Why Arriving at the Airport On Time Matters Despite Flight Delays

Flight delays happen!

Should you ignore texts you get from the airline pinging you about the next possible time your plane will take off?

While it can be tempting to see flight delays as bonus hours to do whatever we want, showing up for the original boarding call might actually a better idea.

Discover why it is advisable to arrive on-time for your flight, despite delays.

Why Your Flight Might Be Delayed

Sunil Gupta, Co-founder and Senior Travel Advisor at Luxury India Tours LLP, has seen plenty of airports and delays in his 15 years of experience as a travel advisor. Sunil’s company creates custom travel plans showcasing India’s beauty and culture, all with respect to the environment and nature. 

Sunil says, “We follow and advise our travelers from beginning to end for an enjoyable trip, and that includes tips on when to get to the airport to make sure no flights are missed.”

While airports tend to run on punctuality with their processes carefully streamlined to ensure flights take off and land on time, Sunil stresses, “There’s a lot going on behind the scenes that the average traveler is not aware of, and this can sometimes lead to delays.”

Sunil offers a two reasons for why your flight may be delayed, including:

• The forecast predicts less-than-ideal weather for a plane to take off. This is why you’ll receive a memo from your airline much earlier than your intended departure time.
• Airspace congestion. Air Traffic Control (ATC) can’t clear the flight if there are already too many planes in the air. These conditions change very quickly and are constantly monitored, which is why you’ll find that your flight can still depart on time, even if there is a delay notice.

“Because of this, I always recommend travelers arrive for the original departure time, as there’s always the risk of missing your flight,” Sunil offfers. “I find airports can be a great opportunity to catch up on work or a good book, even sleep if that’s what you need. In any case, it’s better to arrive earlier than later to prevent any mishaps so you can start your vacation with no stress.”

Unexpected Delay Reversals

Erika Kullberg, founder of Erika.com, is an attorney and personal finance expert with a collective following of 21 million online. You may know Erika from her signature catchphrase, “I read the fine print so you don’t have to!”

Getting to the airport early can help prevent a cascade of inconveniences that you didn’t anticipate.

Erika relates, “Getting your flight delayed is a headache. Accidentally missing your flight entirely because it became ‘un-delayed’ is a nightmare. It’s rare, but it happens.”

How might a delayed flight leave earlier than indicated? Erika outlines a scenario that could easily play out for any delayed flight.

Picture this:

“The gate agent or the airline’s app alerts you that your flight is delayed, so you go to a lounge or get something to eat. But when you return to the gate, they’ve already boarded and closed the door,” Erika cautions. “You never received an alert that the departure time moved up and became ‘un-delayed’ or ‘not-as-delayed.’”

To avoid this, Erika recommends staying near your gate and keeping a line of sight to a flight info board in case the departure time continues to change.

Moving to Another Flight with the Same Airline

Another strategy from Erika is moving to another flight with the same airline.

She suggests, “If you get to the airport really early, you may be able to get on another flight with the same airline. Airlines like Southwest have flexible change policies, so you can change your flight in their app or go to the gate agent and ask if they can move you to the other flight. This approach works best for those without checked luggage, but it’s worth asking the agent if you can still be moved even if you checked bags.”

Enjoying Airport Lounges

Another reason to arrive for your scheduled departure time is that you can take advantage of airport lounges during delays.

In her many videos online, Erika shares how she got great value from applying her savvy and how you can to. This includes getting into an oasis in the airport, oftentimes by being a member of a particular travelers program or credit card user.

Erika notes, “Many offer food and drinks; some even offer showers and massages. Some airports may even have multiple lounges that you can access with your credit card’s travel perks. I love the service in Emirates’ lounges!”

Eliminating Stress

Not everyone enjoys leaving things to the last minute. Steve Schwab, CEO of Casago, makes a point of arriving to the airport early, no matter what the airlines say.

“I always get to the airport early. Not only does it eliminate stress about missing my flight even when it’s delayed, but I tend to make good use of that extra time there. If I am flying for a work-related reason, I almost always use that time to do things like answer emails so that when I get on my flight and get home, I don’t have that hanging over my head.”

Sometimes Steve uses an airport lounge, but more often than not he goes to some kind of restaurant or cafe.

Sorting Vacation Pics on the Phone

If you’re looking for a more productive way to use your time in the service of your family, consider getting some administrative tasks out of the way, like curating photo albums of the best pictures from your vacation.

Steve shares, “If I am traveling for a vacation and am heading home, I always use that time to go through my photos on my phone. I take so many pictures when I travel, and that means I always have tons of photos to sort through when I leave,”

“Sorting through them at the airport gives me the opportunity to look through and organize them so that I can post the ones I want sooner, and so that I can show my friends and family my pictures in a more efficient way right when I get back.”

Find an Airport Lounge Near You

If you’re in between a delay and your flight taking off, check to see if there is lounge nearby where you can take a breather. TravelMint makes it easy to locate lounges that match your memberships, affiliations, and needs.

Make sure the lounge is in the terminal your flight departs from and as close as can be to your gate for optimal efficiency when boarding calls are announced.