How long before the plane departs does check-in begin. How long before departure does check-in and boarding begin?

08.08.2023

They always try to arrive at the airport in advance - in order to have time to check in for the flight, go through all stages of security, check in luggage and, possibly, go to duty-free (duty-free stores).

What documents are needed for the flight?

At the airport you will need at least two documents - a passport and a ticket (paper or electronic). For flights within Russia you need an internal passport, and for international flights - a foreign one.

If you are flying abroad, you will most likely need a visa. It can be obtained at the embassy or visa center, and it is better to do this in advance (for example, you should take care of obtaining a Schengen visa several weeks before your trip). However, there are a number of states that issue visas upon a person’s arrival in the country. For example, an Egyptian visa is simply a stamp in your passport that is given to you at passport control. And some countries, for example Israel, have generally established a visa-free regime with Russia.

If you are flying with a transfer, be sure to check if you will need a transit visa. It also needs to be completed in advance.

Electronic check-in

Some airlines allow you to check in for a plane online. Just like at the airport, you provide the system with your details and receive a boarding pass. This can be done on the airline's website and sometimes on the airport's website.

Benefits of online registration:

Check-in usually begins a day before departure, so you can complete it whenever it suits you.
You do not need to arrive at the airport in advance and stand in line to check in.
You issue your boarding pass in advance, which means you can get the most comfortable seats in the cabin.
If you forget or lose your boarding pass, you can print it at the airport (however, some airlines charge a fee for this service).

Electronic check-in is not available at all airports or on all flights. You will have to register in the usual way in some other situations: if you are traveling with a baby on a free ticket, you are accompanying a person with disabilities, you are carrying animals or works of art.

What can you take on a plane?

All passenger belongings are divided into checked luggage - the one that is handed over at the check-in counter - and hand luggage, which is taken into the cabin. The weight, size and number of seats for both are always strictly limited - before the flight you need to carefully study the rules on the airline’s website.

Sometimes the cost of baggage transportation is included in the ticket price. Usually in this case we are talking about one suitcase - you will have to pay extra for the second. However, most often airlines offer two ticket options - for those who plan to fly with luggage and for those who plan to take only hand luggage.

Low-cost airlines most often offer to pay for luggage separately. This can be done when purchasing a ticket or already at the airport. Some low-cost airlines do the opposite: they charge an additional fee for carry-on luggage, rather than for checked luggage.

There is no single global standard for what you can and cannot take on a plane: the rules depend on the country and the airline. But there are restrictions that apply to most airlines.

For example, here is a list of things that are strictly forbidden to be carried either in hand luggage or checked luggage:

explosives, explosives and objects stuffed with them;
compressed and liquefied gases;
flammable liquids;
flammable solids;
oxidizing substances and organic peroxides;
toxic substances;
radioactive materials;
caustic and corrosive substances;
poisonous and poisonous substances;
weapon.

You can usually carry any items in your luggage other than those listed above.

With hand luggage things are more complicated. If you are in doubt whether you can take an item on board, be sure to check. Most airlines allow you to take:

handbag or folder for papers;
printed publications for in-flight reading;
food for the child;
baby travel cradle;
umbrella or cane;
coat or raincoat;
if necessary - a folding stroller, a folding wheelchair, crutches.

As well as liquids in strictly limited quantities and some “dangerous” items, one per passenger:

medical thermometer;
disposable lighter;
non-hazardous liquids, gels and aerosols (in containers no more than 100 ml) in a securely closed transparent plastic bag with a total volume of no more than a liter;
liquids purchased at duty-free in a closed plastic bag (it must contain confirmation that it was purchased at duty-free on the day of the flight).

Please note that these rules (and especially the rules for carrying liquids) are subject to change. In addition, the airport administration and the airline may impose other restrictions.

What stages of inspection do you need to go through at the airport?

Wherever you fly, before boarding the plane, you will have to go through a security inspection (special control). This is a mandatory rule at all airports. The purpose of the search is to check that you are not carrying anything prohibited in your luggage or hand luggage.

Depending on the airport, baggage may be checked in front of the passenger or without his participation. If you receive your boarding pass and check your luggage at the same time, it will be checked without you. Only your hand luggage will be searched in front of you - immediately before boarding the plane. In other cases, passengers are first checked in and then undergo special control. In this case, everything you are carrying will be checked in front of you.

Many airports have additional metal detectors installed at the entrance. Be aware that there may be a queue in front of them.

