A controversial theory about flights has become popular on social media. The theory goes like this: Rather than get to the airport at least two hours ahead of time as recommended, one can show up just a short time before their flight, often cutting their arrival down to the last minute.
Why does this “airport theory” (allegedly) work? There are a few reasons. First, as noted by CNN, if one has no checked bags but has TSA PreCheck and other services that allow them to more quickly progress through the line, they may not actually have to wait that long before arriving at their gate.
Second, airport planners design airports so people can get to their gates on time. Consequently, if you inform security personnel that you are running late for your flight, they will likely let you skip the line. This falls apart if everyone tries to do the same, but for the occasional theory-tester, it might work.
That doesn’t mean that someone trying this theory won’t encounter issues, as recently discovered by TikTok user Leah Stapleton (@leahmstapleton) in a video with over 27,000 views.
What Went Wrong With This Woman’s Flight?
In her video, Stapleton says she arrived at the Austin airport 30 minutes before her flight to Chicago boarded.
Initially, things go smoothly. The line for TSA PreCheck was fast, and while she forgot about a water bottle in her bag, she still managed to get through security in “like 10 minutes.”
However, upon making her way through security, she made a terrible discovery.
“I’m actually the stupidest person in the world, and my flight is leaving from a different terminal, and they didn’t tell me at security,” she says. “Like, these terminals are not connected in any way whatsoever. They just let me through security.”
How Can This Happen?
Stapleton had accidentally stumbled upon a quirk of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas. As noted on the airport’s website, the South Terminal only services two airlines: Frontier and Allegiant Airlines. Furthermore, there is no walkable route between the South Terminal and the main Barbara Jordan Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
“Now, I have to leave the whole airport, go back outside, try to get on a shuttle, and hopefully still make my flight that is now boarding in 10 minutes,” Stapleton says.
Unbelievably, even though the shuttles only arrive every 15 to 20 minutes, Stapleton managed to board one in time and not only make it to the terminal but also make it through security before her flight boarded.
“I made it, somehow,” she says. “I even had time to fill my water bottle. Got on that last call. Life is good.”
Do You Really Need To Arrive At The Airport Two Hours Early?
Conventional travel advice suggests that one should get to the airport two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights.
People suggest this because it usually gives passengers enough time to finish everything before the flight, no matter the airport’s size. For example, many airlines stop allowing people to check bags between 45 minutes and an hour before the flight. If you arrive later than this, the airline will refuse to check your bag.
However, that doesn’t mean that one must always arrive at the airport two hours early. If you go to a small airport or an airport designed for streamlined travel (for example, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport), you may find that you can arrive closer to your departure time.
Other factors may also improve one’s entry-to-boarding time. For example, using services like TSA PreCheck will generally speed up the security process.
Still, given how varied each airport can be, it’s still suggested one arrive around two hours early in order to comfortably board their flight without a significant rush.
@leahmstapleton I was actually so certain I was going to miss my flight but I feel like this is the ultimate test of the airport theory bc it literally all worked out #travel #austin #austintx #airporttheory #tsaprecheck
Commenters Aren’t Sure
In the comments section, many users expressed disbelief that Stapleton was able to make her flight at the Austin airport given how little time she had. Others simply lamented the existence of the South Terminal.
“Girl we don’t fly allegant or spirit for this exact reason,” wrote a user.
“Aame thing happened to me except I DID tell them I needed to go to south terminal and the bus driver yelled at me and told me to go to the main terminal,” recalled another. “Went through the longest TSA line only to be told I had to get back on the bus. new bus driver was so much nicer.”
“My fiance and I almost got caught by the same thing,” shared a third. “Fortunately I happened to see the teeny tiny sign they put up but you’d think they’d make it clearer lol.”
UPDATE:
In an email to BroBible, a spokesperson for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport wrote, “TSA encourages all travelers, no matter what airport they are flying out of, to arrive at least 2 hours prior to their departure. We ask AUS travelers to add an additional 30 minutes since this is a record-breaking, busy airport. If you’re flying internationally, please arrive at least 3 hours prior to your flight’s departure.”
That said, in an email, Leah says that the method works.
“I definitely have tried this at other airports before — sometimes unintentionally lol. So far, I have been successful 100% of the time,” she wrote.
“I think this theory works at almost every airport in the US,” she continued. “Precheck is seriously a life saver, and even with the worst lines I’ve seen (usually at Austin airport to be honest), it rarely takes me more than 10 minutes to get all the way through. In international airports, I always have to give more time because you never know what different rules they might have.”
She added that she would continue to do this.
“I for sure will do this again because I did end up proving that even arriving 5 minutes prior to the gate closing at the other terminal, I was still able to make the flight,” Leah shared. “I personally hate spending unnecessary time in airports, and if it ever does come REALLY close, you can always ask the more responsible people if you can cut them in line.”