How many minutes does it take to be at the airport. How much time to arrive at the airport for domestic and international flights. How long do you need to be at the airport before departure in Russia

When planning a trip, you need to think about arriving at the airport in advance. In this article, we will tell you how long the registration for the plane ends.

You will have time to calmly go through the registration by the time of departure, if you find out in advance from the tour operator or airline how much the check-in for the aircraft for domestic flights and international flights ends. Do not forget that it will take time to check in your luggage. You also need to walk from the check-in counter to the desired gate. The boarding gate is not always within walking distance, and there are several security checks along the way. Plan your departure time with a margin.

In general, check-in is completed 40 minutes before flight departure. To have time to do everything you need, you can 2-3 hours earlier, when the registration desks start working. The start time of registration depends on the air carrier and on whether it is a domestic or international flight.

Many are interested in how much the registration for domestic flights ends. For such flights, the start of registration takes place 1.5-2 hours before and ends when 30-40 minutes remain before departure. Please note that passengers with tickets to check-in at separate counters or skip the line.

International flights

Passengers who fly this way can check in 2.5-3 hours before departure: it depends on the airline and the type of airliner. Knowing how much the check-in for an airplane for international flights ends, you will be able to leave for the airport on time. Calculate the time based on the fact that it will be necessary to go through passport and customs control, and check-in desks close 40 minutes before departure.

Online check-in

Now technology allows not only to buy tickets via the Internet, but also. This is easy to do: the passenger needs to register via the Internet. Then you should check in your baggage by entering the necessary information in a separate window of the airline's website. After completing this procedure, the boarding pass will be sent to your e-mail. It is better to print it at home, but you can also print it at the airport, next to the control line.

How long does it take to start and when does online check-in for a plane end? As a rule, this can be done up to 23 hours before departure. Many airlines close check-in when there is 40 minutes left before boarding. At the same time, those who registered online must have time to check in their luggage and receive a tag with an identification number.

Important information

Please note that each airport has its own rules and the time interval in which the check-in for the aircraft ends.

Note for latecomers

It is better not to allow this, but if you are, you will need a special counter in order to be allowed to fly. This option is suitable in circumstances where 40 minutes are left before boarding, but not less than 25. Everyone will have to register for a fee, except for passengers with business class tickets. If you have difficulty finding a special counter, contact your airline representative.

If you are late and arrived at the end of the check-in desks, then you will not be able to fly away. Under such circumstances, you need to return the tickets to the airport ticket office in order to return the money and find out the time of the next departure with the desired direction.


Every traveler knows that it is necessary to be at the airport in advance before departure. Timely arrival at the airport terminal will allow you to go through all the procedures in advance before boarding the plane. Before departure, you must go through check-in and control, as well as check in your luggage. Many tourists like to visit the world-famous Duty Free store, where bargains are made. Not all travelers are aware of how much time it takes to arrive at the airport before departure.

It is difficult to name the exact time of arrival at the air harbor. Several factors must be taken into account in order to correctly calculate the time of arrival at the airport. For example, having luggage and checking it in will increase the time it takes to go through procedures before check-in. Travelers who decide to travel for the first time must also arrive at the airport in advance. And tourists who have checked in for a flight online may arrive at the airport with a slight delay.

To make a flight, you need to take certain things to the airport. First of all, it's documentation. Air travel requires a passport and a plane ticket. If you are a passenger on a domestic flight, you need a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. An international passport is required for international air travel.

When buying an air ticket through a ticket office or at an airline office, you will receive a paper document. When booking a seat in the aircraft cabin via the Internet, you will receive a travel document in electronic form. It is advisable to print it for a domestic flight, and for an international flight, a paper version of an electronic ticket is required.

To travel to some countries, you may need a visa, that is, a special permit to enter the territory of the state. This document is issued to travelers at the embassy, ​​as well as at the visa center. To visit some states, a visa stamp is placed at the airport during the registration and control procedures.

Airline employees warn passengers that it is necessary to arrive at the airport 2 hours before the departure of the airliner. In this case, it will be possible to go through the necessary procedures in order to board the aircraft in a timely manner. If you are a passenger of an aircraft departing for another country, then you should understand that check-in for such flights ends 40-60 minutes before departure. Check-in for domestic flights closes 30-40 minutes before the airliner's departure.

You can find out the exact information about the time period of registration procedures on the official website of the airline or by calling the help desk. Usually boarding the aircraft ends half an hour before departure. Therefore, if a tourist arrives at the airport later than this time, he will not be allowed to check in as a latecomer.

Some airlines offer online check-in. To do this, the traveler must enter the required data on the airline's website in order to receive a boarding pass. You can find out about the possibility of electronic registration on the official website of the air carrier. Online check-in is also available on some airport websites. The advantage of electronic registration is a significant saving of time and money.

