TikTok's Viral Airport Trend Promotes Terrible Advice Travelers Should Avoid At All Costs

Traditionally, airlines have said to arrive early at the airport about two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. But a new TikTok travel trend, known as "airport theory," has travelers essentially throwing their middle fingers up to this conventional advice. The theory instead suggests passengers can arrive shockingly close to departure, sometimes as little as 15 minutes before takeoff, and still make their flight.

@michael.dicostanzo

Can Airport Theory survive the world's BUSIEST airport?? 👀✈️🤔 #airportheory #atlantaairport #challenge

♬ original sound – Michael DiCostanzo

Supporters of "airport theory" argue that arriving hours before departure is a waste of time, and you'll just end up sitting at your gate and waiting. These risk-takers say conservative arrival times are more for the airline's convenience than the passenger's. Several TikTok posts of passengers successfully boarding flights in record times have gone viral. But not everyone's convinced. One TikTok comment on a successful attempt says, "So you had precheck, didn't check a bag and were at the nearest terminal? Now let's do it when it's not all the optimal situations." Other posts of passengers left stranded at closed gates have shown it doesn't always go so smoothly.

@jenny_kurtzz

i would not recommend 😩😭✈️ #airporttheory #airport #flying #fyp #lifehack #tipsandtricks

♬ son original – tswiftmusic

It seems to have worked in some cases, so the argument that conventional advice is too conservative isn't completely debunked. If you aren't checking a bag and know your airport inside and out, it's possible you could cut it closer than the airlines recommend. But this "airport theory" is terrible advice because there are too many factors that could leave you stranded — and that inconvenience is a bigger waste of time than chilling at your gate.

While no one likes wasting time at the airport, treating the "airport theory" as a rule instead of an exception is a risky move. Sure, some lucky travelers might manage to show up last-minute and slip through security just in time — but for every person who pulls it off, there's another whose flight takes off without them. One TikTok comment also points out you could lose your seat, saying, "Everyone keep using airport theory so me and my friends can always make our stand-by flights."

For starters, most airlines have strict cutoff times for check-in and baggage drop, meaning if you don't arrive within their window, you won't be flying that day. Although there are ways to get through airport security faster, like TSA PreCheck or Clear, there's never a guarantee you won't hit a bottleneck. Plus, boarding typically closes 15 minutes before takeoff — so if you show up at the airport with 15 minutes to spare, you're already too late.

Getting stuck in traffic could also have you running late to the airport, so you could benefit from some wiggle room. Another factor is the airport. Large, busy airports can have long security lines — plus you might have to take a train ride or bus to your gate. And if you've ever had to sprint to your gate, you know that rushing in the airport is no fun. So take our simple tip for relaxing before your flight: take into account external factors and give yourself plenty of time to get to your gate — at least an hour for domestic and longer for international.