Before international flights, customs control is usually carried out first, then registration, followed by passport and visa control. Upon arrival, this happens in the reverse order: first through passport control, and then, after receiving your luggage, through customs. Upon arrival in the country, customs control goes through those who have something to declare (for example, a large amount of cash or a chest of gold) - such passengers are sent through the red corridor, the rest pass through the green corridor without additional inspection.

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

If the plane is very delayed and you risk not having time to make a transfer, you need to contact an airline representative. Find out from him the reason for the delay and the estimated departure time. If the weather conditions are not the issue, ask to be put on another suitable flight of the same airline. You must be provided with a seat at no extra charge as soon as possible.

If your flight is delayed by more than two hours due to the airline's fault, you can receive a food voucher at the airport. And if the plane is even more late (more than 6 hours at night or 8 during the day), you should not only be fed, but also placed in a hotel. In a number of countries, including Russia and the European Union, these standards are established by law.

If the airline did not provide you with meals and a hotel room, keep all receipts for meals, hotel rooms, and taxis to and from the airport. The air carrier will have to compensate you for all these expenses. Don't forget to ask for proof of the flight delay - this could be a stamp on your ticket or a certificate. These rules apply to both scheduled and charter flights.

Is it possible to spend the night at the airport?

If you are flying with a connection and the flights are very far apart, you may have to spend the night somewhere. Sometimes this can be done at an airport hotel or even at the airport itself (for example, in Moscow Sheremetyevo there is a capsule hotel). But there are airports where all passengers will be asked to leave the waiting area overnight. Then you will have to spend the night in the city. Before such a trip, do not forget to check the airport operating hours and, if necessary, obtain a visa from the country where you are going to spend the night.

Please note that overnight flights are not very convenient, but are usually cheap.

Is it possible to smoke at the airport

At airports you can only smoke in designated smoking rooms. But they are not available everywhere.

How many hours before departure should you arrive at the airport?

If you don't like to rush, it is better to arrive at the airport at the beginning of check-in. That is, approximately three hours before departure abroad and two if you are flying on a domestic flight.

For flights of many airlines you can check in in advance - on the Internet or at the train station. Then you can come later.

There are also complicating factors - for example, if you are carrying animals or unusual luggage with you, or there is rush hour on the roads or at the airport. Then it is advisable to arrive earlier.

If you are traveling with a group and would like to sit in adjacent seats on the plane, you should also arrive at the start of check-in.

Express to the airport

In some cities, you can get to the airport by comfortable high-speed train. It runs between the city and the airport without stops (or almost without them). Express trains run:

from Moscow airports and back (Vnukovo - Kyiv railway station, Sheremetyevo - Belorussky railway station, Domodedovo - Paveletsky railway station);
from Knevichi airport to Vladivostok station and back (with stops Second Rechka, Ugolnaya and Artyom).

The trains have economy and business class carriages. In business class, passengers travel in more comfortable seats, and in addition, during the trip they are offered printed materials and soft drinks.

On the one hand, this is the simplest question - because at the airport you need to go through a number of mandatory events. Plus, some people will want to do something optional, but desirable for them (visit Duty Free, change clothes, etc.). All this takes time.

On the other hand, it is in this issue that the main difficulties are hidden, and each of the operations, in addition to the fact that it takes time, can take completely different intervals depending on the airport, flight, level of control, passenger experience and a host of other factors.

We will take into account the time from the moment of arrival at the airport; the road from home must be added to this data in order to calculate what time to leave. The approximate sequence of actions on which we will base our calculations is as follows:

Enter the airport building.
Get flight information.
Check in luggage.
Check in and receive your boarding pass.
Go through customs and border control on an international flight.
Find your gate (from the English gate) - boarding gate.
Go through pre-flight inspection.
Board the aircraft.

Anyone with even minimal flying experience understands that at each of these stages there can be delays and some processes can fall out of whack. For example, if there is no luggage, there is no time spent on its inspection and registration.

At the same time, “entering the airport” at normal times does not take time at all, but when the level of security increases (which happens often), the initial one begins near the doors.

In addition to the inconvenience, it is also time-consuming - this procedure may well last 5-20 minutes.

Already from these data it is clear that the time of arrival at the airport is calculated in hours, not minutes. There is an old but obvious joke that it is possible to fly on your own plane, arriving at the airport in less than an hour, under one condition - if you are the pilot of this flight.

