How early should you get to the airport? Check-in deadlines and how much time to leave

Work back from the airline’s cut-off

Every airline sets a time after which it closes check-in and bag drop, and another after which you can’t board. They’re in your booking confirmation and on the airline’s website, and they’re strict: arriving at the desk a minute late can mean being refused travel, with no refund on a non-flexible ticket.

So the sensible way to plan is backwards. Start with the cut-off, add the time it takes to get through security and walk to the gate, then add a buffer for traffic, queues and the unexpected. The figures below come from the airlines’ own pages and can differ by airport and route, so always check your own booking.

How early to arrive: our rule of thumb

These are the arrival times we’d plan for ourselves, as an allowance on top of the airline’s cut-off. They’re our advice, not airline rules, and a quiet regional airport early on a Tuesday needs less time than a big hub on the first Saturday of the school holidays.

Security and the walk to the gate

Check-in is only half of it. At Heathrow Terminal 5, British Airways asks passengers to be through security at least 35 minutes before departure, and gates at big airports can be a long walk or a train ride from the security hall. At peak times, security queues can take far longer than you’d expect.

You can save time by checking in online, packing so your liquids and electronics come out quickly, and knowing the rules before you reach the tray. Our guides to liquids at UK airports and power banks on planes cover the items that most often slow people down.

• Check in online as soon as it opens; American, for example, lets you check in from 24 hours before departure
• Download your boarding pass to your phone and keep it with your passport
• Pack liquids in one clear bag at the top of your hand luggage
• Check the terminal before you set off: many airports have several, some far apart

Getting to the airport on time

Allow for the journey too. Airport trains are usually more predictable than the road at rush hour: from central London, the Heathrow Express reaches Heathrow in 15 to 21 minutes, the Gatwick Express takes about 30 minutes from Victoria and the Stansted Express about 48 minutes from Liverpool Street. Our London airports guide compares them all.

If your flight leaves very early, look at a hotel at or near the airport the night before, or check whether your airline offers bag drop the evening before. British Airways, for example, runs an overnight bag drop at Heathrow Terminal 3 for some morning flights.

If you’re running late

Call or message the airline as soon as you know: some can help, especially if you’re only checking in hand luggage. If you miss the flight because you arrived late, you usually lose the ticket and aren’t entitled to compensation, and on many airlines missing the outbound flight cancels the return too, so ask the airline before you assume the rest of the trip is safe.

Questions people ask