What is 'airport theory'? The lastest TikTok travel trend explained that is causing passengers to miss their flights - has it gone too far?
TikTok has birthed many travel trends such as "rawdogging," "skiplagging," and "soft travel" - but “airport theory” is the newest one.
The "airport theory" trend is where passengers turn up to their flight 15 to 20 minutes before the flight departs in a race against time (talk about cutting it fine). It ignores the recommendation to arrive two hours before a short-haul flight and three hours before long-haul flights, so it is not really ideal for those who want to relax in the terminal before boarding.
But it is perhaps perfect for those thrill seekers who hate waiting around and getting overstimulated in a busy airport who would rather do this and risk potentially missing their flight. At the start of this year, TikToker Michael Dicostanzo (@michael.dicostanzo) put this theory to the test at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which is considered to be the busiest airport in the world.
He managed to get through security around seven and a half minutes in and then took a tram to his concourse, but it was only one stop away. All in all, it took Michael just under 15 minutes to get to his gate, and so in this instance, airport theory worked for him.
However, there is always a risk of doing airport theory and not making it, as demonstrated by Jenny Kurtz (@jenny_kurtzz), who made it to her gate only for the terminal screens to say "Flight Closed." Amanda Parker, a Netflights expert, told The New York Post: “The trend largely depends on variable factors like queue times and the distance to your gate, which can differ depending on the airport and the time of your flight. Additionally, boarding typically begins 45 minutes before departure, which is half an hour earlier than the 15 minutes suggested in "airport theory," further emphasizing the risks of the trend."