The travel trend known as 'airport theory' has gained traction on TikTok, where travellers attempt to breeze through check-in, bag drop, and security with just 15 minutes to spare before boarding. However, travel experts caution that this approach risks missing flights and causing unnecessary stress.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent, typically arrives with 10–15 minutes to spare, taking the second-last train to allow for delays. He once reached the check-in desk with only three minutes before the deadline for a flight to Kathmandu. Emilee Tombs, assistant travel editor, prefers to allow at least two hours for European flights and three and a half for international, planning her journey a week in advance to avoid last-minute panic.
Joanna Whitehead, travel writer, aims to spend as little time as possible at the airport, arriving 90 minutes before short-haul flights and two hours before long-haul. She adds an extra 30 minutes during peak times but considers anything over two and a half hours excessive. Annabel Grossman, global travel editor, arrives between 90 minutes and two hours before departure, or up to two and a half hours if she has lounge access.
The consensus among the travel team is that arriving too early wastes time, but cutting it too fine can lead to missed flights. Most recommend arriving between 90 minutes and two hours before departure for short-haul flights, and two to three hours for long-haul, depending on the airport and time of day.
