How not to miss the plane: how long does it take to check-in for domestic flights in Russia? How long before departure does check-in and boarding begin? When will the plane arrive?

The question of how many hours before departure you need to be at the airport is of more concern to passengers who are about to take their first plane flight. There is no clear answer here. But to avoid unpleasant situations and not be late, it is recommended to arrive in advance. Check-in for the flight begins 2 - 3 hours and ends 30 - 40 minutes before departure.

IMPORTANT: the exact time ranges when check-in and boarding begin and end can be found directly from the airline by phone or on the website via the Internet.

Upon arrival at the airport, a person goes through the following stages:

  1. Customs control. Certain categories of persons who transport certain types of goods must undergo special control and receive a declaration. It is advisable to find out the list of items subject to declaration in advance. Usually this is a large sum of money, currency, securities, precious metal, cultural property. Passengers who, for health reasons, require psychotropic or strong painkillers and narcotic substances must declare the transported medications. Passengers going hunting must declare their weapons if they take them with them.
  2. Check-in. This is the first thing a passenger who does not require customs control should do. Electronic displays display the flight number indicated on the electronic ticket and the number of the counter where check-in takes place. During the process, luggage is usually checked in and checked in.
  3. Expectation. The time from the start of check-in to the start of boarding the plane can be spent in the waiting room. Those interested can take a walk, have a snack, visit Duty Free stores and do some shopping. Passengers with children can entertain their little ones in special children's playrooms. If necessary, you can visit the mother and child’s room to carry out hygiene procedures (feed the baby, wash, change clothes, etc.)
  4. After boarding has been announced, passengers pass through passport control and search of personal belongings. Usually the procedure is not lengthy if the passenger does not have things with him that are prohibited in the aircraft cabin (for example, the same bottle of water that cannot be taken on the plane unless it is intended for a small child). If they are found on you, you will have to leave them. Then they board the plane and are seated in their seats.

How many hours before departure should you arrive at the airport?

Typically, check-in for a plane begins 2 hours before departure and ends 40 minutes before departure. It is highly not recommended to be late, as without this it is impossible to get on board the plane.

EXAMPLE: If the departure time on your boarding passes is 12.00, then check-in will begin at 10.00 and end at 11.20. It is advisable to arrive at the airport at the start of the procedure and not be late. If you are late, the staff at the checkout counter are unlikely to be able to help you, since checkout is regulated by electronic systems that are blocked after a certain period.

Boarding ends 25-30 minutes before departure. A voice call is provided for passengers late for boarding. If you are late, you will be considered a late passenger and will not be allowed on board.

IMPORTANT: it is impossible to get a refund for a ticket if you did not make it on board the plane due to your own fault.

How long do you need to be at the airport before departure in Russia?

The average recommended time is 2 hours before departure. It is during this period that registration opens. If the passenger already has experience in air travel or has completed it in advance via the Internet, then he can afford to arrive a little later at the start of boarding, but no later than 40 minutes before departure. However, you need to keep in mind that there is a need to check in your luggage and go through security, so it is better not to delay arriving at your destination.

How long should you be at the airport before flying abroad?

Passengers flying abroad are advised to arrive at the airport a little earlier, for example 3 hours before departure. The fact is that check-in for an international flight may end an hour before departure, and the departure time may vary depending on the situation (by 5 - 15 minutes). Moreover, when going through passport control, you may need to present not only your passport, but visa documents, which can delay the verification procedure. On an international flight, the screening and check-in procedure is longer or more complicated, so it is recommended to be at the airport early.

Reasons why you need to arrive at the airport early

A beginner who is about to make his first flight is more worried and may not know some of the subtleties of behavior. Therefore, it is recommended that he have an extra 1 – 1.5 hours in reserve. A person who is boarding an airplane not for the first time can afford to arrive a little later, but he must correctly calculate his time to go through the necessary procedures, baggage check-in and check-in, security screening, and the risk of having to settle some formalities. Therefore, having 30 minutes to spare will also not be superfluous.