Another advantage of online check-in is that the passenger can receive a boarding pass 24 hours before the departure of the airliner. Without leaving home, at any convenient time, the passenger checks in independently, thereby avoiding queues at the airport. And due to the fact that the traveler is given the opportunity to check in in advance, he can choose the most convenient seats in the cabin.

The disadvantage of electronic registration is the impossibility of its passage at some airports and for certain flights. There is also a list of passengers who cannot check in online. This list includes:

  • travelers accompanying disabled people;
  • carriers of works of art;
  • passengers with animals;
  • tourists with a small child for whom a free air ticket is purchased.

Airport security personnel screen passengers before each boarding. This procedure is mandatory for all airport terminals to ensure the safety of tourists and airline workers. Passenger screening checks luggage, as well as hand luggage. This is necessary for the timely detection of prohibited and dangerous things and objects that can harm others during an air flight.

The rules of some airports indicate that baggage inspection can take place without the personal presence of the passenger. This usually happens when the traveler checks in and checks in their personal luggage at the same time. Baggage, which will be transported in a separate aircraft compartment, will be checked by the airport staff themselves. And the passenger will have to show the contents of hand luggage before boarding the cabin of the airliner.

There are no uniform standards for the transportation of baggage on board an aircraft. Each country and airline has specific rules, but some standards for air passenger cargo transportation are the same all over the world. There is a single list of items, materials and substances that are strictly prohibited on board a passenger aircraft. You can read a detailed list of prohibited baggage on the official website of the airline or airport. Passengers are prohibited from taking weapons, explosives and poisonous substances, flammable liquids on board.

As for hand luggage, the list of permitted items can also be found on the website of the air carrier or at the airport information desk. If you have any questions, it is best to contact the airline or airport.

You should be aware that travelers are only allowed to take a limited amount of liquids on board. And be prepared that the rules for carrying baggage and hand luggage when traveling by air can change at the request of airline or airport employees.

If you are among the leisurely people, then you should arrive at the air harbor no later than 2 hours before the departure of the aircraft. If you checked in for the plane online, then you can take your time. The check-in procedure for flights within the country usually ends 40 minutes before the departure of the airliner. The passenger must have time to arrive at the airport before the end of the check-in procedure. Therefore, pre-calculate the time of the road to the airport terminal, so as not to miss the plane.

International flights: passenger arrival time

To go abroad, the passenger will need to go through a different number of procedures before boarding the aircraft. In addition to check-in for the flight, the traveler must control the customs and passport and visa department. Therefore, the time spent at the airport before an international flight increases. The airline staff recommends that passengers who decide to leave the borders of our country arrive at the air hub 3 hours before the departure of the aircraft. This will allow you not to be late for the flight in case of difficulties during the passage of mandatory procedures at the airport.

Additional Reasons for Arriving Early at the Airport

If the plane will take off at an unfamiliar airport, then you may need additional time to find the necessary departments. If the terminal is large, then get ready to stand in long lines for registration and control.

Additional time is also required for packing and dropping luggage. And lovers of shopping in Duty Free should take care of the availability of free time in advance to visit their favorite store.

If you follow certain rules, then the necessary procedures before the flight will go through quickly and without problems. When you collect luggage and hand luggage, check the list of prohibited items in advance. This will allow you to quickly pass the security screening. Sometimes there are doubts about the safety of air transportation of certain substances, so leave questionable items at home.

All documents required for air travel must be in perfect order. If you bought an air ticket and checked in online, print out your electronic travel documents first.

If you are traveling without luggage and checked in online, you can head straight to the security checkpoint. And then you just have to wait to board the plane.

If, after passing the check-in and other control procedures, you have to wait for the plane, you can use the services from the list completely free of charge:

  • visiting the room of mother and child;
  • the ability to use the phone;
  • check-in of luggage for storage;
  • if the flight is delayed for 2 hours or more, passengers can get free drinks;
  • when the plane is delayed for 4 hours or more, tourists are fed hot meals;
  • if the airliner is delayed for 8 or more hours, the passenger can count on a hotel room and free travel to it.

If you need at least one of the above services, please contact the airport staff.

Arrival time at the airport

The question of how long it takes to arrive at the airport is primarily of concern to those who go on a trip by plane for the first time.


Indeed, the procedure for boarding flights is significantly different from boarding a train or ship.

The first and main difference between air travel and travel by land transport is the need to register as a passenger. In fact, there is nothing complicated in this procedure, in fact, it resembles standing in line at the box office of a regular station for a train ticket and issuing it directly, only it is called differently and takes more time.

