Why Delta Air Lines' New Baggage Policy Makes Getting To The Airport Early Even More Crucial

Getting to the airport in enough time before a flight can be stressful. You're calculating your drive or rideshare trip against traffic, hoping to make it in enough time to get your bags checked, go through the TSA security checkpoint, get a snack if you're lucky, and be ready to board. You have to take into consideration whether you should still get to the airport on time for a delayed flight (which you absolutely should) and factor in whether your flight is domestic or international. If you're flying with Delta, however, you should make sure to get there especially early, because the carrier now has a new cut-off time for checking in your bags if you're flying domestic: You have to have them in 45 minutes before your flight departs. There are a few exceptions, but those ask you to be there even earlier.

This new time limit began in April 2025, and it was introduced to ensure your bags make it on the flight with you and arrive at your destination on time. It's enough to make you want to pack everything for a week-long vacation in a carry-on bag. If you're not checking bags, you only have to be checked in 30 minutes before departure, though there are exceptions to that rule as well.

It's a good idea to double-check any new info that may come up from your airline's website or app before you fly. That's particularly true if you're flying Delta Air Lines from the airports that are exceptions to the new checked baggage cut-off time. For instance, if you're taking a domestic flight out of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York or St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, you'll need to have your bags checked a full 60 minutes beforehand, or be there 45 minutes early if you're not checking one. If you happen to be flying from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, you have to get there a full 90 minutes beforehand to check your bags and 60 minutes before departure if you're not checking anything. You can find all the updated information about the domestic airports that have exceptions here. 

So, what should you do with all that extra time? Many airports have more amenities than you may expect. You can eat, of course, and if you have more time, you won't have to scarf it down and end up with heartburn or bloating before your flight. You can walk around the airport to squeeze some exercise in before you have to sit for hours at a time, or you can do some shopping. Some airports even have yoga rooms to lessen the stress of travel, like Chicago's O'Hare and the JetBlue terminal in JFK. If you have lounge access, you can kick back and relax with some food and drinks or get some work done. Many airports even have art installations to check out, including Houston, which won Skytrax's World's Best Art in the Airport award for 2025.