How early do you get to the airport?

[georgina]

I am usually too early. My home airport, flying SW, not checking bags, have precheck, 1.25 hours is plenty. At DCA the SW terminal is small and has its own security line. If checkign a bag maybe 1.5 hours. Other airports usually 2 hours. If visiting a lounge, 2.5-3 (busy times at MCO there is a waiting list). International usually 2.5 hours.

 

[DLgal]

You’re referring to from Disneyland? I’m looking up TSA typical wait times and it’s almost universally under 15 minutes. So if you get to the airport terminal in time, it doesn’t seem to be that bad. But I’m assuming your reference is about Southern California traffic?

He's saying you can leave Disneyland an hour before your SNA flight and make it. And I can confirm that is true, any day of the week.

You can't do that at LAX. You need to leave at LEAST 3 hours ahead of your flight time.

 

[mrsstats79]

Usually, 2 hours before. DH would arrive 5 minutes before but I stress about it too much.

 

[bcla]

He's saying you can leave Disneyland an hour before your SNA flight and make it. And I can confirm that is true, any day of the week.

You can't do that at LAX. You need to leave at LEAST 3 hours ahead of your flight time.

We got stuck in bad traffic once on the way to SNA, so I wouldn’t necessarily chance it. Took about 40 minutes to get there from Disneyland. But we left early and had plenty of time for car rental return, which is really easy at SNA in the airport garage.

 

[DLgal]

We got stuck in bad traffic once on the way to SNA, so I wouldn’t necessarily chance it. Took about 40 minutes to get there from Disneyland. But we left early and had plenty of time for car rental return, which is really easy at SNA in the airport garage.

You still would have made it.

Obviously you keep an eye on traffic in the couple hours leading up to your flight departure, and adjust accordingly. But I have walked in the door 15 minutes before my flight was scheduled to depart at SNA and I made it. Good thing I only had a carryon that time.

There are also a few different routes to SNA from DL, in case traffic is an issue due to an accident. You can bypass 55 entirely if you know how to detour. 55 is usually where traffic is an issue.

 

[gmi3804]

I aim for arriving at the airport (after returning a rental car, if any) an hour before the flight. I never check bags, and have TSAPreCheck. Even at MCO or LAS, I'm through security in less than 10 minutes.

 

[Lumpy1106]

DLgal has me covered

You’re referring to from Disneyland? I’m looking up TSA typical wait times and it’s almost universally under 15 minutes. So if you get to the airport terminal in time, it doesn’t seem to be that bad. But I’m assuming your reference is about Southern California traffic?

@DLgal has me covered, but yes. I've had more flight nightmares out of LAX than anywhere else I've ever flown out of. Parking lot shuttles take FOR-EV-ER there. I have literally been stuck in Lot B for over an hour just from the traffic trying to pay and get out. I've had multiple Parking Spot shuttles pass us by - so much so that we walked one time and made it faster. The loop - don't get me started about the atrocious design that is the LAX loop. There's a reason the local news crews open with a shot of LAX traffic entering the loop on their morning telecasts. TSA may say it's typically under 15 minutes but certainly not at busy times. I've seen the Southwest TSA line stretch out onto the sidewalk and down to the next gate. SNA and LGB you barely break stride getting from when you park to when you get to your gate - and that is every flight I've ever been on.

 

[kdonnel]

Parking lot shuttles take FOR-EV-ER there.

That brings up another question.

Where do you park?

We go through phases.

Used to be exclusive to a particular off airport parking lot. Then we switched to another off airport lot because they were indoors. Eventually the shuttle just seemed to take too long both to get to the airport and to get back from the airport.

For awhile we parked at the airport. It was expensive but convenient.

Lately we have been parking at an off airport but airport managed parking lot that has automated train/tram access. The train/tram runs on a much more reliable schedule than bus shuttles to the off airport parking.

 

[DLgal]

That brings up another question.

Where do you park?

We go through phases.

Used to be exclusive to a particular off airport parking lot. Then we switched to another off airport lot because they were indoors. Eventually the shuttle just seemed to take too long both to get to the airport and to get back from the airport.

For awhile we parked at the airport. It was expensive but convenient.

Lately we have been parking at an off airport but airport managed parking lot that has automated train/tram access. The train/tram runs on a much more reliable schedule than bus shuttles to the off airport parking.

Usually in the economy lot across the airport. It's reasonably priced.

 

[Lumpy1106]

That brings up another question.

Where do you park?

We go through phases.

Used to be exclusive to a particular off airport parking lot. Then we switched to another off airport lot because they were indoors. Eventually the shuttle just seemed to take too long both to get to the airport and to get back from the airport.

For awhile we parked at the airport. It was expensive but convenient.

Lately we have been parking at an off airport but airport managed parking lot that has automated train/tram access. The train/tram runs on a much more reliable schedule than bus shuttles to the off airport parking.

After my nightmare at Lot B at LAX - never again. That was so bad that people were blocking the parking shuttles IN the lot so they would not bring more people to their cars and make the problem worse. We are sticking with Parking Spot - it's been pretty good except the one time we walked (COVID times - gotta excuse it). You can usually get a deal through their website or with a retailmenot coupon that makes it not quite so awful price-wise.

