06-06-2024
12:57 PM
@Scouter68 wrote:
Thanks so much that really helps find out Houston and I called Southwest and got some information as well. So I think I’m set.
Just hard to wrap my head around being at the airport at 2:30 to 3 AM for 5 AM flight domestic but I guess you have to do what you gotta do
Safe travels aboard your first flight. Here's a typical break down of the 2-hour window upon walking into the Departures level of the Southwest Terminal:
Allow about a 30-minute buffer to Check Bags at SW Check-In Counter or speak to an agent if needed. That's in case if the line is long which could happen even at odd hours of the day. That was the case last summer at PDX one day at 5:14am in the morning.
Otherwise 5-10 minutes will do if one just needs to go a self-serve kiosk to reprint a boarding pass but is traveling carry-on only. As Southwest says in the email, these passengers can "carry-on to security".
Allow about a 45-minute buffer to clear TSA in case the line is long or if you get a secondary search. That's preparing for about 30 mins for the line wait + up to 15 minutes to clear inspection in case of any random or flagged secondary searches). This buffer can be reduced to about 15-20 minutes for TSA PreCheck, CLEAR or Priority Express travelers. In most cases, it does not take 45 whole minutes to clear TSA and most airports have multiple checkpoints that feed into Southwest gates, but on busy travel days, the queue can be extensive. On one my trips from PHX last September, the checkpoint feeding directly into the Southwest gates posted a 35 minute wait. However at PHX specifically, one can access the Southwest gates from any one of four Terminal 4's checkpoints that posted much shorter waits, and PHX does a good job at communicating that.
After clearing TSA, 15 minutes is good buffer to locate and comfortably walk to your gate, use bathrooms, and refill water bottles.
The remaining 30 minute buffer is the boarding time prior to most Southwest departures; about 45-50 minutes prior for most other carriers. You should certainly be at the gate ready to go as boarding begins to ensure you'll board when it's your turn to get on.
In the majority of cases, the waits at check-in counter and TSA are not that excessively long and you'll comfortably arrive at the gate typically at about 1 hour prior and be able to use the restaurants and amenities post-TSA, but keep in mind if there's any major hold ups at the check-in counter or at the TSA checkpoint, having that extra time buffer is absolutely necessary as the flight will not wait for latecomers. That's why a 2-hour buffer is advised.
Hope this helps and enjoy your trip.
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