Also, a lot depends on the passenger’s experience: whether he has flown before, whether he knows a specific airport or searching for a counter, inspection modules, gate, etc. will take extra time. In our calculations we will take into account the maximum time for each operation. For accurate individual data, it is necessary to clarify the exact parameters of a particular airline and subtract unnecessary operations from the results obtained.

How many hours before departure does check-in begin and end?

Registration is one of the most time-consuming, but mandatory processes. We have already told you, or...

For calculations, we need to remember that registration for domestic flights, usually, starts 2 – 2.5 hours before departure. International flights – 3 – 5 hours in advance. We will be guided by this data when calculating the time when checking in for a flight at the counter.

However, not only the registration start parameter is important, but also its end time. Typically this happens 30 - 40 minutes on domestic flights and 40 - 50 minutes on international flights.

Let's look at this data for several major airlines, but keep in mind that the data may differ depending on both the flight and the airport:

LOT is a Polish airline. A domestic flight means a flight within the Republic of Poland.

Please note that many foreign (from outside the CIS) airlines have stopped publishing information about check-in times at the airport (at the counter), and only report online check-in methods.

Among them:

Turkish Airlines.
Lufthansa.
Air France.
Qatar.
Czech Airlines.
RainAir.
VisaAir et al.

On average, their parameters are similar to those provided in the table, but the exact values need to be clarified at the information service or directly at the airport.

Charters, in terms of registration, differ little. In general, you can register for these flights in the same ways and on the same basis.

However, charters are largely individual, and airports give preference for departures to regular flights.

Because of this, registration time may be shortened.

Time to pass control

U domestic flights There is only one type of passenger control – pre-boarding. This includes a metal detector, personal search and check of hand luggage immediately before boarding.

Boarding ends 20 minutes before departure. A queue may form at the control, which will take another 20–30 minutes. Accordingly, you must come to control no later than 40–50 minutes in advance.

On international flights customs and border controls are added. It is necessary to budget another half hour for these operations.

How much do you need to check in luggage?

Luggage must be submitted for inspection (X-ray and/or personal inspection), packed and baggage tags issued. But the main thing (from the point of view of time consumption) is that a queue may arise here too. On international flights, this procedure is sometimes combined with customs inspection, but sometimes these are different counters.

The estimated time for checking luggage, which we will take into account in the calculations, is 30 minutes. However, it is possible to reduce it, for example, by specifying the parameters during online registration and printing all the necessary tags.

You need to know that some things can not be checked in as checked luggage, but can be taken with you into the cabin as hand luggage. Find out what it is, what things you can and what, on the contrary, are strictly prohibited to take on board.

Calculation of arrival time for an international flight

Let's move on to approximate calculations. We will take into account the maximum data, because Many time costs are unpredictable, and you need to budget for the largest numbers. The first result will be a certain calculated value, from which we will then derive several values that are closer to reality. All operations include queues and time for the procedure itself.

Total - you need to arrive 5 hours 20 minutes in advance. However, you should not immediately panic when you see such a huge value - then we will try to reduce it a little. At the same time, if you are an inexperienced traveler and do not know the departure airport, you can safely use this maximum result.

How long before the flight do I need to be at the airport? 3 hours

So, what can you do to reduce time:

If you know your way around the airport building well, you can safely subtract 10 minutes from each operation (except for finishing the landing): 8 x 10 = 1 hour 20 minutes. Your total time is 4 hours.
If you don’t have luggage, feel free to take another half hour for this operation, and reduce customs control by 10 minutes: 4 hours – 40 minutes = 3 hours 20 minutes.
By pre-registering online, you can win another 20 minutes (more is possible, but we calculate based on the most “inconvenient” parameters), i.e. total time – 3 hours.

These are just a few possible options. There can be many combinations, but it should be understood that the lack of experience and knowledge of the airport increases the parameter to the maximum, and it is not recommended to budget less than 3 hours for an international flight and 2 hours for a domestic flight, even under other favorable circumstances.

We must not forget about the time it takes to get to the airport. Everyone should take this parameter into account independently.

What to do if you didn’t have time to register?

First and foremost - find an airline employee and contact him. If something else can be done, then he will be the one to suggest a way out. The chance of getting on board decreases depending on the time of delay:

Registration has ended, but boarding is still underway.
Landing has ended, but the plane has not yet taken off.
The board is already in the sky.