What factors influence how many hours before departure you need to be at the airport:

  1. Do you have previous flight experience?. Airport buildings are usually quite large, sometimes even huge, and it can be difficult for a beginner to figure out where to go and what to do. Passengers with experience of flying already know that they should immediately look for information on the board about your flight, and as soon as they announce the start of check-in, look at which counter it is being done and go through the procedure.
  2. Is there a need to undergo additional procedures?. If you are carrying a large amount of money or other items required by law to be declared, you must allow additional time for this procedure. If you have not packed your luggage in advance, you will need to do so before check-in. If you transport animals, you must go through a separate registration procedure and obtain a special certificate.
  3. Do you have pre-check-in for your flight, which can be accessed via the Internet. This is a very convenient feature. Online check-in opens 24 hours before departure. You need to fill out your details on the airline’s website and print out your boarding pass. The online check-in service is not available for all air carriers or for all categories of passengers.
  4. Personal qualities of the passenger. If a person is slow, takes a long time to think, gets lost in stressful situations, or has poor orientation, then you should arrive in advance in order to have time to go through all the procedures slowly. Also, when traveling with a child, it is necessary to allow extra time, since unforeseen situations may occur that will require additional time (feeding, changing a diaper, changing clothes, buying something, etc.).
  5. Desire to walk around the airport and shopsDutyFree. Many passengers are eager to purchase goods at specialized Duty Free stores at prices free of customs duties. If you are one of these shopaholics, set aside a special time for this and make the necessary purchases in advance. At the same time, take the trouble to be aware of the norms for transporting certain liquids and strong alcohol per person in advance.
  6. Unforeseen formalities. During check-in or boarding, any problems may arise with technical errors in documents, or with excess luggage, or with items prohibited for carriage in the cabin, and so on. Correcting the situation may take some time, so keep these points in mind.

To avoid getting into an unpleasant situation and not being late for your flight, it is better to arrive early and prepare in advance. The usual recommended time of arrival at the airport is 2 hours before departure for domestic flights, and 3 hours before departure for international flights. Punctuality in this matter also has its advantages: if you are one of the first passengers to check in, you have a better chance of getting the most comfortable and advantageous seating on board the plane (unless, of course, you have chosen your seats in advance). Those who arrive early get the best seats, and those who arrive late get what's left. And if unforeseen situations arise, you will have time to fix everything.

QUESTION ANSWER.

How many hours before departure can I buy a plane ticket?

Answer: You can buy an air ticket before check-in for the flight begins, that is, 2 hours before the plane departs. Another question is whether there will be a free ticket and what its cost will be. Sometimes, in rare cases, you can issue a ticket even during registration.

How long before departure do you need to be at Sheremetyevo Airport?

Answer: You must arrive at Sheremetyevo Airport no later than 50 minutes before flight departure. The fact is that according to airport rules, luggage can only be checked in 45 minutes before the plane’s departure. The average recommended time is to arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure, at the time check-in for the flight begins.

Travel often begins with stress, as there is little time to go through mandatory controls and other procedures at the airport. We will tell you how to always maintain a good mood when flying.

How can I know that my plane will depart on time?

Before departure, it's worth reviewing your flight details again. The best way to do this is on the airline or airport website. Directly at the airport, all the necessary information can be obtained by looking at the board. But you should not rely too much on the fact that the indicated flight delay will actually occur. Airlines often quote longer delay times.

How long in advance do you need to arrive at the airport?

It is recommended to arrive at the airport 90-120 minutes before boarding. Please note: many airlines close check-in 30-60 minutes before departure. Therefore, you should not think that “the plane will not fly without you.” You should also have time in reserve in case of unforeseen situations or delays in traffic jams. There may also be queues at the airport.

How long does it take to register?

Customers of many airlines can check in for a flight and select their seat online 24 hours before departure. Often, especially on holidays, it can take a long time to check in luggage. Therefore, it is better to allocate another 30 minutes for check-in and baggage drop-off.

How long does it take to pass control?

If you are lucky, the metal frame will not jingle and nothing suspicious or eye-catching will be found in your hand luggage, then the control will go through quite quickly. It is better to allocate about 30 minutes to go through the control, as there may be a queue and even if it is small, sometimes one person is enough to significantly delay the rest.

To avoid delays in inspection, you should follow these steps:
- place all containers with liquids in the required transparent plastic bag;
- take off in advance everything that can make the metal frame ring: jacket, belt, jewelry and, if necessary, shoes, and place all these items in a special plastic container;
- remove items from the pockets of your clothes and place them in a plastic container;
- prepare your ticket in advance;
- put gadgets and accessories (for example, a charger) in a plastic container;
- wait for instructions from staff.

When should you be at the gate?

After registration and control, continue to monitor the information on the board. Sometimes boarding may begin earlier than stated. This does not mean that the plane will take off earlier. As a rule, for short flights and domestic flights, boarding for the flight begins 20-30 minutes before departure, for long-haul flights - 30-40 minutes.

