Travel Calculators
When to leave for the airport.
Enter your flight departure time and how early you want to be at the airport. Add travel time to the airport, parking or car return, and a safety margin. The calculator works backwards and gives the time to leave. Runs in your browser.
Trip
Result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
The flight departs at 08:00 and is domestic, so the default is 2 hours at the airport: you should be there by 06:00. Add 45 minutes of travel and a 15 minute margin and you should leave home at 05:00 (3 hours before departure). For an international flight at 00:30 the default is 3 hours, so the tool tells you to be at the airport by 21:30 and leave by 20:30 the evening before.
How it works
Leave home = departure - time at airport - travel - extras - margin. The time at the airport defaults to 2 hours for domestic and 3 hours for international flights, a common planning figure rather than a rule: airlines set their own check-in and bag drop cut-offs, and security and border queues vary by airport and time of day. Replace the default with your airline's guidance when it differs.
All times are on the clock at the departure airport. If the result is before midnight the tool says it is the day before.
Sources and basis (checked 2026-10-05): Arithmetic on the numbers you enter. The 2 hour and 3 hour defaults are common planning figures; your airline's published check-in and bag drop deadlines take priority.
FAQ
How early should I get to the airport?
Many travellers plan about 2 hours for domestic and 3 hours for international flights, but your airline and airport set the real cut-offs. Check your booking confirmation.
Does this include security wait times?
Not automatically. The time-at-airport figure is your allowance for check-in, security, passport control and walking to the gate. Increase it for busy airports and peak times.
What if I am checking bags?
Airlines usually close bag drop earlier than boarding. Use the airline's bag drop deadline as your time at the airport if it is earlier than your general buffer.
What should I put under extra time?
Parking and the shuttle, returning a rental car, or dropping a child at school on the way, for example.
Does this work for early morning flights?
Yes. If you need to leave before midnight the result says it is the day before.