The first two cases, through fairly large penalties, can lead to the fact that the latecomer ends up in the cabin of his flight. The third, of course, will not lead to anything like this, but if the passenger has a first or VIP class ticket, then they can find a seat on the next flight, but the flight class may be reduced, and commissions will be taken for being late.

Conclusion

“Sit down and fly”? Now you understand how much you need to do before landing and flying. Be sure to take this into account when planning your time, otherwise being late may result in the collapse of what was planned.

Remember one more thing, Not all tickets are refundable. Most low-cost airlines sell non-refundable seats, and being late will result in an uncontested loss of money.

So, you are going to the airport. A passport, ticket, documents for the child have been prepared (passport, birth certificate, consent of the spouse for the departure of your child). You haven’t forgotten a wallet with money from the country you are interested in, a return ticket (it is needed to get to many countries, and it can “take” you not necessarily home, but to another country), as well as the card with which you paid for the ticket (in some airlines may require it). The suitcase was also collected, and even carefully measured with a measuring tape and weighed. When to call a taxi?

Experienced passengers are sure: If the flight is domestic, you need to arrive 2 hours before departure. If you are international or you are a beginner, then for three. Add to this time the route to the airport, taking into account possible traffic jams and congestion.

And now about the same thing, but in more detail.

Incoming control. Even if you are not flying anywhere, but just meeting your husband/brother/matchmaker, you will be asked to send your bag to the scanner and go through the metal detector yourself. If something in the bag alerts the employee, he will ask you to open it and show the contents.
Departures board. The same as at the train station. Look on your ticket to see what your flight number looks like and look for it on the board. It contains Latin letters as well as numbers. If it says next to it that registration is open, or if an empty field lights up, you’ve made it. If it is indicated that landing is in progress - alas...
You check in and receive a boarding pass, then (if necessary) check your luggage and receive a baggage tag. You will receive your suitcase after boarding. He will fly with you, only in the cargo compartment.
Go through passport control and pre-flight inspection (again, a metal detector + scanner for all things, but this check is more thorough), and in some cases you will have to communicate with customs officers.
The waiting room where you will stay until boarding. There are cafes and shops here.
Boarding a plane to which a certain gate will lead. At large airports, buses wait for people behind the gates, and less often, there is an accordion corridor leading to the door of the aircraft.

Registration time and procedure

How does registration work? An airline representative checks the documents of all passengers, their tickets (although sometimes only a passport is enough, since they have all the information in the database), and then hands over a boarding pass with the number of your seat on board. If you are one of the first in line, you can ask the employee to find you a more comfortable seat (for example, one where you can stretch your legs well).

Have you already registered elsewhere? They will send you a coupon - be sure to print it out. It is this, and not the ticket, that guarantees that you will be allowed on the plane. By the way, in addition to the flight number, it will indicate the exact departure time.

You can register:

from home, via the Internet (though not always - information about such registration is on the websites of carrier companies);
through a self-check-in terminal (this method can be recommended not only for experienced travelers). Its advantage is that you don't have to stand in line at the counter. These smart machines (also called self-check-in kiosks) can read information from your passport and also print out the boarding pass you need.

Self-check-in (especially if done in advance, via the Internet - it opens about a day before the flight, although VizAir allows you to check-in a month in advance) gives you the advantage of choosing your favorite seat on the plane. Well, people who will go through “off-line” check-in at the airport employee’s desk, especially those last in line, will already receive what’s left... However, this rule has an exception: sometimes companies indicate on tickets a specific seat, which is assigned behind this passenger. Most often, these are places of increased comfort, for which a person pays extra.

If you checked in online but forgot your boarding pass at home, you will have to visit the check-in counter and they will issue you a new one. In some cases, you can register using your mobile phone. The coupon will be sent to you and does not need to be printed - it will be checked through the screen of your phone.

Registration usually starts 2 hours before and ends 40 minutes before departure., smoothly “flowing” into the landing.

If you are late for this procedure, or arrive on time but without the necessary documents, you will be denied boarding.

Boarding time

After check-in, you are taken to the departure area (waiting room). Here people are waiting for the airline to check the documents of the last passenger and announce boarding. Even if it seems to you that there is still time, immediately find the gate you need. Your boarding pass contains your flight number - the same one should appear on the sign above the gate. Only after figuring out how to get to this “departure point” can you set off to explore the fascinating world of duty-free.

