'I tried the famous ‘airport theory’ but there’s one thing you should know’

Everyone loves a holiday, but going two to three hours early to the airport can lead to you waiting for hours until the departure time - and that’s not fun.

According to Hoppa, airlines advise passengers to show up at the airport at least three hours before their departing time for international flights or two hours before any domestic flights, to ensure a smooth check-in process, such as dropping off your luggage, and avoiding any potential queues in security.

Working at the airport made me realise that there’s no need to show up hours earlier at the airport. As excited as one can get to begin their holidays, the airport isn’t a place to hang out. If I can give you a tip now, it’s to make sure your electronics and liquids are packed accordingly.

But there’s a trick for those who want to skip the long waiting hours, and it’s called the ‘airport theory’ - but there’s a catch.

Earlier this year, a so-called ‘airport theory’ went viral on social media, where passengers showed up to the airport 35 minutes (or even 15 minutes on some occasions) before their flight started boarding. Yes, it works, but there’s a catch that a lot of people miss.

During my holidays in Spain, I showed up at the airport less than an hour before the flight departed. No bags to check in and a digital boarding pass, I went through security in under five minutes. Lucky me, I was familiar with the layout of the airport, and I had minutes to spare to grab a coffee before heading to the departure gate.

The catch is that this only works for those travellers who don’t have to check in any luggage. If you have a big-sized bag to send off, you must show up at the check-in counters before they close, which is usually an hour before the flight departure time.

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It’s also important to note that the waiting times at the airport can vary depending on the time of year. Therefore, it’s worth double-checking the status of your flight, as well as the distance between the security checkpoint and the gate.

Another secret from me is that if you ever show up late to the check-in counter and have a bag to drop, speak to an airline agent. In the majority of cases, the check-in agent will charge you a late drop-off fee to take your bag, which is better than leaving it behind!

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