How early should I get to the airport?

The standard advice is 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights. But the real answer depends on your airport, time of day, and whether you have TSA PreCheck.

At high-volume airports like ATL, ORD, LAX, and JFK during peak morning hours (5-8 AM) or holiday weekends, standard TSA lines regularly exceed 45 minutes. Without PreCheck, arriving 2.5 hours early is safer. With PreCheck, 90 minutes is usually comfortable. At smaller airports like BUR, SAN, or AUS, even 75 minutes is typically fine.

The biggest variable is checked bags. Airlines close bag check 45-60 minutes before departure (varies by carrier). If you're checking bags and the counter line is 20 minutes, you need that buffer. Carry-on only with PreCheck and mobile boarding pass? You can push it closer — but never less than 60 minutes for domestic, because gate agents start boarding 30-40 minutes out.

BTS data shows that the #1 cause of missed flights isn't security lines — it's underestimating how long it takes to get from the curb to the gate, especially at sprawling airports like DEN, DFW, or ATL where the walk from security to a distant gate can be 15-20 minutes.