It's worth remembering: gate numbers sometimes change, so don't stay in stores until the last minute. It is in your interests to appear at the boarding gate no later than 15 minutes before boarding, that is, a maximum of 25-45 minutes before departure (depending on the length of your flight and what city you are in, this will be discussed in more detail below) . You can’t be late: if a passenger “goes on a spree” and doesn’t make it in time, the money for the ticket won’t be returned to him - it’s his own fault.

Boarding times are constantly reminded to passengers, broadcast on information boards and repeated over loudspeakers.

Domestic flights

At large airports (for example, in the capital), boarding begins 30-40 minutes and ends 15-20 minutes before departure.
At small airports (say, in Barnaul, Irkutsk, and so on) it starts 25-30 and ends 15-10 minutes before the “start”.

International flights

Large airports: starts 60 to 40 minutes, ends 25 to 20 minutes before departure.
Small: starts in 40-30 minutes, ends in 20-15 minutes.

Why is there such a big time difference? It's simple: the larger the airport, the longer the queues. And in smaller cities there are practically no such services, so the service is faster.

That's all! Now you can sit back and fly beautifully into the sunset.

By the way! When checking in, passengers are often asked to select a seat on the plane. There is no need to think that they are all the same - there are more and less comfortable chairs. In addition, many salons are designed differently, so the seats in them are not at all identical. This video will help you make the right choice!

Going on a foreign trip by air requires increased responsibility. It should be understood that the airliner will not wait for a late passenger and will depart according to the standard schedule. Before boarding an aircraft, a passenger will have to go through a registration procedure and several checks. In addition, you must check in your luggage and fill out a customs declaration. In our article, we propose to examine the question of how long before departure you need to be at the airport in order to have time to go through all the above procedures.

Before boarding a flight, you must undergo a certain list of procedures

Rules set by airlines

It is quite difficult to name the exact time when you need to go to the airport. There are many different factors to consider when deciding this issue. Among them are:

Airline requirements and the ability to check in electronically.
The presence or absence of luggage requiring registration.
Flight direction.

It is possible to reduce the time period required to complete all standard procedures only if you know the characteristics of a particular air harbor.

A high volume of passenger traffic may cause registration to take quite a long period of time. One of the most difficult stages is passing passport and customs control. A thorough inspection of a passenger's luggage takes quite a lot of time. According to the established rules, passengers who have registered in real time through electronic services can arrive at the airport one hour before the departure of the flight. This time period is quite enough to pass customs and passport control, provided there is no large luggage.

Travelers with pets should remember that in this case, going through control will take a significantly longer period of time. In such a situation, you need to go to the airport several hours before the flight departs. Possible difficulties can only be avoided if the tourist has all the necessary documents. After arriving at the airport, it is recommended to remove from your bags in advance all documents that may be required in order to board the aircraft.

Tourists traveling around Russia just need to show their boarding pass and passport to the airline staff. In the case of foreign travel, a visa and a foreign document proving the identity of the traveler will be required. It should be noted here that for sending to some countries there is no need for a visa. Airport employees put a special mark in the traveler’s documents, allowing the tourist to stay in the country for a certain period of time.

The procedure for completing the registration procedure

One of the first stages that a traveler who wants to go on a trip abroad by air has to go through is check-in for the flight. This procedure begins a few hours before the departure of the flight and ends before the departure of the aircraft. The duration of this process depends on the characteristics of the selected flight. As a rule, in the case of local routes, a tourist only needs to show up at the airport a few hours before the departure is announced. You can get detailed information about the duration of the registration procedure by calling the hotline or on the official website of the selected transport service.

For passengers who want to reduce time costs, there is an alternative in the form of electronic check-in for the flight. You can use this service twenty-four hours before the flight departs. The use of modern technologies can significantly simplify the process in question and save time. Tourists can fill out an electronic form via a personal computer or mobile device from anywhere in the city. When using such services, the passenger is sent to the airport, having in hand all the necessary documents to board the aircraft.

The optimal time of arrival at the airport depends on the destination, the availability of checked baggage and, of course, the personal qualities of the passenger

It should be noted that not all passengers can use such a service. People traveling with small children, immobile people or pets must go through the standard registration procedure.

How far in advance do you need to arrive at the airport for domestic flights?

