'Airport theory': has the viral TikTok trend gone too far?

Airline passengers are arriving later for their flights – but travel experts warn against trying it

Man looking at departing flight in distress
TikTok has been flooded with videos of people charging through airports to minimise their waiting time
(Image credit: Cunaplus_M.Faba / iStock / Getty Images)

'Airport theory' is the increasingly popular trend of arriving at an airport close to flight departure times. It is "shaking up air travel" after gaining "tens of millions of views on TikTok", said Newsweek.

Airlines have warned against the tactic but many social media users are promoting it because it "limits passengers' wasted time by streamlining the airport experience".

'Poor time management skills'

TikTok has been flooded with videos of people trying out airport theory. Several creators have recorded themselves "navigating airports and clearing security with just minutes to spare", said Mail Online.

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Travellers have been getting mixed results. Lexi Smith managed to clear security in five minutes even after she was "randomly selected for an additional security screening" and was able to get on her flight "20 minutes after arriving at LAX". However, things didn't go so well for Jenny Kurtz, who followed the popular trend "just to find terminal screens flashing 'flight closed' at the Chicago-gate".

The discrepancy in results elicited mixed reactions from users across the globe, with some people "fully embracing" it while others are calling it a "reckless attempt to justify poor time management skills".

'Steer clear of this practice'

The rise of 'airport theory' content coincided with a 645% increase in Google searches for “I missed my flight” in the past month, said the New York Post.

Testing the theory is a "risk people should not take", said the Daily Express. With Easter around the corner, peak travel season is fast approaching and travel experts have warned airline passengers to "steer clear of this practice at all costs" to avoid ruining their holiday.

In fact, passengers are being urged to book fast-track boarding services as it can "cut down the time spent in queues and provides a smoother airport experience".

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Deeya Sonalkar joined The Week as audience editor in 2025. She is in charge of The Week's social media platforms as well as providing audience insight and researching online trends.

Deeya started her career as a digital intern at Elle India in Mumbai, where she oversaw the title's social media and employed SEO tools to maximise its visibility, before moving to the UK to pursue a master's in marketing at Brunel University. She took up a role as social media assistant at MailOnline while doing her degree. After graduating, she jumped into the role of social media editor at London's The Standard, where she spent more than a year bringing news stories from the capital to audiences online. She is passionate about sociocultural issues and very enthusiastic about film and culinary arts.