International travelers: 3 hours before the flight really necessary?

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Mar 23, 2025
5:50:56pm

Ted Lasso Believe.

International travelers: 3 hours before the flight really necessary?

SLC to Barcelona via ATL at 11:00am.

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Ted Lasso

Previous username: BigTedThunder
Bio page: Ted Lasso
Joined: Sep 25, 2012
Last login: Apr 3, 2025
Total posts: 49,748 (3,249 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

International travelers: 3 hours before the flight really necessary?

Ted Lasso

Mar 23, 5:50pm

No but if there’s a question, why risk it? I’d shoot for 2-2.5 personally.

VACougMD

Mar 23, 5:51pm

No way. Just show up early enough to make sure you can check bags. Cut off is

marooncoug

Mar 23, 5:55pm

Should be fine with 2

WJCougar

Mar 23, 5:55pm

Your first flight isn’t international. Your first flight is domestic. Just do as you normally would

WP17

Mar 23, 5:55pm

Duh Ted.

ColonelSaunders

Mar 23, 5:56pm

Not if you are flying to Atlanta first. 1.5 hours is typically fine.

specsauce

Mar 23, 5:55pm

your normal arrival time for a domestic flight our of SLC is sufficient

byuwahoo

Mar 23, 5:55pm

depends on the lounge situation. I find it nice to start a vacation that much

BYUFBDAD

Mar 23, 6:04pm

Me looking into the lounge

Ted Lasso

Mar 23, 6:08pm

for me and my house, if it's international, it's business class with lounges

BYUFBDAD

Mar 23, 6:13pm

Sad you’re still stuck in the cattle car. Switching to private a few years back was amazing.

WP17

Mar 23, 6:22pm

90% of the time, no. But there will be that one time when it saves your bacon

runnincoug

Mar 23, 6:37pm

Even for international 2 hours is plenty of buffer. 3 is crazy overkill unless you’re in a foreign country w/long custom

WP17

Mar 23, 7:17pm

As long as nothing goes wrong, yes. Be 100% sure.

runnincoug

Mar 23, 8:02pm

Yeah, I would check documents prior to arrival though. But general airport stuff won’t ever take 3 hours

WP17

Mar 23, 8:25pm

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