We’ve all been there: after arriving at our airport hours early as per airlines’ advice and as a precaution against potential congestion and queues, we breeze through check-in and security in little to no time and are then faced with a long wait before our flight leaves. Of course, this is preferable to missing a flight, but, for some people, the boredom caused by these situations makes them rethink their approach.
In an ideal world, we would all like to be able to treat flights like train or bus journeys, and arrive at the airport just before the departure time. Unfortunately, the operational and regulatory complexities of modern aviation make this an impossibility at all but the smallest airports. Still, a recent viral trend on social media has seen users test this theory to the extreme, with mixed results.
What is airport theory?
The trend in question is known as ‘airport theory,’ and has arisen in recent times on the popular short-form video-sharing app TikTok . According to the Hindustan Times, the premise of airport theory is that proponents of this method don’t arrive at the airport hours before the scheduled time of departure for their chosen flight, but, rather, look to save time by leaving it as late as 15 to 20 minutes to go.
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Users are practicing airport theory as an attempted way of shaking up how we approach our preflight travel routines, and making short videos on the subject documenting their experiences that they share with the world via the TikTok platform. For the users themselves, this (along with the potential for five seconds of viral fame) can offer something of a thrill, with viewers experiencing this vicariously.
The Hindustan Times notes that advocates of airport theory are looking to cut down on the hassle that the modern airport experience provides, especially at larger hubs. After all, major airports can represent something of a sensory overload with the countless shops and restaurants vying for passengers’ attention on their way to the gate. Furthermore, visiting these can result in increased expenditure, which might offset any money saved when choosing a bargain flight.
Photo: Denys.Kutsevalov | Shutterstock
As a general rule, airport theory, as per the definition of arriving just 15 minutes before your flight, is only possible for passengers traveling with hand luggage, as most bag drop facilities close closely to 30 or 40 minutes prior to departure. For these passengers, what then follows is a mad rush through security (fast-track, anyone?) and onwards to the departure gate, as thrill-seeking flyers race to get to their airport before its doors close (likely after a few ‘last call’ announcements).
The potential to backfire
The effectiveness of airport theory is heavily (but not solely) dependent on the size of the facility from which its proponents are departing. While the practice is not something that I would give the time of day, I could see it working at my local airport in Norwich (NWI), which has a small security area and just four centralized gates for departing passengers. However, at larger hubs, there are many more factors at play, especially if flying internationally with a passport check.
Photo: Mounir Taha | Shutterstock
Perhaps the most crucial (depending on the athletic fitness of those attempting to get onboard with the trend) of these is the distance to your departure gate. Staying on the subject of UK airports, facilities such as London Stansted (STN) and Terminal 5 at London Heathrow (LHR) have satellite concourses that are accessed via transfer trains. If arriving at your departure airport with minimal time to spare, any hold-up in terms of waiting for the train could result in a missed flight.
With that being said, even for passengers whose flights are departing from the main concourse rather than a satellite facility, there is the potential that a distant gate location could scupper your chances of arriving on time. Indeed, as Simple Flying explored in an article that was last updated in June of 2024, certain US airports have main concourses that are well over a mile long. While you might luck out and get a nearby gate, the chances of a distant one should not be discounted.
Related Top 5: The Longest Airport Concourse Treks In The US Distance can be a passenger’s worst enemy when racing to catch a flight.
Photo: Claudia8c | Shutterstock
Proponents of airport theory should also consider the potential for long queues at security that might derail their plans, with buying fast-track access being a way to alleviate these. Such queues have become all too common in recent years as the industry deals with the chronic understaffing that arose due to pandemic-era job cuts. Commenting on the trend, Investopedia quotes Dan Velez, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration ( TSA ), as giving the following advice:
Is ‘Airport Theory’ A Genius TikTok Travel Hack Or A Huge Mistake?
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