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Arrive at VIE airport—adequate time before departure?

This summer I will have a Friday 10:45 am flight from Vienna to return to the US (Austrian Airlines). I am ending my trip in Graz and hope to take an early morning train from Graz that arrives at the airport at around 8:30 am. I will not have bags to check and plan to pre-check-in online the day before. (I think I can do that with Austrian Airlines.). Given that scenario, will my 2-hour window for arrival before my flight likely be adequate? (I have never understood the need for a 3-hour-prior arrival for an international flight!) Thanks!

Posted by
11037 posts

What does your airline say for airport arrival time?

It MAY be enough time, but I would never put it to a real world test. ( I could not get myself to pop TUMS for 3+ hours on the train)

Which would you rather do, be a bit bored because you are early, or stand in line to buy an expen$ive walk up ticket home? (assuming one is available that day)

Posted by
1875 posts

Being at the airport two hours before departure is sufficient, especially if you do not have bags to check. If you have your boarding pass already you may walk to the gate right away. It could be that the number of the gate has not been announced yet that early, though.

Austrian Airlines permits online check-in depending on the flight 24 or 36 hours prior to departure.

Posted by
1573 posts

You can not walk directly to the gate, you still have to go through security.

Posted by
1875 posts

You can not walk directly to the gate, you still have to go through security.

This is correct, but there are many lanes, and I have not experienced long waiting times, at least from my experience. I had not been at Vienna International Airport since two years, though. If you are a holder of a Diners Club credit card you are entitled to use the Priority/Fast Lane at the security check.

The longest queues and considerable waiting times are at the regular check-in counters if you have to check your bags and get your boarding pass printed.
But there are a lot of self-service check-in machines where can get your boarding pass printed in case you were not able to perform an online check-in via the Internet.
The second longest queues are at the baggage drop counters, i.e. you have your boarding pass already. That is because there are not so many counters compared to number of regular check-in counters.

Posted by
5362 posts

I'm guessing you are on the flight to NYC. Upon arrival at the airport, you will able to head straight for security, assuming you have a pre-printed boarding pass or a digital boarding pass on your phone. It will take you 15 minutes to walk from the train to the security area. Usually, the security line moves fast - expect 20-30 minutes max. Then you will proceed to immigration control, which can take another 20-30 minutes. You then walk to the gate, which takes 15 minutes. So, worst case scenario, you get to the gate by 10:00, which will be the tail end of boarding. It doesn't give you much wiggle room if the train is late or the lines are exceptionally long. I would personally opt for a slightly earlier train just to be on the safe side. Three hours is only needed if you haven't checked in online.

Posted by
1875 posts

@Emily - Your numbers are very generous.
I cannot remember having spent an hour or more between arrival at the airport and the gate, even for flights to the US.

Posted by
67 posts

Thank you for your responses. While I cannot imagine needing an extensive amount of time at the airport (considering I will have no bags to check and will--hopefully--be able to pre-check-in online), I do not want to risk marring the otherwise delightful trip I am planning with a return flight snafu. (Well, at least with a snafu that I could have avoided!) The train I was referencing in my original message is actually the earliest available morning train from Graz. Fortunately, my hotel reservation for the last leg of my trip has free cancellation, so I have swapped the last night in Graz for a night at an airport-adjacent hotel in Vienna.

Posted by
5362 posts

Wmt1 - I fly to the US frequently and it USUALLY takes me an hour as well, but there have been times when lines have been very long and it has taken me more time. You just never know.