SDQ 5am flight..when should I arrive?

Between 3 AM and 3:15 AM should be more than adequate. There is no line at security at that time at all.

SKY said:

Between 3 AM and 3:15 AM should be more than adequate. There is no line at security at that time at all.

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Completely agree. Two hours before will be plenty of time. I have done the 5am flight before at SDQ. I got there two hours before because that is what you are "supposed" to do for international flights. There was absolutely no line and so I had over an hour and a half to kill... Two hours before will be enough time even if you did go through the line to check a bag.

I like the early flights and always try to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure.

What airline are you flying?

RGLRM said:

What airline are you flying?

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Why is this relevant ?
You need to be @ the check in counter 1:45-2 hours prior to your flight.

If a charter flight with 200 sunburnt fatties on it is ahead of you waiting to clear security, it could take a hour. Better to have 1/2 hour extra to drink overpriced frias @ the gate, than to rush.

Leave some time before EDT..... technically, they can close the flight however many minutes ahead of that.... and they will do if its overbooked.... you, then , will be SOL

Better to get there earlier than later. This time of year the airline are very busy, especially gone from SD to NYC. Remember you ususally board about 20 minutes before the flight time so I wouldn't get to the check-in any later than 3:30 AM. Good luck. If you can check in on line 24 hrs before flight leaves.

LTSteve

Should you wish to get there the previous evening, the SDQ airport is a safe place to spend the night. You can sit around the various food places on the ground floor and occasionally strike up a conversation with some locals waiting for relatives to arrive from Europe. The chairs are not all that comfortable, though. There are several more food court places on the upper deck. Lots of room to hang around and wait.

Little know fact - If you do not check your bag in before 1 hour prior to departure the system will not accept your baggage.
You may be able to travel but your bag will not go.

I take the Jet Blue 4 am flight to Boston.
I have no checked baggage, so I can bypass the line, just walk past all the Dominicans who are having their 22 overweight bags weighed before they get to the ticket counter.
You can get right up to the head of the line that way!
Often the immigration people are not there to get to the gate area, so you STILL have to wait.
I like to be first to have my carry on checked, pass immigration, and get a seat at the gate near the boarding ramp.
I pay extra to Jet Blue for an "Extra Leg Room Seat" so I board first!
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If you are going to the U.S. you and your bags must be checked in at least one hour before the airplane departs the gate. The airline has to send a copy of the manifest to homeland security an hour before departure regardless of how long the flight is. Arriving at the airport one hour before the check in deadline is usually sufficient. If your airline is running departures to more than one destination at around the same time and you are still stuck in line as the deadline approaches, the check-in people will usually call you out of line to make sure you are accommodated. (usually) You then have an hour to go through security and then immigration. Security is usually pretty quick. Immigration depends on how many agents are on duty. As pointed out in a previous post, there is always the chance of a charter to somewhere screwing up the works. Thompson airlines runs a large airbus to someplace in central America (Panama, I think) around 5:00AM. Anyway......the short answer is to try to get to the airport two hours before the flight. Better to be bored than anxious.