When planning a trip, many tourists are interested in the question, how long in advance should they arrive at the airport? In fact, everything will depend on where you plan to fly, whether you have luggage with you, whether you plan to fly during the holiday season or not, etc. Of course, in any case, you need to arrive at the airport earlier than the scheduled time.

How many hours before departure should I arrive at the airport?

You should arrive at the airport before check-in begins. As a rule, this should be done several hours before departure. If you plan to fly abroad, then it is at least 2.5 - 3 hours. If you are flying across Russia, then you can arrive in 2 hours. You cannot be late for your flight. Check-in usually ends 40 minutes before departure.

If tourists are planning to fly for the first time, they already know how long it may take to complete all the formalities. If you are planning to fly for the first time, then it is better to plan everything and arrive earlier, because tourists may not know how the airport works. Sometimes it is difficult to find your way around the airport and understand exactly where to go for check-in and what to do. This may take a long time.

Why do you need to arrive at the airport in advance?

There may be several reasons why you need to arrive at the airport ahead of schedule. So, in addition to registration, additional time may be required to pack your luggage, go through security, go to duty-free stores, etc. The most important thing to consider is that you will have to go through several stages of security at the airport.

First of all, upon arrival at the airport, you must go through security screening. Here it is checked whether passengers are carrying anything prohibited in their luggage or hand luggage. If you don't like something, you have to post it. In order not to waste time on this, it is better to study the list of permitted and prohibited things that you can take with you before the flight. In addition, at the entrance to the airport you will need to go through additional metal detectors. This usually doesn't take too long, but there may be a queue in front of them.

Typically, before international flights, the first step is customs control, followed by registration and then passport and visa control. All this will take time. That is why you should not hope that there will be few people and that all this will happen quickly.

Tourists who booked their tours through a travel agency should also take care of their early arrival at the airport. Often plane tickets are issued directly at the airport. You need to have time to pick them up before departure, and to do this, first find the counter of your travel company.

It is also worth arriving in advance for those who want to get good seats together. In this case, you need to be in time for check-in at the airport. If you arrive closer to its end, then even a married couple can get seats at different ends of the plane or in adjacent rows. The same applies to companies traveling together. To sit in adjacent seats, you must also arrive at the start of registration, i.e. in 2.5 - 3 hours. More exact times should be found out in advance at the airport.

Today, some airlines can check in passengers online. In this case, you don’t have to come to check-in, but go through it a day before the flight. However, this opportunity is not always provided and not on all flights. Thus, you should arrive at the airport several hours before departure. If there are any complicating factors, such as transporting animals, unusual luggage, etc., then it is better to arrive even earlier in order to have everything processed on time.

Safe boarding of a flight requires going through a check-in procedure and baggage inspection, so you need to be at the airport in advance. In this case, it is not at all necessary to arrive at the place several hours before the flight - just clarify a few details. If you know how many hours in advance check-in for a plane begins, then you can organize your time correctly.

Check-in procedure at Moscow airports

Registration of passengers at Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports is not much different from a similar procedure in other cities. What time is best to arrive at the airport? If you are planning a flight within Russia, then you need to be at the airport 2 hours before departure time. For international flights, you must arrive a little earlier, approximately 3 hours before the flight starts.

In addition, you need to take into account seasonality, weekends and flights during peak hours. Traffic on the road to Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports can be difficult at the height of the tourist season, especially on Saturday and Sunday, as well as in the evening - you should calculate your travel time taking these factors into account.

Upon arrival, you must check the electronic board and find out the start time of registration. If you are flying for the first time, it is better to seek help from a specialist at the information desk: they will tell you at which counter you will be processed for your flight and answer other questions that may arise. It is important! Find out how many hours (minutes) check-in for your flight ends.

Remember that it ends 30-40 minutes before departure time, so don’t count on last-minute processing. No one will wait for late passengers!

During the registration process, you will need to show the manager your documents and tickets. If you bought tickets online, you do not need to print them out - all information will be available to the employee via the electronic database. After your documents have been verified, your luggage will be taken away, and your hand luggage will be provided with special tags. In addition, you will receive a boarding pass, which you will need to board the airliner.


Next, those who carry items that are subject to declaration will need to go to the “red” corridor to fill out the relevant papers, and everyone else just needs to go along the “green” corridor. During passport control, you will be asked to present a civil or foreign passport (depending on the flight), as well as the original birth certificate of the child if you have children with you.

