How early should you get to Sacramento airport before your flight? Reviews are mixed

Does anyone really get to the airport two hours before their flight?

Turns out, some Sacramentans do and others, well, they prefer to live life close to the edge. This week, we asked readers to tell us how early they arrive to Sacramento International Airport for a domestic flight, if they add extra time during the holidays, plus travel hacks for a successful trip.

We got a handful of responses from community members on Instagram and sacbee.com. Out of the 13 responses — the reviews were mixed. Here’s what they — and airport officials — suggest:

When to arrive at Sacramento airport for a flight

We don’t know if it’s because Sacramento airport is relativity small or if these Sacramentans like living close to the edge, but many frequent fliers told us they arrive between 50 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes before their domestic flight takes off.

The general rule of thumb is to get to Sacramento airport an hour and half for for a domestic flight to allow time to get through security checks and get to the gate. Sacramento airport officials say 2.5 hours for the holidays, but it’s clear some readers believe that’s too much time.

The Bee received polarizing responses from frequent fliers. Half of them said they tack on up to an extra 30 minutes during the holidays and others just don’t bother.

Sacramento International Airport travel hacks

Some respondents told The Bee that Transportation Security Administration pre-check is an “absolute necessity” when traveling out of Sacramento International Airport.

For a $78 membership, you can zoom past security for five years without removing shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets.

Another topic that kept resurfacing: The stress of parking at Sacramento airport.

There are five different lots to park your vehicle at the airport — broken down by proximity to terminals, price and duration of stay.

These readers said allow an extra 40 minutes between parking your vehicle from the economy lot, waiting for the airport shuttle and boarding your flight. Oh, and use the bathroom before the “tram,” said traveler Brandon Clark.

Here are some other Sacramento airport tips and tricks from Bee readers:

• “Don’t go into the airport without researching where you need to be and what is required at the counter or gate.” - traveler David Kirth
• “Stand to the side on the escalators so those in hurry can scoot past.” - traveler Ellon Fulton
• “The garage and daily lots are full frequently.” - traveler David Mark

Others suggested printing your boarding pass from home and being aware of parking limitations in the daily lot and garage.

Have more tips we should share? Email utilityteam@sacbee.com.

This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 5:30 AM.