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How early to get to the airport — and when to wake up

Quick answer

How early should I get to the airport?

Two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one at a major hub; regional airports can be done in 90 minutes and two and a half hours. Add 20–30 minutes for checked bags and for peak times. Every airport page on this site gives the figure for that airport and a planner that turns it into a wake-up time.

→ What time should I leave for the airport?

Airports by country

Arrival rules, a wake-up planner and the early-flight sleep math for 3,800+ airports with scheduled flights. Pick your airport.

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Canada

Chile

China

Egypt

France

Germany

Greece

India

Indonesia

Iran

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Mexico

Nigeria

Pakistan

Peru

Philippines

Romania

Russia

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

Spain

Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

United States Minor Outlying Islands

Venezuela

Frequently asked questions

How early should I get to the airport?

Two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one at a major hub; regional airports can be done in 90 minutes and two and a half hours. Add 20–30 minutes for checked bags and for peak times. Every airport page on this site gives the figure for that airport and a planner that turns it into a wake-up time.

What time should I wake up for a 6 AM flight?

Arrive two hours early at a large airport (4:00), allow 30 minutes to get there (leave 3:30) and 45 minutes to get ready — so about 2:45. Use the planner on your airport page to change any of those.

Does online check-in let me arrive later?

A little for domestic flights with hand luggage only. It changes nothing for international flights: passport control and bag drop cut-offs stay the same.

Why people use Captain Wake to wake up on time

Not because it rings louder. Because it removes every way your half-asleep brain talks you back into bed.

There is no button to tap

Swiping an alarm away is a reflex you can perform while still asleep. A mission needs your thinking brain switched on — and once it is on, sinking back under is much harder.

It survives every trick

Force-quit the app, restart the phone, flip it to silent, turn the volume down. The alarm re-arms and keeps going until the mission is actually done.

It gets you physically upright

Photo and barcode missions are anchored to a spot in another room, so the only way to stop the noise is to stand up and walk there. You cannot pre-stage it from bed.

It fixes the night, not just the morning

A sleep forecast before bed, bedtime reminders and wake-up streaks — because the 6 AM problem usually starts at 1 AM.