What's your airport style?

[sdlaura]

I'm a member of the intentionally chronically late airport arrival group.  What are you?

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/05/psychological-reason-people-are-late-airport/590500/

[k3am]

"Preternaturally punctual" describes my lifestyle in general. I'm kind of wondering if I can add it to my resume. Not sure if it'd be viewed as a pro or a con.

DD has already adapted to the fact that most of the time, we get somewhere early and sit in the car for 5-10 minutes and wait for whatever time we were really supposed to be there at.

[sdlaura]

I totally think that would be viewed as a pro on a resume, k3am!

I'm a generally on time person in most of my life. Not so with airports.

[phdmomma]

Perpetually punctual....I find it unnecessarily stressful to be late to the airport. Also, I have to admit, I enjoy the "me" time of going to the airport and not having to manage kids when I travel for work.

[k3am]

After 8 years at my prior company that had no respect for time, it's one of the things I like best here. Meetings start at the specified time. Our CEO's motto is "if you're on time, you're late." I showed up for my 9am committee meeting at 8:57, and the room was fully seated and ready to go at 9 on the dot. I've been here 4 years now, and only once had a meeting start late. And that was because outside auditors were using our conference room.

It is awkward in social situations. We are almost always the first to arrive. We do a lot of setting up for people.

[covergirl82]

I like to arrive early in case parking, check in, and/or security takes longer than normal. I always travel with at least one book, so I can keep myself occupied with a book (or even people watching) if I end up with extra time waiting at the gate.

[sdlaura]

covergirl82 I think that's one reason I feel comfortable with my lateness - my home airport could not be easier in terms of parking, check in, and security. If the parking lot is full, you can valet in 2 minutes, the pre-check lane is always quick, and I'm always already checked in with my boarding pass on my phone. I'm spoiled - if it was a different major airport that I had to fly out of, I think it would require a lot more time. Like Denver...ugh...so terrible. They show you how many minutes it will take to get to your gate when you walk in, and it's always 20+.

[supertrooper1]

I arrive early for everything too. I generally live 30 minutes from everything and always worry about being late. I'm 2 hours from the closest major airport, so there is a lot of chance for traffic. I even have precheck, but I'd rather get there early, grab some food and relax at the gate.

[librarychica]

I missed a flight ten years ago and it remains a source of personal shame. So I think y’all can guess where I fall.

[traveltheworld]

I'm always early. I have a fear of being late. And my home airport has a really nice lounge and great Wifi, so I can keep working anyway, so it doesn't matter if I'm early/late.

[2chatter]

I’m always early. Even for things I dread. I told DS we were late this morning and he said “so I won’t have to wait as long for other kids to get there early?” Poor kid. And I think it has rubbed off on the kids. They get to school, which starts at 7:45, when it opens at 7:00. They can’t handle getting there later.

[sandandsea]

I’m always 5-10 minutes early. Everything in my area runs late and it drives me crazy. Dh is the opposite and generally 5 minutes late with his best effort applied.

[k3am]

May 30, 2019 12:54:08 GMT -5 2chatter said:

I’m always early. Even for things I dread. I told DS we were late this morning and he said “so I won’t have to wait as long for other kids to get there early?” Poor kid. And I think it has rubbed off on the kids. They get to school, which starts at 7:45, when it opens at 7:00. They can’t handle getting there later.

DD gets to school around the same time. School starts at 9. She acted like it was a big deal that she'd never once been late to school. Well, kid, for 1, before care keeps that from being a probability, and for 2, you're a k3am. k3am's are almost never late, so that's basically like asking for an award because you breathe air. 

[shakinros]

For myself, I’d prefer to arrive at the gate and walk directly onto the plane just before they close the doors. No airport time.

But since the majority of my flights are with DD and DH, we arrive a minimum of 90 minutes before takeoff. DH cannot handle travel stress. Which is weird because he always chooses to do something like get in a bathroom line or order food that has to be cooked when they start calling for preboarding. He inevitably has to run back to the gate. I now make sure he takes his boarding pass with him and inform him that DD and I will not be waiting for him.

[rere]

I am always super early. I don't like to fly, so I am already stressed, so any traffic, parking, check in delay running behind would send me over the edge. Plus I may need a drink.

I never get comfortable with an airport anyway. We don't have a major airport, so we alternate based on prices to 3 larger cities, so I don't have a "home" that I am super familiar since I don't travel much in a year.

[sdlaura]

shakinros, finally someone else who shares my preference to walk right onto the plane!

I definitely arrive much earlier when traveling with the kids.

[mommyatty]

I’m sitting in an Admiral’s Club right now. I was “late” today which means even though I park at a different terminal and ride the train to my terminal, I was here 40 minutes before boarding. I was a little stressed.

MIL wants to pretend it’s 1975 and she lives in Monterey, California. She’s pissed that there’s security at all. I now order her Uber so she has no choice when she flies with us but to be early. I cannot deal with the stress of lateness ever, but especially when traveling. I used to literally break out in hives if I thought I was going to be late for a meeting or appointment.

[ECB]

The one guy in that article explained it perfectly - if one thing goes wrong in his plan, he may miss his flight. nope! Not missing my flight. So... yeah, I'm definitely early.

[sunbutter]

I prefer to be early and then plan to work or chill at the airport while waiting. I do everything I can to simplify and manage/control my travel experience to reduce my anxiety.
For example, I was flying from Geneva through London back to the states earlier this month. I could have stayed the night in Geneva and flown to London early in the AM. But I knew I wouldn’t sleep because I would be nervous about getting to the airport by train in a foreign country. So I flew to Heathrow the night before a 10 am flight the next day. (And took your sound advice and booked a very nice hotel room.)
I’m actually less stressed when traveling with the kids. That has always been for vacation and if we miss our flight, eh, part of the adventure. Work expectations always make me more stressed.

[divanerd]

I'm early cuz I take my me time whereever I can these days.

[freezorburn]

Early, if at all possible. Because that might mean I can sit down for a real meal, or get a chair massage or just read something

[HeartofCheese]

Depends on what your definition is of "on time." For me, "early" is the same as "wasted time" and "on time" means "too cautious" - so I'm Team Get-There-15-Minutes-Before-Baggage-Check-Closes-Plus-An-Extra-20-Minutes-If-That-Particular-Airport's-Security-Will-Take-Forever.

Bottomline: I almost never show up at an airport more than an hour before my flight. If I'm at an international airport with longer security lines, I'll get there 75 minutes early.

For everything else, five minutes late is "on time" b/c I am almost guaranteed to not have to wait.

[phdmomma]

freezorburn, That's the thing, I like to have a chance to eat or sometimes get my nails done, if possible at an airport. I always have my laptop so I can also work if need be.