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As security wait times at many airports return to normal, airports are urging travelers to stop arriving so early — and they warned that arriving too early can actually increase wait times.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers have started receiving back pay for working during the government shutdown, but some airports are still seeing people arrive multiple hours before their flights, which they’re saying is no longer necessary.
Multiple airports have told flyers to arrive only a few hours before their flights to allow for plenty of time to get through TSA lines.
Arriving too early at the airports can ultimately make lines and wait times worse as circumstances are returning to normal, some airports have said.
John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio issued a public service announcement on social media telling travelers that the “sweet spot” is arriving 90 minutes before departure.
“Showing up too early creates those first-wave lines. Even when lines stretch to ticketing, waits are usually ~45 mins,” the post said, adding that this will help “keep things moving.”
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas recommended arriving 2.5 hours early for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights to allow travelers “to go through security and take care of anything pre-security like parking and checking in bags.”
“There is no need to line up more than 4 hours before your flight, as this causes congestion in the lines for those flying out sooner,” the airport said in a post on X.
Denver International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, told USA Today that as of April 2, wait times are normal. The airport recommended people arrive two hours before boarding for domestic flights and three hours for international flights.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport noted that the “normal, quick and efficient checkpoint operations we’re known for have returned,” and travelers are “once again” advised to arrive two hours ahead of scheduled departure.
Washington Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport have also told travelers to return to normal, arriving two to three hours before departure.
Scott Keyes, founder of the cheap flight alert service Going, told the Washington Post that some travelers might see the viral videos of horrendous wait times and show up as early as possible so they don’t miss their flight — but that just adds to the line.
“It’s almost like rush-hour traffic,” he explained. “You’re going to get there in time. You’re also adding to rush-hour traffic.”
However, this isn’t exactly the case for all airports.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — which oversees John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport — said wait times have been improved, but “they are still volatile and subject to spikes based on passenger volumes and staffing levels.”
“We typically advise passengers arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight, but additional time may still be warranted,” the Port Authority said in an email to USA Today.
“Travelers are strongly encouraged to check with their airline and the wait times listed on our airport websites before heading to the airport.”
At the time of reporting, Delta News Hub’s live airport wait time tracker has wait times at JFK Airport listed as 3 minutes for Pre-Check and 10 minutes for regular security, while LGA has a wait time of just one minute for both.
Meanwhile, Orlando International Airport had kept their two-hour recommendation throughout the partial government shutdown in an effort to keep wait times down.
“One of the reasons we stay consistent with ‘two hours at the checkpoint’ is because MCO often processes large groups throughout the year, and there can be surges at the checkpoint,” Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Angela Starke told USA Today.
“This spring break, we saw wait times extend; but they were usually under 45 minutes,” she added. “Fortunately, the airport did not experience a dramatic decrease in TSA staffing at the checkpoints as our local TSA agents continued to come to work, and we were grateful for their commitment.”
Tampa International Airport told WaPo that it doesn’t mine if people want to show up a little earlier than the recommended two hours for domestic flights — as long as travelers make sure they aren’t too early to check their bags or go through security.
“Passengers are happiest when they’re not stressed, when they’re not worried about the lines, when they just have plenty of time,” spokes person Beau Zimmer said.
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