okay so i literally just landed back at harry reid and im sitting here waiting for my uber and im like man i need to share my thoughts on airport timing because honestly its a constant source of stress and everyone has their own opinions but like what are the real odds you actually hit your sweet spot you know and especially at las its just a whole different beast sometimes because its vegas and people are either totally chill or completely losing their minds and that affects everything including how fast the lines move or dont move which is the more likely scenario honestly so im just gonna vent a bit and give some real talk on what i recomended doing because ive missed flights and ive also been there way too early and regretted every minute of it and basically its a balance that feels impossible sometimes but lets try to nail it down for harry reid specifically.
When I actually show up
so this is what i aim for based on a bunch of trips and a lot of near misses and its honestly the most important part because if you dont get this right the rest is just panic and bad vibes and nobody wants that especially when your coming from a vegas trip or trying to start one and your just trying to get through security without having an actual meltdown but its really different depending on your trip.
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quick domestic hop with no checked bags: if its just me and a carry-on and i have tsa precheck honestly i usually aim for like 1 hour 45 minutes before my flight boards not just before it takes off but before the boarding actually starts because that gives me a tiny buffer if precheck is surprisingly long or if i need to grab a coffee or something but if i dont have precheck its a whole different story and i absolutely add another 30 minutes to that which brings it closer to 2 hours 15 minutes before boarding and thats just because the regular lines can snake around like crazy especially if its a busy morning or afternoon and basically your just hoping for the best there and its not a fun gamble.
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the chaos of holiday travel or international flights: oh my god this is where you just throw all caution to the wind and literally just add extra time everywhere you can because if its thanksgiving or christmas or new years or basically any big convention week your looking at minimum 3 hours before your flight boards and thats with precheck and if your checking a bag then you need to add another 30 to 45 minutes for that because the bag drop lines can be horrendous and if its an international flight honestly just make it 4 hours because the check-in counters for international flights can take forever and then you still have security and often a bit more walking to the gates depending on where your going and its just not worth the stress to cut it close when youre dealing with that level of madness and ive seen people miss flights because they underestimated the holiday crush so dont be that person its just not fun.
What messes up your schedule
there are so many things that can just totally derail your plan and your schedule and its not just the obvious stuff like traffic but honestly its the cumulative effect of a bunch of little things that just add up to you running for your gate which is basically the worst feeling ever and ive experienced most of these so trust me when i say they are very real threats to your travel sanity.
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security lines that just dont move: this is basically the biggest wildcard because sometimes precheck is a breeze like five minutes but other times its fifteen or twenty minutes and the regular lines can be thirty minutes to an hour on a bad day and you just cant predict it even with all the apps and updates because it changes literally minute by minute.
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bag drop lines are basically a second security line: if you have to check a bag its not just a quick drop-off especially if your flying a budget airline or if its super busy because those lines can be super long and slow and they sometimes only have like two agents for a hundred people and its just a total time suck and you need to factor that in.
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rental car return and shuttle times are sneaky: people forget about this but returning your rental car at las can be a whole thing and then you have to wait for the shuttle to the terminal which can take another fifteen to twenty minutes especially if your unlucky with the timing and that eats into your buffer like crazy.
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traffic getting to the airport is always a gamble: its vegas so there can be random accidents or just unexpected congestion especially coming from the strip or downtown and what you think is a fifteen minute drive can easily turn into thirty or forty and then your already behind.
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parking can be a hike: if your parking your own car the parking garages can be a bit of a walk to the actual terminal and finding a spot can take longer than you expect too and its just another small thing that chips away at your precious time.
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walking to your gate: las is a big airport and some of those gates especially in terminal 3 or if your connecting through the satellite gates require a tram ride and then a significant walk and that all adds up and you dont want to be sprinting with your bags so build in time for that too because its not like your stepping off the curb and immediately at your gate.
so basically just give yourself more time than you think you need especially if your like me and you hate rushing because its honestly just not worth the heart attack and the potential of missing your flight and being stuck in vegas even though its fun if your not stuck here you know what i mean. better safe than sorry at harry reid thats my takeaway.