That's LAX. Everywhere else we just use the long-term airport lot. That's largely because most airports don't have a whole lot of other options. Makes sense - if the airport actually has decent parking there really isn't the demand - why would you inconvenience yourself for a couple of $ a day?

 

[DLgal]

After my nightmare at Lot B at LAX - never again. That was so bad that people were blocking the parking shuttles IN the lot so they would not bring more people to their cars and make the problem worse. We are sticking with Parking Spot - it's been pretty good except the one time we walked (COVID times - gotta excuse it). You can usually get a deal through their website or with a retailmenot coupon that makes it not quite so awful price-wise.

That's LAX. Everywhere else we just use the long-term airport lot. That's largely because most airports don't have a whole lot of other options. Makes sense - if the airport actually has decent parking there really isn't the demand - why would you inconvenience yourself for a couple of $ a day?

I got stuck in one of the short term lots inside the loop when I had to park there to pick up my husband from the international terminal. I pulled in because it had taken me AN HOUR to even GET to the terminal from entering the aiport loop and he was coming out soon and I didn't want to spend ANOTHER hour circling back around. I never even got to park. I got up to the third level and was stuck in a line of cars with no way out. Husband found me at the car and hopped in. Took us another 30 minutes to get out. Worst experience ever. That was in June 2020. Didn't have a choice in airports as he was returning home from an overseas deployment.

 

[_19disnA]

I always use those off property 'park & fly' places when traveling. Prices tend to be cheaper then parking at the airport. they use shuttle buses to pick you up right at your car and drop you at the departure areas. Have used those in several cities and they always seem very organized and well-run. Very convenient and avoids dragging your luggage through some onsite parking garage where you never know how far you have to walk to actually get to the terminal.

Not familiar with LAX, but other large airports where I had to pickup someone, they have those 'cell phone' lots where you can wait until your party arrives and lets you know where to pick them up as they exit the terminal. Those are very convenient and avoids driving around adding to airport congestion or paying to park when it isn't necessary.

 

[DVC-Don]

I get to the offsite parking about an hour and a half before boarding time. Usually I am through security about 60 minutes before boarding (I have Clear). Enough time to get a coffee and relax at the gate.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I usually fly out of Philly, so I like to leave about three hours before my flight, which allows plenty of time to get there and do everything that needs to be done. I'd rather be too early than too late.

 

[easyas123]

I usually fly out of PHL or BWI. If longer than 2 nights I usually just park at The Parking Spot location, I have found them to be great at both locations. If I'm just one or two nights - or if I am traveling alone and arriving later at night, I will park in short term or hourly.

 

[scrapquitler]

Coming back from Vegas today we cut it much closer than our usual one and a half to two hours before flight departure.

Seems to only happen when leaving Vegas.

Normally we like to take advantage of the airline lounge before our flight.

However today we walked directly from the skycap to security to the concourse shuttle to boarding the plane. The plane boarded for another 15 minutes and the door was shut.

There was an accident on the way to the rental car return but it only slowed us down one cycle of the traffic light. Anything more severe and we might have missed our flight.

It was a little nerve wracking.

we always plan to arrive at the airport (meaning already parked and IN the building) a minimum of two hours before the flight. If it's Orlando, closer to 2 1/2 hours. I'd rather spend extra time sitting in the airport than be in traffic worrying about being late.

 

[dvcgirl67]

We fly out of Newark....and even though we're both TSA-pre, we arrive 2.5 hours before international flights. I don't mind getting to the airport early...because whenever I'm at the airport, I'm going on vacation.

My husband arrives 2 hours before a domestic flight when traveling for work. And for the last five trips we've flown business class and so we board early and don't have any stress about carry-ons being checked at the gate. We don't check bags...and that also takes a lot of stress out of traveling. We usually enjoy the lounge before heading to the gate.
Last two trips...instead of using a car service, we drove and parked in short term parking....the one closest to the airport. It's a bit less than the car service we'd typically use without tip. We have a Tesla Y, so we had to look into how to turn off all of the systems in the car so the battery wouldn't drain, but have done so without any issues for a trip in July and then one in December...so different weather conditions. The battery only lost a few miles, so not an issue at all. We're planning on parking again in May when we head to Hawaii .

 

[georgina]

That brings up another question.

Where do you park?

We go through phases.

Used to be exclusive to a particular off airport parking lot. Then we switched to another off airport lot because they were indoors. Eventually the shuttle just seemed to take too long both to get to the airport and to get back from the airport.

For awhile we parked at the airport. It was expensive but convenient.

Lately we have been parking at an off airport but airport managed parking lot that has automated train/tram access. The train/tram runs on a much more reliable schedule than bus shuttles to the off airport parking.

We try to fly out of Reagan which is a 10 minute ride share trip. Last time out of Dulles we used Spot Hero which contracts with nearby hotels for parking spaces. The hotel shuttle only runs every half hour so we had to time it right, but the price was much more reasonable.

 

[AndreaDM]

I don't understand why you would get to your home airport earlier for an international flight? There is nothing different on the departure end than a domestic flight, go through the same security, check bags the same way, what am I missing? I know the terminal/gates might be further away but other than that I can't think of a single reason to show up any earlier? Now, coming back from an international location is a different story.

 

[Darcy03231]

We aim for three hours. That give us plenty of time to get through security, get a bite to eat, and use the restroom before boarding the plane. I hate to start a vacation stressed out over making a flight so I'd rather be there early.