The question of how long it takes to arrive at the airport for domestic flights worries many passengers traveling around Russia . The optimal period is a period of time equal to two hours before the announcement of the flight departure. During this time period, airline employees open the registration procedure. Those travelers who have registered through the electronic service can arrive at the airport forty minutes before the flight departs. This period of time is quite enough to go through customs inspection and passport control, as well as handing luggage into the luggage compartment.

How long before you arrive at the airport for an international flight?

The answer to the question of how long to arrive at the airport for an international flight is somewhat different from the above recommendations . In this case, the traveler must arrive at the airport at least three hours before the flight departs. The time difference is explained by the fact that in this case, registration ends one hour before the plane’s departure. In addition, you need to take into account that the airline can change the departure time, postponing the departure of the flight by ten minutes.

It is important to understand that when traveling to foreign countries, the traveler needs to go through a more complex registration procedure. During this process, airline employees will need to present not only local, but also foreign documents, which significantly prolongs the process itself. This is why experienced tourists prefer to leave for the airport a few hours before their flight departs.

The procedure for passing passport and customs control

Travelers wishing to use air transport need to take into account not only the check-in time before the plane departs, but also the length of time required to clear customs control. Each passenger, before boarding the aircraft, undergoes a luggage inspection procedure. This means that tourists must take into account the length of time spent on this procedure. During the inspection, security officers check travelers' luggage for the presence of objects from the prohibited list. This process is a kind of guarantee of safe travel.

In situations where a tourist goes through the standard check-in procedure, security personnel inspect the luggage without the participation of the passenger. The presence of the traveler is required only during the check of cabin luggage. At each airport there is a special counter intended for those people who have completed the registration procedure through electronic services. The total duration of customs inspection is less than thirty minutes. You can reduce time costs by first studying the list of items that are included in the list of prohibited objects.

It is better to arrive at an unfamiliar airport in advance

Baggage transportation standards are calculated on the basis of tariff schedules developed by airline management. It is recommended that you review these rules carefully before you travel. It should be noted that each company creates its own list of objects that are prohibited from being taken on board an aircraft. This list includes:

Firearms and bladed weapons.
Poisonous compounds and explosives.
Flammable liquids and solid fuel elements.

Before you go on the road, you must carefully study the rules established by the selected transport service.

Experienced travelers know the answer to the question of how long before departure you need to be at the airport. Most tourists prefer to go to the airport a few hours before their flight departure time. When calculating the length of time it will take to get to the airport, it is necessary to take into account various unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the trip. It should be remembered that the registration procedure ends forty minutes before the flight departs. All travelers must board the aircraft twenty minutes before departure. People who have not managed to complete all formalities are not allowed on the plane. It should be noted here that returning tickets and returning money after the flight has departed is much more difficult compared to pre-registration of a refund.

You can save personal time by completing the registration procedure through a special electronic service. This approach allows you to get a small time reserve of one hour. This period of time is enough to deal with various force majeure events. Tourists visiting the airport for the first time often experience anxiety, which leads to the loss of valuable time. Excessive fuss and running from one registration desk to another can lead to a loss of ten minutes. In order to find the right counter, it is recommended to ask the airport staff for help. In addition, you should be aware of queues near the passport and customs control counters.

Many travelers, once they reach the airport, head to the duty free shops. When making purchases in such stores, you need to take into account several important nuances. Not all airlines allow their customers to carry products purchased at Duty Free for free. Some carriers allow the transportation of such goods only if the original packaging and payment receipt are intact. Visiting duty free shops can take up to thirty minutes.

For domestic flights, the registration procedure will take less time than for international flights

Conclusion

In this article, we looked at the question of when you need to be at the airport before departure within Russia or on international flights. You can reduce time costs by first studying the rules established by the carrier. Tourists are advised to pay attention to the tariffs according to which the air ticket was purchased and the standards for transporting suitcases. In the event that the size or volume of luggage exceeds the established limits, the traveler must pay for additional luggage space. In order to avoid possible problems, it is recommended to go to the airport four hours before flight departure.

Before you travel by plane, you should be prepared to stand in more than one line. Going through the necessary pre-flight formalities at the airport takes a lot of time. That is why it is very important to arrive at the airport terminal on time. Experienced travelers who are familiar with all the nuances know perfectly well how long before departure they need to be at the airport. What to do if you are not yet very experienced in this matter? Then this article is for you. Let's figure out what conditions passengers should know, how long all the necessary procedures take, and whether this process can be accelerated.

