hey everyone, so i just got off a flight at slc and honestly ive been thinking a lot about how early you really need to show up because its a new airport and things feel a little different than the old one used to and i see a lot of people asking about it so i figured id just share my thoughts on it after flying in and out a bunch of times and hopefully save someone some stress or a missed flight because literally nothing is worse than that feeling of rushing through security and seeing your gate closing and your heart is just pounding you know what i mean and slc can be sneaky like that especially in the mornings or during peak season so its good to have a game plan.
When I actually show up
okay so this is the real talk no fluff because honestly ive learned the hard way a few times and now i try to be smarter about it and my advice basically depends entirely on your situation but generally speaking slc is pretty efficient for a lot of flights but it can absolutely get totally slammed with no warning and then youre just stuck in a queue for what feels like an eternity so heres what i recomend based on if youre just doing a quick hop or dealing with full-on holiday travel chaos.
- quick domestic hop with just a carry-on and mobile boarding pass: honestly if its not a peak travel day like a tuesday afternoon or a saturday morning and you have no checked bags and your boarding pass is on your phone or printed its a pretty smooth operation and you can probably get away with arriving like an hour and twenty minutes to an hour and thirty minutes before your boarding time which isnt even your flight time its a little earlier than that because security can still be a bit of a crapshoot and you still gotta walk to your gate and grab a coffee and maybe hit the restroom but if youre super chill and just want to cut it close then like an hour before boarding might work but thats pushing it and i dont personaly recomend that because it only takes one hiccup and then youre stressed.
- holiday travel, international flights, or checking bags, especially ski gear: okay this is where you absolutely do not mess around like literally if its thanksgiving christmas spring break any major holiday weekend or if youre flying out on a monday morning or friday afternoon or going international then you need to think big and give yourself a huge buffer because the lines for bag check are brutal and security will be insane and its just a nightmare and you want to be there at least three hours before your flight time, maybe even three and a half or four hours if you have oversized luggage like skis or snowboard bags because that adds a whole other layer of complexity and delays and you dont want to be the person sweating at the counter trying to get your skis checked while everyone else is already through security and sipping their lattes.
What messes up your schedule
there are a few things at slc that consistently throw a wrench into peoples plans and make you wish you got there earlier and i feel like its important to point these out so you can plan ahead because forewarned is forearmed right.
- security lines: this is literally the biggest wild card at any airport but especially at slc sometimes its a breeze and you just walk right through tsa precheck or even general security but other times it snakes all the way back to the check-in counters and youre just standing there for an hour plus and you cant do anything about it and it sucks.
- rental car returns: if youve got a rental car and youre returning it before your flight give yourself extra time because the rental car center is a little shuttle ride away and sometimes the shuttle is fast but sometimes you wait a bit and then you still have to walk from the terminal drop-off to the check-in area and it all adds up.
- parking: if youre parking your own car especially in the economy or garage p-lot then factor in the time it takes to find a spot and then get to the terminal because it might not be a super quick walk or shuttle ride depending on where you park and how full it is.
- check-in counters: even if you have a mobile boarding pass if you have bags to check the lines at the airline counters can be super long and some airlines are worse than others so if you have bags just assume its going to take a while and plan for it.
- ski equipment and other oversized items: this deserves its own mention because its salt lake city and everyone has skis or snowboards or bikes but checking these items always takes longer and you often have to go to a special oversized baggage area and its just more hassle and time so dont underestimate it.
- morning rush: seriously dont fly out between like 6 am and 9 am on a weekday or holiday without a huge buffer because its literally the busiest time and everyone is trying to get out and the airport just feels overwhelmed.
so basically its always better to be a little early and relaxed than super late and freaking out and trust me ive been both so i speak from experience and hopefully this helps someone out there with their slc travel plans.