Do you really need to arrive 2 hours before a flight?

While this is the recommended time to arrive before a domestic flight, it all depends on the airport and time of year. If it is a large airport during the busy summer season, you may find longer lines, which necessitates an early arrival.

Is 5 hours too early for the airport?

While 5 hours can be very early, there is plenty to do at most major airports, including lounge access, walking the terminals, enjoying restaurants and shops.

What happens if I get to the airport too early?

If you get to an airport early, you can spend the time in the lounge, walking around or even shopping!

Can I go through airport security 6 hours early?

As long as it is the same day, you can generally go through security as early as you’d like. However, if you are checking luggage, the time your airline’s check-in desk opens may limit you.

5 Ideas To Make the Most of Extra Airport Time Before Your Flight

Updated: July 24, 2025, 8:00am CDT

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Table of Contents

1. Walking the Terminals
2. Restaurants and Dining
3. Plane-Spotting
4. Shop
5. Lounges
Final Thoughts

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Whether you’re arriving at the airport early on purpose or you want to maximize your time with amenities and offers, there are many ways to spend your time before you board your flight.

Airports are almost like mini cities, and there’s a variety of ways you can keep yourself occupied, some more exciting than others — and here are my favorites.

1. Walking the Terminals

Especially before a long flight, one of the best ways you can spend your hours before departure is to walk the terminals. It’s a fantastic way to get extra steps and burn calories, and perhaps more importantly, a great way to stretch your legs before a long-haul flight.

Some airports are better than others for this. For example, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has pathways over 2 miles long from check-in to the farthest gates. While trains can take you between terminals, all are also linked by walking paths. On longer layovers, I do laps around the airport on purpose and use my Apple Watch to determine the number of steps and calories burned.

Hot Tip:

Many airports also have public art programs, with galleries, installations, and other works of art on display as you walk through the concourses.

In an airport like DFW, all terminals are linked airside, so it’s easy to walk around. However, some airports have different terminals that aren’t as easy to walk around, such as Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), where Terminal 5 is separated from other gates.

Chicago OHare ORD Terminal 1 — Chicago O’Hare (ORD) Terminal 1. Image Credit: Michael Y. Park

These are some of my favorite U.S. airports for walking:

Abroad, I love walking around these airports:

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
Sydney Airport (SYD)

When you walk the terminals, be sure you’re planning enough time to head back to your departure gate prior to boarding time. You don’t want to get stuck in a remote part of the airport where it’s difficult to get back to where you need to be.

2. Restaurants and Dining

If you’re arriving super early at the airport and are hungry, visiting an airport restaurant is a great way to pass the time. Larger airports tend to have a large variety of chain restaurants, including both sit-down and takeout. Depending on the airport you’re at, you may even find some local eateries where you can experience the food of the region without having to leave the airport!

One of the best ways to find out what restaurants an airport has is by visiting the airport’s website. You’ll often find a full list of restaurants and their hours of operation.

Davios BOS exterior — Airport restaurants are a great way to pass the time. Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). Image Credit: Chris Hassan

Keep in mind that sometimes restaurants close prior to the last departing flight. So if you’re departing late at night, you may be more limited in what you can eat. Often, larger or busier airports keep at least 1 restaurant open 24/7, but check with your airport.

When dining at an airport restaurant, be sure you have enough time before your departing flight. Especially if you’re at a table-service establishment and there are a lot of patrons, it may take a while for your food to arrive. Most restaurants offer takeout options if you’re in a hurry.

Hot Tip:

Most major credit cards that come with Priority Pass no longer include complimentary visits to select restaurants.

3. Plane-Spotting

If you’re an aviation geek like me, one of the best ways to pass the time in an airport is to watch planes! If it’s a larger airport like New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), you’ll find aircraft of all shapes and sizes departing throughout the day. Find a window overlooking the tarmac or runway; you can plant yourself there for several hours watching planes go by.

Some airports have official viewing areas. One of my favorites is the small airport at Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), where there’s an outdoor patio right in the middle of the gates. Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) also has a terrace at one of its lounges, a perfect spot to see all the planes landing and taking off.

Delta Sky Club SLC Concourse A outdoor deck — The outdoor area at Delta Sky Club in Concourse A at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). Image Credit: Ryan Smith

4. Shop

If you’re up for spending money, you may want to pass the time shopping. Many major retailers have airport-specific locations where you can see the same items you’d see at traditional retail stores. For example, many airports, such as Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) have a Tumi.

Duty free shopping at Lufthansa First Class Terminal — Duty-free shopping at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt (FRA). Image Credit: Greg Stone

Many airport stores even provide free shipping, so you don’t need to take your purchases with you. If you find something you like, the retailer will often ship it to your home address at no extra charge.

Be careful, though. Some airport retailers price items higher than stores outside of the airport, so things may not necessarily be a bargain!

5. Lounges

For many travelers, getting to the airport early means heading to the airport lounge! Some airports have luxurious places to relax, while smaller airports may have no lounge at all.

There are different types of lounges, but they can mainly be broken down into 3 categories:

Airline-operated lounges, such as the United Club or Alaska Lounge.
Credit card-operated lounges, such as the Capital One Lounge or American Express Centurion Lounge.
Priority Pass or third-party contract lounges, accessible by lounge memberships.

Avianca VIP Lounge Seating Guests — The Avianca VIP Lounge in Miami is available to Avianca customers and Star Alliance passengers. Image Credit: Juan Ruiz

With airline-operated lounges, your access usually comes from these methods:

Many airline-operated lounges, such as American Airlines Admirals Club, offer paid membership. With these, you pay an annual subscription fee and then get access to the airline’s club lounge so long as you’re flying that specific airline (or another airline in the alliance), no matter the class of service you’re in.
If you’re flying business class or first class, you may get lounge access. In the U.S., most domestic flights do not come with lounge access, though most international long-haul flights in these classes do. Lounge access is usually included when you’re flying from and to international destinations in these fare classes.
You can purchase a 1-day pass that allows access to any airline-operated lounge in the network for that day, which is especially valuable if you’re connecting through different cities.

Hot Tip:

Some airport lounges restrict entry until 3 hours prior to departure.

With credit-card-operated lounges, you have access based on the card you’re holding:

Having The Platinum Card^® from American Express gets you access to Centurion Lounges worldwide.
Having a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gets you access to Capital One Lounges worldwide.
Having a Chase Sapphire Reserve^® gets you access to Chase Sapphire Lounges worldwide.

Centurion Lounge DCA Soups — Each Centurion Lounge has a full buffet with salads, soups, and hot entrees. Image Credit: James Larounis

With third-party lounges, you have access through Priority Pass or another lounge network. Keep in mind that many premium credit cards come with Priority Pass lounge access, so you don’t need to purchase anything. Priority Pass lounge access is especially valuable at smaller airports, where there may only be contract lounges. At most contract lounges, you can purchase a 1-day access pass, though this is usually expensive.

Lounge access generally includes:

Light snacks and complimentary beverages, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic; some lounges offer a larger spread of food, such as the Delta Sky Club, which offers an array of hot and cold dishes
In-house ticketing assistance at airline-operated lounges, especially useful during delayed or canceled flights.
Clean restrooms
Complimentary Wi-Fi and charging ports
Televisions with news and sports channels
A quiet atmosphere where you can get out of the crowds of the terminal below

Final Thoughts

Arriving at the airport early doesn’t have to be boring! By walking the terminal for steps, eating in a restaurant, or indulging in a luxurious lounge, there’s lots to do if you’ve got time to spare. Just don’t spend too much time doing other things, or you might miss your flight!