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If you are going to go on a flight, you need to arrive at the terminal building at least for:

  1. A couple of hours for a domestic flight.
  2. Three hours for a flight abroad.

This is the time frame for the immediate start of registration. In fact, you should arrive earlier, because you will need to find a counter that will check in for the necessary flight, find the place where you will need to go through customs and check in your luggage, and in general, orient yourself in the building and figure out what and where is located in it .

This is especially important for people who smoke, since a place where you can smoke is the hardest thing to find, especially at Russian airports.

For all these "throws" for those flying somewhere for the first time, it usually takes about an hour. Accordingly, you need to arrive one hour before the start of check-in for the flight.

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It is necessary to take into account such a nuance as possible traffic jams and the length of the “live queue” before boarding. Peak hours at the airport itself, regardless of its territorial and state affiliation, fall on weekends, including Friday evening.

A car transfer can always “get up tight” on the way to the airport, so it is more convenient to use train express trains, of course, if they are available. It is better not to drive your car to the airport, because finding a parking space and paying for it always takes a lot of time and nerves, especially in Moscow.

The process of registering passengers has another time limit - the end of registration. This is the most unusual moment for those traveling by land, which is not at all an empty formality. If you do not register on time, it will be impossible to get on the plane, although it will be quite possible to look at it from the window.

Boarding and check-in are completely different things that people who find themselves in the terminal building for the first time often confuse.

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Passenger check-in ends:

  • one hour before departure - for foreign flights;
  • forty minutes before departure - for flights within the country.

These terms can be extended by 10-15 minutes under any circumstances, but you should not count on such promotions.

Online check-in

The procedure, of course, simplifies pre-landing chores for the passenger. Booking via the Internet is carried out on the websites of carrier companies or on the websites of the airport, in the event that the carrier and the airport have concluded an appropriate agreement. As a rule, online check-in is available 24 hours before the flight departure.

But this method has a lot of disadvantages, so when you go on your first flight in your life, it is better to go through the whole procedure the old fashioned way.

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Having decided to still use the Internet to simplify registration, you need to know that it has significant limitations and is completely invalid for:

  1. Traveling with small children without pay or at a discounted price.
  2. Accompanying the disabled or sick.
  3. Flying with pets.
  4. Carrying large sums of money, jewelry, works of art and other luggage that must be declared.

In addition to these points, there is such a nuance - not all airlines everywhere allow online registration, it may turn out that, for example, this can be done in one city, but not in another, although we will talk about the same flight.

There is another point, which, paradoxically, happens very often - a typo in the passenger's data. This, of course, can be solved, but until the issue is sorted out, the plane will fly away.

Boarding is usually available after check-in closes and ends half an hour before departure. Therefore, those who quickly completed the check-in procedure and received a boarding pass and tags for hand luggage should not get carried away inspecting the duty-free zone, but it makes sense to pay attention to exactly how to board, where to do it and find out other similar points.

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Information desks can help with this. But not every airport has them everywhere; in some buildings, such racks are available only at the entrances to the terminals. If there is no pointer to the information desk, as well as the information desk itself, you can contact any airport employee. Customs officers should not be distracted, but a bored guard is usually happy to explain everything in detail.

You need to be in the landing waiting area at least 40 minutes before departure, already knowing which exit it will be through. This information is on . It is impossible to miss a landing while in the waiting area, the announcer announces the beginning, just like at the railway station.

Customs procedures

Customs inspection is carried out by security officers of this department. Things that are checked in as luggage are examined in the absence of a passenger, which, of course, is extremely unpleasant, and causes at least bewilderment for those flying somewhere for the first time. If possible, it is more convenient to limit yourself to a small suitcase that you can take with you.

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The rules regarding the dimensions of hand luggage and the list of what may be present in it are different for each air carrier, moreover, they change periodically. This point must be clarified, to do it better or by calling the information office of the company that owns the aircraft or on its website.

When using sites, you should look at the date the rules were updated, otherwise incidents are possible. For example, in 2015, Aeroflot changed the rules for carrying hand luggage, forbidding a number of items, including guitars, from being taken into the cabin. As a result, many musicians flying out on tour around the country found themselves in an unfortunate situation.

The contents of hand luggage are inspected before boarding. The so-called customs "corridors" pass earlier, in fact, it is through them that the passenger enters the waiting area:

  • green - for those who have nothing to declare;
  • red - for those who need to fill out any documents for a piece of baggage.

When you go through the corridor, you need to have and better keep ready:

  1. Boarding pass.
  2. A visa, if it is necessary, for example, when flying to England or the USA.
  3. Passports - Russian and foreign.
  4. Birth certificate of the child and his passport, if the child is entitled to it by age.
  5. Veterinary passport, if a pet is flying with a passenger.