30-40 minutes before departure you will already be in the boarding area and wait for the announcement about its start. The main thing is not to miss it, otherwise you risk not getting on board on time. Check your gate number in advance - this information is on your tickets or can be found at the information desk.

Online registration

If you want to save time before your flight, take advantage of the electronic check-in service offered by some airlines. Online registration forms can be found on the carrier or airport website.

Electronic check-in for a flight has several advantages over the standard procedure:

  • You can choose a convenient time for check-in as it starts 24 hours before departure;
  • You will be able to finish things before your flight without arriving at the airport in advance;
  • You will be given the opportunity to choose the best seat in the cabin.

Please note that this service is not provided if you have a child under 2 years of age with you, or if you are accompanying a person with disabilities. Online registration is also not possible when transporting animals or valuable works of art.

How to get to the airport?

Think about the method you will use to get to the airport. Of course, you can get to the place by taxi or ask your friends to give you a ride, but these options have their drawbacks:

  • Taxi fares are quite high;
  • Even your closest friends can let you down if a force majeure situation occurs.

If you need to get to one of the airports in Moscow, then it is better to use an inexpensive and reliable way - buy an Aeroexpress ticket. This is a high-speed train that runs along the route to the airport and back.

Domodedovo

Travel time is 45 minutes. Departures from Paveletsky station every 30 minutes from 6 am to 00:30.

Travel time is 35 minutes. Departure from Kievsky railway station from 6 am to 00:00 every half hour.

Sheremetyevo

Travel time is 35 minutes. Departures from Belorussky Station every half hour from 5:30 am to 00:30.

The cost of the trip depends on the method of purchasing the ticket and the selected fare. A standard one-way ticket costs 420 rubles when paying from a mobile application, in other cases (ticket offices, machines, turnstiles) - 470 rubles. More detailed information about the company's prices and services can be obtained on its website.

Going on a foreign trip by air requires increased responsibility. It should be understood that the airliner will not wait for a late passenger and will depart according to the standard schedule. Before boarding an aircraft, a passenger will have to go through a registration procedure and several checks. In addition, you must check in your luggage and fill out a customs declaration. In our article, we propose to examine the question of how long before departure you need to be at the airport in order to have time to go through all the above procedures.

Before boarding a flight, you must undergo a certain list of procedures

Rules set by airlines

It is quite difficult to name the exact time when you need to go to the airport. There are many different factors to consider when deciding this issue. Among them are:

  1. Airline requirements and the ability to check in electronically.
  2. The presence or absence of luggage requiring registration.
  3. Flight direction.

It is possible to reduce the time period required to complete all standard procedures only if you know the characteristics of a particular air harbor.

A high volume of passenger traffic may cause registration to take quite a long period of time. One of the most difficult stages is passing passport and customs control. A thorough inspection of a passenger's luggage takes quite a lot of time. According to the established rules, passengers who have registered in real time through electronic services can arrive at the airport one hour before the departure of the flight. This time period is quite enough to pass customs and passport control, provided there is no large luggage.

Travelers with pets should remember that in this case, going through control will take a significantly longer period of time. In such a situation, you need to go to the airport several hours before the flight departs. Possible difficulties can only be avoided if the tourist has all the necessary documents. After arriving at the airport, it is recommended to remove from your bags in advance all documents that may be required in order to board the aircraft.

Tourists traveling around Russia just need to show their boarding pass and passport to the airline staff. In the case of foreign travel, a visa and a foreign document proving the identity of the traveler will be required. It should be noted here that for sending to some countries there is no need for a visa. Airport employees put a special mark in the traveler’s documents, allowing the tourist to stay in the country for a certain period of time.

The procedure for completing the registration procedure

One of the first stages that a traveler who wants to go on a foreign trip by air has to go through is check-in for the flight. This procedure begins a few hours before the departure of the flight and ends before the departure of the aircraft. The duration of this process depends on the characteristics of the selected flight. As a rule, in the case of local routes, a tourist only needs to show up at the airport a few hours before the departure is announced. You can get detailed information about the duration of the registration procedure by calling the hotline or on the official website of the selected transport service.

For passengers who want to reduce time costs, there is an alternative in the form of electronic check-in for the flight. You can use this service twenty-four hours before the departure of the flight. The use of modern technologies can significantly simplify the process in question and save time. Tourists can fill out an electronic form via a personal computer or mobile device from anywhere in the city. When using such services, the passenger is sent to the airport, having in hand all the necessary documents to board the aircraft.


