TORONTO — Remember raw-dogging? Well, that was so 2024. This year, travellers are testing their limits and rolling the dice on what’s become known on TikTok as the ‘airport theory.’
Like last year’s raw-dogging trend that encouraged travellers to sit through a long-haul flight without any stimuli, the latest travel challenge that’s gone viral is just as difficult to complete. In fact, you’ll probably miss your flight altogether.
The theory goes, if you arrive at the airport just 15 minutes before your boarding time, you’ll have no problems making your flight. Sounds impossible? Yes. Delusional? Maybe.
This flies in the face of the Government of Canada’s recommended 60-minute pre-arrival time for a domestic flight, and 2-3 hours for an international flight. It also doesn’t take into account long security lines during peak travel times like holidays and weekends, staffing shortages at security checkpoints, and everyday congestion at the world’s busiest airport hubs.
Nonetheless, TikTokers everywhere are meeting the challenge head on, documenting their surprising successes and epic fails for all the world to see.
Some brave souls have proven that the airport theory isn’t a myth, like @sarahletitz who said she had “zero business” making her flight but “somehow did with time to spare.” Another TikToker, @emwestby, tested the theory with her mom, arriving at the airport just 15 minutes before boarding time, even stopping for a coffee and still making their flight with plenty of cushion time.
@michael.dicostanzo Testing Airport Theory at LAX was INTENSE…👀🫨🔥 #airporttheory #overunder #challenge
TikToker @michael.dicostanzo has tested the airport theory in several cities like Sydney, New Orleans, Los Angeles (LAX) and Atlanta (ATL). Though his circumstances varied at each airport (flying domestic vs. international, checking a bag or just carry on, having pre-check clearance or not), he does successfully prove the theory at each airport (give or take a few minutes over/under). He makes it through Sydney airport in 23:08, New Orleans (the day after the Super Bowl, no less) in 20:51, LAX in 11:54, and ATL (“the most crowded airport in the whole world,” he says, referencing Google) in 14:57.
It is important to note that Di Costanzo didn’t actually arrive 15 minutes before his boarding times – he arrived a minimum two hours prior “because even though airport theory is a thing and I support it, it’s better not to risk it,” he says. What he’s simply hoping to accomplish by timing his journeys and posting his videos is to prove that “if you happen to get to the airport two minutes before your flight or even when you board, you’ll be fine – no need to panic.”
But for every gung-ho airport theorist is a realist like Veronica (@amindfulnomad), a former flight attendant who says there’s no way anyone can make their flight when arriving at the airport 20-30 minutes before boarding. She cites several factors that could eat up time, like random security checks, unexpected visits to passport control and the vastness of some of the world’s biggest airports. “It once took me around 30 minutes to get to my gate from Immigration so why would you take the risk?” she says.
She has a point. But as the saying goes, the greater the risk the greater the reward, which is why #airporttheory has garnered over 400 million views on TikTok. We can only hope that any theorist who’s ever missed their flight had a good travel advisor to help them book a new one.
