I recently missed a flight and, in the spirit of being unashamedly self-aware, I’ll admit it was entirely my fault.
I hadn’t packed the night before. Instead, I woke up at 3am on the morning of my flight and began frantically throwing clothes into a suitcase.
I left home with absolutely no wiggle room, only to encounter a road closure caused by a marathon. Never have I loathed runners more.
One fare, an additional luggage fee and a considerable amount of dignity later, I was rebooking my flight and fighting back tears. You would think I had learnt my lesson. Apparently not.
On my return journey, I arrived at the airport just in time for my flight, only to discover that my checked luggage would not be making the journey with me because I had arrived too late for it to be loaded. I left my suitcase behind and boarded the flight.
The experience has prompted me to take a crash course in a question many travellers have asked themselves: how early should you actually arrive at the airport?
According to Theuns Dreyer, head of ground operations at LIFT, the answer is simple: at least two hours before a domestic flight.
“On the day of travel, travellers should arrive at the airport well ahead of the departure time - at least 120 minutes prior to a flight,” Dreyer says.
That two-hour window is not simply about sitting at the gate with an overpriced coffee. It allows enough time to check in, drop off luggage, clear security and make your way to the boarding gate without unnecessary panic.
And those seemingly generous two hours can disappear surprisingly quickly.
During busy travel periods, including school holidays and long weekends, increased passenger numbers can mean longer queues at check-in, bag drop and security.
There is also the small matter of getting to the airport in the first place, with heavier traffic potentially adding another layer of uncertainty.
What time should you arrive if you have checked luggage?
If you are travelling with checked luggage, allow enough time for the bag-drop process. Travellers with hand luggage only who have checked in online can head directly to security, but Dreyer still recommends arriving around two hours before a domestic departure.
Why? Because security queues are unpredictable.
It is also important to know the cut-off times. Check-in and luggage drop close 45 minutes before departure, while boarding begins 30 minutes before departure and closes 15 minutes before take-off.
In other words, arriving at the airport 45 minutes before your flight is not a clever shortcut. It is a gamble.
How can you avoid airport delays?
Some of the biggest delays happen before you even reach the gate.
Check in online 24 hours before departure, check your terminal and flight details before leaving home, and pre-book your transport where possible. And, perhaps most importantly, leave home with a realistic buffer for traffic and unexpected delays.
Dreyer’s advice is refreshingly straightforward: arriving early is preferable to stressing about a missed flight.
And I, for one, have learnt this lesson the expensive way.
There is no glamour in sprinting through an airport, bargaining with airline staff or watching your suitcase remain behind.
Arrive early. Have the coffee. Catch up on your emails. Scroll aimlessly at the boarding gate if you must. Because when it comes to flying, a little airport boredom is infinitely preferable to airport panic.
zamandosi.cele@nationalmg.co.za