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Checking documents, that is, passport control, the procedure is not quite formal. They may not be released from Russia at this stage, and it will be impossible to return the money spent. Categories of citizens falling under the "ban" can be clarified on the website of the bailiffs and check yourself there by entering the data.

Video: how long before the plane's departure do you need to arrive at the airport and why?

What else do you need to know?

Any passenger who has checked in and is in the process of waiting for boarding can receive a number of services that do not require any payment.

These services include:

  • Mother and child room - Russian women who are breastfeeding should pay attention to this service - this process must be carried out in a specially designated place, in some countries the fine for public feeding is a decent amount, in the same place, in the mother and child room, you can change diapers and carry out other manipulations necessary for the baby.
  • If the flight is delayed by a couple of hours, drinks of your choice, usually tea, bottled mineral water or coffee.
  • If the departure is delayed by 4 hours - complex meals, similar to those served on board aircraft.
  • If the departure is delayed more than 8 hours - transfer and accommodation in any hotel, there is no right to choose with this service, if the tourist is not satisfied with something, he can leave the airport on his own, or stay in it - it will not be paid for.
  • Luggage storage is a rather inconvenient service that creates confusion at the moment when the departure is nevertheless announced, if all the luggage is one suitcase, it is easier to have it with you.

All available documents must be kept, if not in hands, then in the side pocket of the bag, since which of them and when will be needed, the person flying somewhere for the first time, of course, does not know.

You should not get too carried away with drinking in the boarding waiting area or before check-in, since finding a toilet in an unfamiliar place will also take time.

The list of what you can take on board from duty free must be clarified, not all air carriers allow glass bottles with alcohol or any other products, things and souvenirs in hand luggage.

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How much time you need to arrive at the airport building depends primarily on the passenger's experience of flights, the degree of knowledge of the airport terminal and, of course, on the chosen flight time. In any case, you should be at the airport no later than a few minutes before the start of check-in.

The passenger must arrive at the airport well before the departure time of the aircraft. This is natural, because before boarding a flight, you must go through a certain list of procedures.

Punctuality greatly simplifies the life of both the staff and the passenger himself. So, how long before departure do you need to be at the airport? In short, then in 1.5-3 hours.

However, it would be wrong, as they say, to treat everyone with the same brush. Situations are different, airports even more so. Therefore, in practice, the question of how many minutes before departure you need to arrive at the airport does not have a clear answer. It all depends on:

  • flight distance (domestic or international flight);
  • carrier requirements;
  • the presence or absence of baggage;
  • possibility of registration via the Internet;
  • country and airport features.

In order not to embarrass the person who went to, or who forgot how things are in practice, it is worth analyzing these nuances in detail. And you can immediately give general advice: if you are poorly oriented in the terminals, you have never flown by plane, you are afraid of getting lost at the airport - add yourself at least another half an hour of time from the set one, so as not to be late.

If you are, add another 30-20 minutes of time, because the pet will be examined by airport staff. It is also worth advising to check and prepare documents in advance, keep them at hand in a complete set, so as not to delay the process and eliminate absent-mindedness with all the ensuing consequences.

How long before departure does check-in start?

Usually, check-in starts 2 hours before departure. You can, in this case, it will be enough to arrive in 40 minutes. In most cases, the time coordinates will be just that, and if you have any doubts on this issue, you can call the carrier in advance or look at the information on its website.

Electronic check-in usually becomes available a day before departure, and it is very convenient to use it. This will save you from having to stand in line at the terminal at the airport, and will allow you in a relaxed atmosphere. And the boarding pass will already be in your hands, and you will not have to arrive much in advance.

Check-in usually ends 40 minutes before departure. By this time, all passengers must be at the airport, complete the procedure and be ready for departure. This is true for both domestic and international flights, check-in almost always ends at the same time.

How long before departure do I need to be at the airport for domestic flights?

This information is relevant specifically for domestic flights that do not require customs clearance, and generally provide simpler conditions. For flights within the country, it is enough to come to the airport 1.5-2 hours before departure.

How long before departure do I need to be at the airport for international flights?

With international flights, things are somewhat more complicated. Arriving in 2 hours will not be enough here, you simply will not have time to go through all the procedures, and either you will be late, or you will have to rush and cause discontent of everyone around you.

So, how long before departure do you need to be there if you are going on vacation or on business to another country? To successfully take off on an international flight, Arrive at the airport at least 3 hours in advance. In this case, you will be able to slowly go through all the procedures, wait a bit, walk along and board without haste.

For an international flight, before boarding, you must go through not only check-in for the flight, but also customs, security control, present all documents, and so on. Again, it is worth noting that flying with a pet will require additional procedures, this will have to be taken into account and arrive even earlier. In general, arriving at the airport 3-3.5 hours before departure will ensure a successful flight if we are talking about an international flight.