# Reason for requiring to arrive at airport like 3 hrs earlier in international flights **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619 "2012-11-30T21:56:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oyster11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f6c823/32.png) [@oyster11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oyster11)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/1 "2012-11-30T21:56:51Z")
I’m not sure about other countries, but in New Zealand, you need to check in at least 3 hrs before the flight if it is international flight. For domestic flight it’s only like 30 mins. I can’t help but wonder why. Is it because of the police? Le’t say you commit a crime, then want to go out of the country, and the 3 hr window is used to give the police some time so they can catch you? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/2 "2012-11-30T22:29:00Z")
In the US you need to be there considerably before 30 minutes for domestic flights, for ID checks and to go through security. International flights require passport screening, domestic flights don’t, and maybe some checking is going on behind the scenes. Also, I’m sure if they say 3 hours most people will at least get there 2 hours earlier. You can still get on if you come later, as my daughter found out when she failed to notice a big change to the departure time in small letters in an email. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/3 "2012-11-30T22:39:19Z")
3 hours is something like the worst-case scenario in case there are long lines at the ticket counter, long delays in security and customs, etc. They say 2 hours even for domestic flights. Almost all of the time, you’ll be OK with somewhat less time. I usually aim for 90 minutes early when I travel and I typically have extra time to sit around. I could get away with 45 minutes a lot of the time… but if the plane leaves while I’m stuck in security that’s basically considered my fault. You really don’t want to push your luck, especially if you travel on busy days. ---
**Author:** ![dam0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@dam0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dam0)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/4 "2012-11-30T22:46:07Z")
Airports are big shopping complexes. a portion of their revenue is based on retail and the more time you spend waiting, the more you are likely to spend money in the retail outlets within. Airport design is not only caters for the function of putting passengers on planes, but also on making sure people are liberated of cash. I would guess a short haul flight passenger is unlikely to spend much money, while a long haul flight passenger is. they might as well move short haul on. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/5 "2012-11-30T22:48:17Z")
Do you \*need \*to check in 3 hours early in NZ, or is it just recommended? I know it’s recommended to arrive at the airport three hours early for international flights here (NYC area), just because the lines are long and security’s a pain. I think the recommendation is even based on time to return a rental car, though, so if you don’t have one you can take some time off that. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/6 "2012-11-30T22:58:22Z")
> [@oyster11](#): > > I’m not sure about other countries, but in New Zealand, you need to check in at least 3 hrs before the flight if it is international flight. For domestic flight it’s only like 30 mins. > > I can’t help but wonder why. Is it because of the police? Le’t say you commit a crime, then want to go out of the country, and the 3 hr window is used to give the police some time so they can catch you? In my experience, it’s because of the long lines at check in that are commonplace when travelling internationally. First, a typical international flight is on a much larger plane than a domestic flight. Maybe a 777 or a 747 or an A340 instead of dinky little 737. More passengers means more people in line. Second, there’s a lot more scrutiny for international passengers. Their passports and sometimes their visas need to be checked. That means that each person checking in takes longer. For domestic check-in, ten people in front of me in lline is maybe a ten minute wait. For international, it’s easily a half hour wait. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/7 "2012-11-30T23:05:31Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > In my experience, it’s because of the long lines at check in that are commonplace when travelling internationally. > > First, a typical international flight is on a much larger plane than a domestic flight. Maybe a 777 or a 747 or an A340 instead of dinky little 737. More passengers means more people in line. > > Second, there’s a lot more scrutiny for international passengers. Their passports and sometimes their visas need to be checked. That means that each person checking in takes longer. For domestic check-in, ten people in front of me in lline is maybe a ten minute wait. For international, it’s easily a half hour wait. I had to show my passport to the airline before I was allowed to get on a flight to Canada (from the US). The plane was just a dinky little CRJ though - definitely not a 747. There are cases where non-international flights could take longer to get ready for - flying out of Puerto Rico to the mainland US is considered to be a domestic flight but you have to pass a USDA agricultural inspection that is separate from security screening. They don’t want you to bring infected tropical fruit to Florida and cause an outbreak. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/8 "2012-11-30T23:21:00Z")
A recent [article in our Cayman newspaper](http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2012/11/21/Eliminating-outbound-immigration-not-easy/) discussed the difficulties with eliminating outbound immigration checks. One of the issues cited was being certain that wanted persons could not leave the country. Most international outbound flights from Cayman go to the US and passengers must be cleared through [Advanced Passenger Information System](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Passenger_Information_System) (APIS). For most passengers that is no problem. But there needs to be a cutoff that allows enough time for passengers to be checked - avoiding the idea of a criminal buying a last minute ticket and then jumping on a plane moments later. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/9 "2012-11-30T23:25:57Z")
In Australia, the final check-in cutoff for international flights is usually 60 minutes before departure. The computer will refuse to accept any checkins after that, and no amount of pleading will help - staff simply have no means to do it. When they say “check in 2 hours before departure”, some people invariably hear “if you’re near the off-ramp that leads to the airport 90 minutes before departure then you’ll be fine”. Of course by the time they actually get in the queue they’re minutes away from the final cutoff, along with all the other people who made the same assumption. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/10 "2012-12-01T00:50:31Z")
If you fly from most Canadian airports directly to the US, you go through US customs and immigration control in Canada. That can save a lot at the other end, especially if you are flying to an airport that gets of international traffic. But it does mean that you could spend a half hour at security (following US inspection rules) and an hour at immigration. So 2 1/2 hours is a bare minimum and 3 is safer. I have tried 2 1/2 hours and have had to be pulled out line since I wasn’t finished when my flight started loading. News: I just flew home from Seattle and they had a sign that you didn’t have to take your shoes off if you are over 75 (or under 12). I hit 75 last January (but my wife won’t till next June, so she went through unshod). But I had to go shoeless on my way to Seattle 11 days earlier. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-for-requiring-to-arrive-at-airport-like-3-hrs-earlier-in-international-flights/642619/11 "2012-12-01T01:26:54Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I had to show my passport to the airline before I was allowed to get on a flight to Canada (from the US). The plane was just a dinky little CRJ though - definitely not a 747. > > There are cases where non-international flights could take longer to get ready for - flying out of Puerto Rico to the mainland US is considered to be a domestic flight but you have to pass a USDA agricultural inspection that is separate from security screening. They don’t want you to bring infected tropical fruit to Florida and cause an outbreak. Yes, Canada is a special case in these matters, as both you and **Hari Seldon** say. I’ve flown there many times myself.