Airline conditions

How long before departure is it optimal to arrive at the airport? It is not always possible to give a number accurate to the minute. The fact is that the time of arrival at the airport depends on many factors. Let's list some of them:

Flight direction (domestic or international transportation);

Specific requirements of the carrier;

Availability of luggage (and especially oversized luggage, including objects of art, animals, etc.);

Possibility of electronic check-in for a flight.

It is also important to take into account the seasonal factor. During the peak tourist season, on weekends and holidays, and during morning or evening rush hours, traffic on the road to the airport may be difficult. So the travel time should be calculated taking into account possible delays along the way.

Experienced travelers are well versed in familiar airports, know where the check-in and security checkpoints are and where to go next, so they can afford to linger a little on the way. But you shouldn’t overuse it here either.

In addition, when entering an airport you often have to go through a small security screening area. Usually this formality takes no more than a couple of minutes, but sometimes a queue can form here. So it’s worth setting aside a small amount of time, at least five minutes, for this.

To avoid unpleasant moments and unnecessary delays, prepare in advance and place in a separate compartment of your bag all the documents necessary for the flight. So, if you are, keep your passport and itinerary receipt with your boarding pass ready. If you are flying abroad, your package of documents must include a foreign passport (with a visa stamped, if required by the laws of the country). In some countries, you may be asked to show proof of insurance and proof of financial security at your arrival airport.

Flights with animals also require additional time. Please note that your pet will have to undergo veterinary inspection at the airport, after which you will be issued permission to fly and a boarding pass. This also takes time, especially not only you, but also other passengers with four-legged friends undergo veterinary control.

Pre-flight formalities include several procedures: check-in for the flight and baggage handling, customs clearance, pre-flight inspection, passport control and boarding the plane. Let's look at these procedures in more detail.

Checking in on board the aircraft at the boarding complex building

What's the first thing you need to do when you arrive at the terminal building? Of course, register. By the way, it is the time frame associated with passenger check-in and baggage check-in that both experienced travelers and the airlines themselves advise to focus on.

Check-in times vary depending on where you're traveling to. For domestic flights, check-in of passengers and baggage by airport terminal staff begins two hours before the plane departs. It is at this time that the airlines themselves recommend that clients arrive at the terminal building.

Check-in for international flights opens earlier. This is due to the large number of required procedures: in addition to inspection before departure, you will face customs and border inspections. In this regard, when flying abroad, airlines recommend that tourists arrive at the airport at least three hours before flight departure. During this time, you will have time to calmly go through all the required formalities and arrive on time at the desired gate to board the plane.

Please remember that the airline may refuse to transport a passenger who is late for check-in or boarding. This provision is fixed in Art. 91 of the Federal Aviation Rules “General rules for air transportation of passengers, baggage, cargo and requirements for servicing passengers, shippers, consignees.” Thus, check-in for domestic flights usually ends 30-40 minutes before departure, for international flights a little earlier - 40-60 minutes. Boarding ends 20-25 minutes before flight departure.

Electronic check-in

Today, many airlines offer passengers an alternative to checking in directly at the airport. For convenience and to save time, you can register electronically on the airline’s website. These actions allow the passenger to reduce the time spent in the “airport” - you can calmly finish all your work and arrive an hour and a half before departure.

Usually, Online check-in for a flight opens one day before the plane departs.

There are several advantages of electronic check-in. If the ticket fare requires the passenger to choose a seat, then you will be able to study the layout of your aircraft’s cabin in advance and calmly and choose the most convenient seats for you. Accordingly, if you are flying with a companion or family, you are guaranteed to know that you are sitting next to each other.

When you check in online, you will receive a boarding pass by email. All that remains is to print it out (you can do this at home or at self-service counters at the airport). So you no longer have to stand in line at the check-in counter.

But there is one nuance that should be taken into account. If you are traveling with a suitcase, you will have to check it in. Some airports do not have separate counters for passengers to drop off their luggage; you will be asked to do this at the same counters where other passengers check in. You can clarify these points by contacting a representative of the airline you have chosen by calling the hotline.

In addition, this service is not available on all flights and not to all categories of passengers. Thus, electronic check-in is not available if you are accompanying people with disabilities or traveling with a small child who does not occupy a separate seat. You will have to go through check-in at the airport if you are bringing valuable works of art or pets.