The optimal time of arrival at the airport depends on the destination, the availability of checked baggage and, of course, the personal qualities of the passenger

It should be noted that not all passengers can use such a service. People traveling with small children, immobile people or pets must go through the standard registration procedure.

How far in advance do you need to arrive at the airport for domestic flights?

The question of how long it takes to arrive at the airport for domestic flights worries many passengers traveling around Russia. . The optimal period is a period of time equal to two hours before the announcement of the flight departure. During this time period, airline employees open the registration procedure. Those travelers who have registered through the electronic service can arrive at the airport forty minutes before the flight departs. This period of time is quite enough to go through customs inspection and passport control, as well as handing over your luggage to the luggage compartment.

How long before you arrive at the airport for an international flight?

The answer to the question of how long before you arrive at the airport for an international flight is somewhat different from the above recommendations . In this case, the traveler must arrive at the airport at least three hours before the flight departs. The time difference is explained by the fact that in this case, registration ends one hour before the plane’s departure. In addition, you need to take into account that the airline can change the departure time, postponing the departure of the flight by ten minutes.

It is important to understand that when traveling to foreign countries, the traveler needs to go through a more complex registration procedure. During this process, airline employees will need to present not only local, but also foreign documents, which significantly prolongs the process itself. This is why experienced tourists prefer to leave for the airport a few hours before their flight departs.

The procedure for passing passport and customs control

Travelers wishing to use air transport need to take into account not only the check-in time before the plane departs, but also the length of time required to clear customs control. Each passenger, before boarding the aircraft, undergoes a luggage inspection procedure. This means that tourists must take into account the length of time spent on this procedure. During the inspection, security officers check travelers' luggage for the presence of objects from the prohibited list. This process is a kind of guarantee of safe travel.

In situations where a tourist goes through the standard check-in procedure, security personnel inspect the luggage without the participation of the passenger. The presence of the traveler is required only during the check of cabin luggage. At each airport there is a special counter intended for those people who have completed the registration procedure through electronic services. The total duration of customs inspection is less than thirty minutes. You can reduce time costs by first studying the list of items that are included in the list of prohibited objects.


It is better to arrive at an unfamiliar airport in advance

Baggage transportation standards are calculated on the basis of tariff schedules developed by airline management. It is recommended that you review these rules carefully before you travel. It should be noted that each company creates its own list of objects that are prohibited from being taken on board an aircraft. This list includes:

  1. Firearms and bladed weapons.
  2. Poisonous compounds and explosives.
  3. Flammable liquids and solid fuel elements.

Before you go on the road, you must carefully study the rules established by the selected transport service.

Experienced travelers know the answer to the question of how long before departure you need to be at the airport. Most tourists prefer to go to the airport a few hours before their flight departure time. When calculating the length of time it will take to get to the airport, it is necessary to take into account various unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the trip. It should be remembered that the registration procedure ends forty minutes before the flight departs. All travelers must board the aircraft twenty minutes before departure. People who have not managed to complete all formalities are not allowed on the plane. It should be noted here that returning tickets and returning money after the flight has departed is much more difficult compared to pre-registration of a refund.

You can save personal time by completing the registration procedure through a special electronic service. This approach allows you to get a small reserve of time equal to one hour. This period of time is enough to deal with various force majeure events. Tourists visiting the airport for the first time often experience anxiety, which leads to the loss of valuable time. Excessive fuss and running from one registration desk to another can lead to a loss of ten minutes. In order to find the right counter, it is recommended to ask the airport staff for help. In addition, you should be aware of the queues near the passport and customs control counters.

Many travelers, once they reach the airport, head to the duty free shops. When making purchases in such stores, you need to take into account several important nuances. Not all airlines allow their customers to carry products purchased at Duty Free for free. Some carriers allow the transportation of such goods only if the original packaging and payment receipt are intact. Visiting duty free shops can take up to thirty minutes.


For domestic flights the registration procedure will take less time than for international flights

Conclusion

In this article, we looked at the question of when you need to be at the airport before departure within Russia or on international flights. You can reduce time costs by first studying the rules established by the carrier. Tourists are advised to pay attention to the tariffs according to which the air ticket was purchased and the standards for transporting suitcases. In the event that the size or volume of luggage exceeds the established limits, the traveler must pay for additional luggage space. In order to avoid possible problems, it is recommended to go to the airport four hours before flight departure.