, I won't arrive at my airport 3 hours in advance, and probably won't arrive more than 2 hours in advance anywhere else in the US.

Only if it was a 3-hour layover between flights.

Hi, Sally!

As many observers here have pointed out, the airlines do seem to be getting carried away with themselves over the issue of reporting ahead of time.

Enjoy your travels wherever they bring you!

As a (silly) example, I can directly point to my own overseas experience recently: for a flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur (55 minute flight), the Singapore Airlines e-ticket reminded me to report 2 1/2 hours ahead of time! Imagine, all that extra time ahead for a flight of less than an hour!

Really though, it depends on the airport you're flying from. A small, slow airport or a huge, busy airport?

I think most leisure travelers get there earlier than business travelers - I know my husband usually arrives about an hour before outgoing AM flight (Boston) and has never had a problem - but when we leave at about same time for vacation flights, we at least double that (partly due to my nagging).

On return trip his arrival time is governed almost exclusively by when he is done with meetings - sometimes hours, sometimes minutes before flight.

I think self check-in kiosks have greatly iomproved time needed at many airports - remember waiting in line for an hour to check in and then facing security line.

Bmiller, I was in Greenville in February & had an early AA flight at about the same time as you. This was to Chicago. Same thing happened to me. Nobody was there to check me in. So at that time it was pointless to get there as early as recommended.

Unfortunately, the oxygen masks on the plane had some kind of problem & they couldn't get me to ORD so I had to overnight again in Greenville.