As an airline employee – my epic career has lasted 3 months so far – I’ve seen a lot of different styles of travelers. I’ve also seen a great deal of frustration and difficulties that could have been avoided with a little information and planning. These may seem pretty obvious to some, but you’d be surprised how many people still aren’t aware of the need to take even small airport security seriously.
First and foremost, arrive early! Understand that smaller airports have more time and opportunity to actually follow through with rules that are supposed to be applied industry-wide. So, just because you’re flying out of Podunk County Airport to connect in Minneapolis, that doesn’t mean you can arrive 20 minutes before your flight. Airlines will have minimums for BEING checked in – like 30 or 45 minutes before the flight.
That’s being checked in. Not starting to check in. If you’re supposed to be checked in 30
minutes or more before your flight and you arrive 35 minutes before your flight, you’re probably not going to make it. General standard safe time – sixty to ninety minutes in advance. That’s standard. Some places require more, even two hours. Here’s why:
Checking in can involve a few steps. You can get yourself (with or without others) checked in online from home/hotel and save some time If you can, print up your boarding passes or you’ll just have to repeat it all at the airport. At the airport, you may get a kiosk right away or you may wait in line for 20 minutes behind the crowd that got there before you.
You may not be able to check in on the kiosk. If anything at all is funky with your check-in, you may be referred to an agent. While they’re glad to help you, you may again have to wait in line. If the person in front of you has a time-consuming problem, you may miss your flight.
If you have luggage to check, you can pay for that online, but you’ll still need an agent to get it checked for you. 
Here’s a kicker – if you don’t get your luggage check by that 30 or 45 minute deadline, you’re out of luck. Period. No mercy. The luggage HAS to be loaded and arranged in the hold at a certain time, and they’re not going to hold up the entire flight because you got caught in traffic. If you miss that deadline, most kiosk systems will not allow you to check in. Period. Without luggage, an agent may be able to help. No guarantee. With luggage you have two choices: either rebook your flight for whatever fee it costs or leave the luggage behind. Either way, Ouch!
If you come sailing in without luggage at 25 minutes before your flight, there MAY be a slim chance you can still make your flight. That depends on a few things. IF the agent is able to check you in, you can run as fast as you can to the security check point. IF there is no line, you can get into security. IF you have nothing that slows you down – as in “causes the sensors to go off,” “causes the TSA agents to ask you to redo anything, etc,” “IF your gate is close by” – you might just get to the gate before the end of final call when the gate is closed and there is NO reopening it. Most of the time, that’s just not going to happen, even in small airports. Certainly not in someplace as huge as Atlanta or Salt Lake City.
Even if you are checked in online and have your bags pre-paid, even if you have no one in line ahead of you to get your bags checked, there are things that can hold you up. Check these potential trip wires ahead of time and save yourself some major headaches:
- Did you remember your identification? If you are over 18, you must have a government issued photo i.d. such as driver’s license or passport.
- Does the name on your boarding pass and on your i.d. match exactly? If not, check with the TSA agent to see if it will cause a problem in security. At minimum, your first and last names must match exactly. In most cases, middle names don’t matter. There are times a shorter version on the boarding pass (Jim for James, Liz for Elizabeth) will be acceptable. If there is so much as a spelling error or a missing “Jr.”, you will need to get your name changed on your boarding pass. Don’t get upset and argue. Just deal with it and get it done – or better yet, make sure when you book your trip that your names match. Changing names requires an agent and frequently a long call to their corporate headquarters. It’s a lengthy process you don’t want to have to go through when you’re in a hurry to catch your flight. It’s longer if your boarding pass name is attached to a frequent flyer number!
- Check your pockets/purse/carry-on/etc for that family heirloom pocket knife or other non-acceptable item. Put it in your checked luggage, ‘cuz it ain’t gettin’ through security. I don’t care if your cousin made it through just yesterday doing the same thing. Yours won’t. You will have to throw it away. Give it to the TSA agent and they’ll do the same thing. They will not mail it to you, hold it for your sister to pick up or otherwise cover your butt.
- Same with your new favorite cologne, shaving cream, wine, etc. Very small amounts of liquids/creams are allowed with very specific rules on packing. Otherwise, put them in your checked luggage.
- For hunters, you know the rules about firearms. Unloaded, in a solid, locking case,
orange tag inside the case, etc. Different airports will have their own preferences about locking before or after you turn it over to them for checking. Just find out and follow the rules. And be sure to empty your pockets, etc, of any loose rounds. The fines are huge and there is no forgiveness. If TSA at your airport wants the case locked first, then just wait until they’ve finished their chemical swipes, etc, before heading to the gate. If they need you to unlock the case for a visual check, it’s a lot easier to not have to pull you out of the security line or the gate. You’ll get to go through that wonderful full body scan or pat down all over again. - If you need a wheelchair, are checking a pet or have any other reasons to need extra time to get checked in, be generous about it. It’s better to bring a good book to get you through the wait than to find yourself still trying to get done while the gate agent calls for final boarding.
- If you’ve been visiting a snow state in the winter, make sure you leave the hotel even earlier and be ready for traffic delays. I can’t count the number of people who didn’t figure on spinning out and getting pulled out of a ditch on their way to the airport. I’m not saying plan on going off the road, but do plan on bad traction,
heavy traffic and crazy drivers. You may be an expert winter driver, but the idiot ahead of you can ruin your day. So can the speed demon behind you who just skidded right into your rental car, knocking you into oncoming traffic. Take it slow and give yourself lots of room to maneuver. Then keep a close watch on everyone else! - Traveling with pets? Of course it will take longer to check in Maxi with his kennel. Find the pet area on the lawn out front and make sure he takes care of business before you get him all sealed up. He’ll be a lot happier for it!
- International flights also take longer. Many need an agent and have specific passport/visa requirements. Having your documents in order and ready makes it all go easier.
There are other things that can make it easier or more difficult to check in and get to your flight, but these are the ones I see most often. A little pre-planning and double-checking can ensure you have prepared as well as possible and haven’t forgotten anything. Giving yourself at least ninety minutes for checking in allows you to be more relaxed and actually enjoy your trip. There may still be delays, but you’ll be far better able to adjust for them and still make your flight.