You can also find out the airline's recommendations on the carrier's website. For example, one of the largest Russian airlines, Aeroflot, clarifies that if you are traveling with luggage, even in the case of online check-in, you must arrive at the check-in counter no later than 45 minutes before the flight departure. If you only have hand luggage with you, you must be at the boarding gate at least 20 minutes before departure. At this point you must go through security control.

Passing security check

Upon arrival at the airport, passengers go through several stages of inspection. The first is at the entrance to the terminal building. You need to go through metal detectors, and here employees inspect the contents of bags and suitcases. In Russia, there are frames at the entrance to all airports; in other countries, it happens that there is no such area or the inspection is carried out selectively.

After checking in and checking in luggage, passengers proceed to special security screening areas. Security officers here carefully check whether the passenger is carrying prohibited items on himself or in his hand luggage. It is worth taking into account the queues at the inspection points and the time it takes to remove outer clothing, belts, and in some cases shoes. In general, this procedure takes about 10-20 minutes, sometimes taking up to half an hour.

Please note that in the inspection area only those things that the tourist takes with him into the aircraft cabin are checked. Baggage checked at the check-in counter is checked without the presence of the passenger.

In order not to get stuck at this stage, you need to study in advance the list of permitted and prohibited items. In particular, there is a general ban on the carriage of flammable and flammable substances, toxic compounds and weapons, both in checked luggage and in hand luggage. There are also strict rules regarding the carriage of liquids in the cabin of an airliner (they must be packed in containers with a volume of less than 100 ml, the total volume of liquid cannot exceed one liter). All this information can be found on the airline’s website, and, if necessary, clarified by calling the hotline. This way you will save time and nerves.

Save time in an Aeroport

How to quickly complete all the necessary formalities at the airport? There are several ways to save time.

If you are checking in online, please print and take with you all receipts and boarding passes for all passengers in advance. If you are traveling light, then with these documents you can safely bypass the check-in counters and go to the security check area.

Take a responsible approach to airline rules, especially when it comes to carrying things in the cabin and in luggage. Suitcases must not contain prohibited items, and their dimensions and weight must comply with the standards established by your carrier. Seizing prohibited substances and items and processing excess baggage requires additional time.

How to brighten up the wait at the airport

To ensure that passengers have something to brighten up the wait for their flight, the airports have everything they need: shops, restaurants, cafes, playgrounds for children, rooms for mothers and children. Passengers await their flight in the general lounge or business lounges (depending on the ticket purchased or the availability of individual privileges).

If your flight is delayed, you are entitled to additional free services. When your flight is delayed by more than two hours, you are entitled to a free soft drink or two phone calls. If your flight is delayed by more than four hours, you will be fed free of charge. When your plane's departure is delayed by more than eight hours, passengers must also be accommodated in a hotel at the airline's expense, with a free transfer to and from the hotel.

Nuances for beginners

Think in advance about how you will get to the airport. Take into account the possibility of unforeseen situations: the taxi may be delayed, and there may be traffic jams on the way to the airport. If you travel by public transport, check its schedule. In Moscow, it is convenient to use Aeroexpress, a high-speed train that runs to the airport and back.

Always adhere to the time limits set by the airline. If you are late, it is not a fact that you will be able to get your money back for the ticket. In addition, a comfortable amount of time will save you from unnecessary fuss before the flight.

If you get confused at the airport or need help, contact your airline. They will always tell you where the counters you need are located and what to do in case of force majeure (if you are late, your flight is delayed or rescheduled).

It would be a good idea to study the airport map in advance so that you can get your bearings at home in the terminal areas and decide where you need to go to check in and where to drop off your bags. Some airports consist of several remote terminals, sometimes it can take up to half an hour to get from the entrance to the check-in area. Even if the airport is not very large, spend 5-10 minutes searching for the necessary check-in counters or other necessary areas. Please also take into account the queues for individual employees (for registration, inspections), this may take another 20-30 minutes.

Tourists who receive tickets and documents purchased from a travel agency at the airport before registration begin are advised to arrive half an hour before registration begins. Here you will first have to find the counter of your tour operator and, possibly, stand in line with other tourists.

Additional time will be required for baggage packing procedures at the airport and tax-free refund processing.

Allow an extra half hour if you want to purchase goods from duty free shops. When purchasing, do not forget that you should not open the package from the store until the end of the flight - some goods (alcohol, liquids with a volume of more than 100 ml) are not allowed in regular hand luggage, an exception is made only for packaged goods from Duty Free.