We leave from O'Hare at 7:30 this evening for a trip to Italy. Husband is seat of the pants kind of guy and I am anal/planner type. Before this gets ugly, again - what time should we be at O'Hare?

Does your husband need to be anywhere that afternoon? Otherwise, why in the world risk missing such an expensive flight? Just GO. (arrive by 4:30 is the customary advice for an Intl flight). Go have a 'we're off to Italy' drink in the bar if you find you have excess time after passing thru the lines.

Once we had to stop at the office on the way to the airport, and then the car wouldn't restart (H. got it going after a few tense moments). This Sept, my stepson had a flat tire in the pouring rain on the way to the airport. A couple years ago, some power company ceramic thingies fell off the back of their truck, which I could not avoid hitting, and had to get my car towed to the dealer, and H. to take me onward to the airport. So DON'T FOOL AROUND.

Hi JP,

No later than 17:15.

You can always have a drink of something if you are too early.

Why don't you just follow the schedules on the airline website for the airline that you are flying on?

Be at O'Hare NLT 5:15pm for safe measure. Taking unnecessary risks is an indication of a foolish condition.

You're preaching to the choir here folks!! Remember, I'm the get to the airport a thousand hours before the flight person and he's the 'there's plenty of time' guy.
I'm gonna tell him we NEED to be there by
4:30 PM. (I just told my son this and he gave me the eye and said that's too early! Just like his dad!) OK, my husband just got up and I showed him this post and now he and my son are making fun of me!!!! Mama mia!

JWasko, stick to your guns. We were in O'Hare on this week for a UK trip ad there's no rhyme or reason for how long the security line is going to be. We breezed into ours but I looked behind me after we got through and it was a mile long in a matter of minutes. Like where did all these people come from??!! If you get there early and the lines are fast, do what we do--pace the hallways and have a drink, pace the hallways and have a drink pace the hallways and have drink...repeat as necessary until your flight is called.

I'd pack my bag and tell the 'boys' &quot;<b>I'm</b> going to be at the airport by 4:30, maybe I'll see you on the flight&quot;..

JPWasko:

Please tell DH that here is another vote for get yourself to the airport by 4:30 pm - I don't begin to relax until I am at the point where we can get a drink, pace the halls etc.

I am packing today for our trip this Wednesday and I have a list made with all the stuff that must be done prior to leaving. I do most of the planning and DH comes along. Oh well.

Have a great time.

Sandy

I would say try to get there by 5pm the latest. Have something light to eat after you go through all of your security stuff.
I like to get there early as well. My DH is on two wheels around the turns getting there as we run through security. Not relaxing at all!
This summer, I took my daughters to FL to visit their aunt and we had to leave for the airport at 4:30am. As we pulled out of the driveway, the check engine light came on the car....Needless to say, I was a wreck that the car would die on the way to the airport! DH was away on business at the time. We made it.
Go early and relax. Buy a good book, have a drink, and think about Italy!

Hi JPW,

I just love these type of posts. Do you honestly think that any response given here is going to change someone's mind?

Happy Solution. Split the difference betwee. 4:30 and 5:15pm

Maybe your husband wants to watch your Cubs lose their third straight game to the Diamondbacks as it begins at 2pm Chicago time.

Yeah, I told them that I want to be there by 4:30. Maybe we will make it by 5 for sure!!!! Thanks for your help!
(By the way, I am on my son's screen name. This is rbnwdln)
Grazie!

Sounds like it's going to be a lovely trip, and what an encouraging start. Have you travelled with him before?

Good luck. Have a great trip!.

You should be at the airport by 4:30, 4:45pm at the latest, this is O'Hare, one of the busiest airports in the world, with long back-ups at the security checkpoints. For peace of mind, if nothing else. When you get to the airport check-in lines for an international flight 2 1/2 hours before, as opposed to 3 hours before, it can mean all the difference in the world in terms of the number of people in line-and then it gets worse at the checkpoint. Always earlier is my motto, never later, I don't need that stress, and I like to watch everyone else getting stressed and rushing because they got to the airport too late NOT to be stressed.

JP,

Have the exact same problem with my husband and it drives me nuts. I usually lie about the time of the flight by 1/2 hour. Works for me.

We go to our airport almost three hours, we check our bags as soon as possible and head to the next terminal for Legal seafoods to have a meal and a bottle of wine as we never finish our airline food plus you never know how long you will be detained. I was frisked but my husband wasn't. He was asked to remove his glasses but they did not bother me. Some were &oacute;rdered to remove shoes.

This reminds me of a scene I saw at DTW a few years ago. The woman was not calling her husband nuts. She was using the foulest part of the human body you can think of and stuff that comes out of it and the glands on the other side, and screaming loud, incessantly. They were hauling far more than carry-on and running from one gate toward wherever and sweating like a cold beer on a Houston afternoon. Hellofaway to start a vacation.

Ask your husband what it is that he will get accomplished by sitting at home an hour longer. Nothing significant, I am sure. Maybe he will realize that he is not giving up too much by going to the airport earlier.

That little bit of extra time at home is NOT worth all the risk and the stress that you have to take. The advice to get there between 4:30 and 4:45 is a good one. Remember that you are only aiming at that time and you may actually get there later. Besides, there may be some problems at the airport.

Last time we flew out of ATL, the limo people suggested picking us up 2:30 hr before flight time for a 1 hr drive.

I arranged for 3:30 hr in advance.

The driver, for some reason, showed up 4 hr in advance.

We made it to the boarding gate just before they gave away our seats, and they had held them that long only because we called ahead to tell them about the traffic delay.

I would rather pay for 2 hr of sitting at the airport and drinking overpriced booze than go through that again.