Just in time for vacation season, the viral “airport theory” trend on social media is taking off again — and a new survey has determined which speedy airports are the best to test that theory.
Airport theory is when people show up to the airport late on purpose — about just 15 minutes in advance to clear security — with the idea being that passengers can make it to their gate without having to get up as early or waste time in the airport.
Even though the trend first went viral last year, travelers haven’t eased up on taking the risk, with searches for “airport theory” skyrocketing 11,426% over the past year, according to travel eSIM provider Holafly.
Despite some successful attempts, the trend largely depends on a lot of variables going your way, like wait times and the distance to your gate, which often depends on the airport itself.
Whether you’re jet-lagging behind or purposefully arriving late, some airports are more suited for a swift process than others.
Luckily for busy New Yorkers, all three of the major hubs made the top 20.
To determine which are the speediest airports where this theory might work best, Holafly analyzed factors across 25 of the busiest US airports such as passenger volume, on-time rates, typical TSA wait times and airport size.
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) was ranked the No. 1 airport to test the airport theory, with an on-time rate of 82.75 and a typical TSA wait time of 15 minutes. SLC services over 13.5 million passengers per year and has two total concourses.
In second place was San Diego International (SAN) with an on-time rate of 78.55 and a TSA wait time of 10 minutes, followed by Boston Logan International (BOS) in third. Boston Logan’s on-time rate was 67.00 with a wait time of 10 minutes.
Rounding out the top five were Washington Dulles International (IAD) in fourth and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) in fifth.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) ranked as the No. 7 best airport to test out the airport theory. Serving over 16.7 million travelers a year, the passengers moving through benefit from the 20-minute wait times at TSA. The airport has four concourses and an on-time rate of 68.85.
There’s even more foot traffic at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) — — over 31 million passengers a year — but it didn’t quite make the top 10. Coming in 13th place, JFK has an on-time rate of 69.60 and a typical TSA wait time of 15 minutes.
Over at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), the on-time rate is 63.65 with a wait time of 20 minutes. But the over 24 million travelers passing through EWR each year have to navigate nine concourses at the airport.
“Airport theory has been shaking up normal travel routines ever since the trend went viral on TikTok last year. If you want to try it, stick to smaller airports such as Salt Lake City International and San Diego International, where TSA wait times are under 15 minutes and getting lost is nearly impossible with few concourses,” Harry Deacon, a travel expert at Holafly, told Men’s Journal.
“At the end of the day, the airport theory trend isn’t a one-size-fits-all travel hack; it definitely hinges on an airport’s size, passenger volume, layout, and security wait times.”
Top 10 best US airports to test out airport theory
- Salt Lake City International
- San Diego International
- Boston Logan International
- Washington Dulles International
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
- Detroit Metro Wayne County
- LaGuardia
- Philadelphia International
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
- Denver International
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