When Getting a Ride to the Airport, How Early Should You Arrive? Info from a Transportation Service in Tacoma, WA

Whether you’re a first-time flyer or a seasoned veteran of the skies, it’s always important you plan out your trip to the airport to give yourself enough time to go through security and get to your gate. Missing a flight is the worst possible way to get your trip started. But, on the other hand, you probably don’t want to spend hours sitting around in the airport trying to keep busy just because you were so anxious you showed up way earlier than necessary.

So, when you need a transportation service in Tacoma, WA to get you to the airport, how much time should you plan on giving yourself?

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to arrive about two hours before your flight is scheduled to depart (if it’s a domestic flight). You might want to give yourself an extra hour for an international flight. This two-hour time window should give you enough time to check your baggage, go through the security line and find your gate without feeling rushed. You will probably still be able to have enough time to grab some food or coffee and use the restroom before boarding in such a scenario. If complications arise, you should also still have time to deal with them.

Deviating from the two-hour window

However, there are some situations in which it might make sense to arrive earlier or later.

As mentioned already, international flights might take a bit more time, so it’s a good idea to get to the airport earlier. But if you’re inexperienced with flying and are nervous about going through all the procedures, giving yourself some extra time can also help you to ease your anxiety.

The same is true if you’re flying out of an airport you are not familiar with, or if you are flying on a very busy day, such as holiday weekends. You’ll want to give yourself some extra time on busy days to account for longer lines.

You can sometimes give yourself less than two hours, as well. If you’ve already checked in and aren’t dropping off any baggage, you are probably safe to arrive a little bit later. Also, if you’re not flying at peak times and don’t expect the airport to be crowded, you can also arrive a little later if you wish.

Finally, if you check your flight status and notice it’s been delayed, it can be okay to arrive at the airport a little later. However, you should continue to monitor the status of your flight regularly just to make sure there aren’t any surprising changes that come up.

In general, though, it’s always better to arrive too early than too late, so we don’t recommend giving yourself a whole lot less than two hours unless you’re absolutely certain you’ll have plenty of time. Keep in mind that boarding ends around 15 to 20 minutes before your flight actually takes off.

For more information, contact a transportation service in Tacoma, WA like Around the Sound TransPro. We specialize in airport transportation and can share tips and tricks regarding airport traffic and arrival for the best travel scenario possible.

Categorised in: Transportation Service

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