Delta sets minimum check-in times so that bags and passengers reach the aircraft on time. Miss them and the airline can refuse your boarding pass and treat you as a no-show. The earlier version of this article used an image to show the times. This is the text version of what Delta publishes now.
Suggested and minimum times at US airports
| Step | Time before departure |
|---|---|
| Recommended arrival at the airport | 2 hours |
| Check in with bags (minimum) | 45 minutes |
| Check in without bags (minimum) | 30 minutes |
| At the gate and ready to board | 15 minutes |
Bags are not taken at the airport earlier than six hours before departure. You may add bags to your booking when you check in.
Airports with different rules
For flights that continue to another country, some airports ask for earlier check-in. Delta's table lists these airports, among them Aspen, Cincinnati, Hilton Head Island, Honolulu, Juneau, Las Vegas, Miami and Moab, with 45 minutes for domestic flights and 1 hour for international-bound flights. If your airport is not in the table, the general times above apply.
Tips
- Treat these as minimums. Security lines can be long at big hubs, so arrive earlier on busy days.
- Check in online first to select your bags and pay in advance, which saves time at the counter.
- For flights leaving the United States, read the international check-in times.
Questions and comments