Don't Fall Prey to Tempting 'Airport Theory'

Short on time and looking for an adrenaline rush? You might be curious, then, about the new "airport theory" trend circulating on TikTok, which suggests to airline passengers that they'll be fine getting to the airport just 15 minutes before their flight, not hours beforehand as is usually recommended. "Unsurprisingly, it's already led to plenty of missed flights," Fast Company notes. More on the stress-inducing trend:

• Advocates: Those pushing for a late airport arrival say it's a more efficient way to travel. "The goal is to limit valuable time spent waiting in the airport, streamline the experience, and maximize efficiency to get to your gate as quickly as possible," Eric Napoli of AirHelp, an airline passenger advocacy group, tells Today.
• Critics: Those against the maneuver say there's no way to predict how long security lines or baggage check will be, whether your flight will see a last-minute gate change that could mess up your late arrival, or whether a flight will take off slightly early, as they sometimes do with full flights. Napoli notes that "many" airlines will even cease boarding 15 to 30 minutes before departure. SkyShare CEO Cory Bengtzen tells Today that people who've missed flights testing airport theory also force gate agents to scramble to find them new departures, "complicating an already broken system."

• Success stories: There do appear to be some, as found on social media.
• Fails: There are those, too. "I would not recommend," said one TikTokker who showed her plane leaving without her after she'd missed getting to the gate in time while testing out the theory, per Investopedia.
• Stats: Netflights experts say that Google searches for "I missed my flight" have spiked 645% in the past month, after "airport theory" took off online, per Fast Company.
• Better tips: Wired, meanwhile, serves up some airport hacks that you might be better served by, including traveling off-peak, bringing carry-on bags only, and dressing "for efficiency."

(More airline passengers stories.)