I have a flight at 0630 tomo.. What time should I get there? Has the security gone up recently?

1/22/2010 9:48:15 PM

0330

1/22/2010 9:51:27 PM

15 mins before is always on time

1/22/2010 9:51:40 PM

Domestic or international? (1, 2 hours respectively)

1/22/2010 9:53:08 PM

the plane is actually going to pick you up at your house. it's a new convenience service the airlines are trying out.

1/22/2010 9:53:34 PM

I would say 5:15-5:30 should be fine.

1/22/2010 9:54:22 PM

my neighbors looked at me funny when the southwest jet pulled up to pick me up

1/22/2010 9:55:17 PM

you'd better leave now to be one the safe side. you can never be too sure.

1/22/2010 9:56:36 PM

just wait by your mailbox

1/22/2010 10:01:27 PM

Domestic.. I hope 5am is fine..

1/22/2010 10:03:15 PM

As long as you check in before you go to the airport then an hour to an hour 15 is plenty.

1/22/2010 10:05:17 PM

45 min

1/22/2010 10:08:08 PM

you can probably run a few minutes late

they'll wait for you

1/22/2010 10:11:12 PM

that early, you should be able to check in and get through security in 15 mins

1/22/2010 10:25:34 PM

last time I had a 630 flight, I arrived at RDU at 6... I had to literally sprint from checking-in, through security and then to the plane... luckily the plane was a little bit delayed... I got to the plane at 640... so don't go with this 15 min shit, unless you aren't checking bags and have already checked in online..

[Edited on January 22, 2010 at 10:30 PM. Reason : .]

1/22/2010 10:30:16 PM

one trip through rdu took me 45min to get through security

another trip took 10min including extra screening

go figure.

i'd say aim for entering the line 1 hour before your flight

1/22/2010 10:38:10 PM

this all depends if you're checking bags. if you are then you need to be an hour early because they process bags early. if not then 20 minutes early because it rarely takes more than 10 to get through experienced security. (that is, if you're experienced)

if you're new to flying then be an hour early regardless.

1/22/2010 10:38:44 PM

OH GOD. HOW DO I WALKED THROUGH METAL DETECTOR?!?

1/22/2010 10:39:31 PM

it doesnt matter how experienced you are when they don't have enough xray machines running and you have idiots in front of you

and there is no way to predict that

i've breezed through security plenty of times but most of my hold ups have been at rdu

1/22/2010 10:40:09 PM

then you're going through regular security, if you go through the other security that is just for experts you don't even use the same x-rays as the idiots. theres never a line. i even went on peak thanksgiving time and there were maybe 5 people ahead of me.

1/22/2010 10:44:38 PM

Quote :

"if you go through the other security that is just for experts"

WAT

1/22/2010 10:46:32 PM

those lines arent always open

i usually fly out of rdu at 6am and those lines arent open yet when ive gone through

1/22/2010 10:46:41 PM

wait wait wait... they have security lines for 'expert' security pass-throughers? and what determines this expertise?

1/22/2010 10:48:10 PM

Quote :

"this all depends if you're checking bags. if you are then you need to be an hour early because they process bags early. if not then 20 minutes early because it rarely takes more than 10 to get through experienced security. (that is, if you're experienced) if you're new to flying then be an hour early regardless."

wtf. It's a Saturday in late-January at 5:45-6:00am. There will be like five people max in line at security. You can get there 20 minutes before your flight and you'd be more than fine.

It took me three minutes to go from checking in, checking a bag to sitting in the airport bar at 9:00am on December effing 23rd in RDU...

1/22/2010 10:50:41 PM

the plane takes off

1/22/2010 10:50:50 PM

im used to using the elite line for continental going through houston so rdu is like slumming it for me (/snob)

how it works at IAH is there are usually 3 lines

- families
- expert/people with status with the airlines (this is printed on boarding passes)
- everyone else

most of the time only 2 lines are open... status & family

every airport is different, just like tsa screening guidelines are different at every airport

1/22/2010 10:52:56 PM

every time I've been to an airport I've never seen these special lines... everyone just got in the same one/same set... is this something new?

1/22/2010 10:54:09 PM

its more common at large airports running hundreds of people through at a time

RDU is one of the most inconsistent airports ever

how busy it is seems to vary so much and day & time don't seem to matter. some check in desks are swamped and others are fine. it makes no sense

http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2008/04/tsa_rolls_out_more_expert_secu.html

about the different lines

[Edited on January 22, 2010 at 10:57 PM. Reason : link]

1/22/2010 10:56:38 PM

^ Do you fly exclusively with Southwest or JetBlue?

1/22/2010 10:57:20 PM

continental

best, most professional airline in the industry imo

sometimes i fly others if the different in fare is more than $100. i can check my bags for free with continental and they serve meals on the planes still so its worth paying more most of the time

1/22/2010 10:59:19 PM

Quote :

"Domestic or international? (1, 2 hours respectively)"

Yup. Maybe an extra 20 minutes if you're parking instead of taxi/friend/wifey

Last time I flew out that early I walked straight in, breezed through security, posted up at the coffee shop and by the time my drink and breakfast was done we were starting boarding.

1/22/2010 11:04:18 PM

i've never not seen an expert line. flying mia rdu memphis nashville atlanta tampa orlando and philly.

and im not "in" with any of the airlines. i just hop in that line everytime.

Quote :

"You can get there 20 minutes before your flight and you'd be more than fine. "

the time between the final bags leaving the check in and the bags being loaded onto the plane is more than 20 minutes before the flight takes off

[Edited on January 22, 2010 at 11:07 PM. Reason : if ur checking bags u risk getting screwed]

1/22/2010 11:05:54 PM

If you go in your undies you'll get through security faster.

1/22/2010 11:11:37 PM

i believe you've seen and used the expert line at those other airports

im saying ive never seen it at rdu

when is the last time you flew through there? im not flying through often but i did fly out of rdu on monday of this week

1/22/2010 11:12:53 PM

i flew through t-giving

1/22/2010 11:15:50 PM

they prob put it up for holiday travel

i was there for thanksgiving & christmas but flew on non-traditional travel days

1/22/2010 11:19:32 PM

I'm actually really bad about those 6:30 commuter flights

I usually get to security about 5:45~6:00 and get through while the plane is boarding.

Haven't missed one yet though

1/22/2010 11:30:34 PM

I went in an hour early.. took me like 15 mins to get through.. cos I had checked in online and had no bags to check in...

1/26/2010 8:50:39 PM

is it international?

i got there 3 hours early for my international flight at 8am

i could have gotten there 5 minutes early

and i even had to be frisked and go in the special box

1/26/2010 8:51:28 PM

better leave now

1/26/2010 8:51:58 PM

you might just want to sleep in your car at RDU parking deck man

1/26/2010 8:53:29 PM