Think about the last flight you took. How long before departure did you arrive at the airport?
More than three hours32.4%
Two to three hours31.8%
Ninety minutes to two hours19.2%
Under ninety minutes16.6%
32.4% answered "More than three hours".
How early do people get to the airport?
Statistics from 1,461 accepted quiz answers*. Updated October 2026. How these statistics work
Asked "Think about the last flight you took. How long before departure did you arrive at the airport?" on the Sarahah quiz, the most common answer was "More than three hours", chosen by 32.4% of 1,461 people.
Where everyone lands
Low9.7%
Medium43.3%
High47%
47% of 1,461 people worldwide scored high on the Sarahah Airport habits quiz.
Results by gender
Women
10.2%
42.9%
46.9%
Men
43.5%
47.1%
LowMediumHigh
In Sarahah quiz answers, 47.1% of men scored high, against 46.9% of women.
Results by age group
Under 18
32.8%
59.9%
18-24
44.9%
47.1%
25-34
45.4%
44.7%
35-44
13.5%
43.5%
43%
LowMediumHigh
In Sarahah quiz answers, 59.9% of the Under 18 group scored high, the highest of any age group, against 43% of 35-44.
Question by question
When do you check in online?
The moment it opens41.5%
Later, but before leaving for the airport17.5%
On the way to the airport19.6%
I check in at the desk21.4%
41.5% answered "The moment it opens".
Have you ever missed a flight?
No, never67.6%
Nearly, but I made it13.1%
Yes19.3%
67.6% answered "No, never".
Once you are through security, what happens?
Straight to the gate and I sit there41.5%
Food first, then the gate, still early31.3%
Shops for a while, then the gate on time17.1%
I turn up when they call the flight10%
41.5% answered "Straight to the gate and I sit there".
How many times do you check your passport and boarding pass?
Five times or more31%
Two to four43.4%
Once, or not at all25.6%
43.4% answered "Two to four".
Window or aisle?
Window61%
Aisle17.4%
Whatever is free21.6%
61% answered "Window".
Where do you wait?
Right by the boarding door21.3%
In the gate seating area41.8%
A cafe or restaurant21.5%
The lounge15.4%
41.8% answered "In the gate seating area".
Do you stand up as soon as the plane lands?
Immediately18.7%
Once people start moving27.5%
I wait for my row34.2%
I wait until almost everyone is off19.6%
34.2% answered "I wait for my row".
* Everyone here chose to take the quiz, and no answers are weighted to match a real population. Each question counts only the people who answered it, so a question some people skipped rests on a smaller group than the total above.
Statistics by country
Only countries with at least 50 eligible answers of their own appear here.