For many passengers, boarding Aeroflot planes and checking in for a flight raises many questions. It is not always clear when to arrive at the airport and what actions to take before the aircraft departs. It is important to understand that the process of registering passengers and boarding them takes more time when compared with a similar process at a train station or bus stop. This is due to the need to go through security and baggage checks. Below we will look at how long it takes to board, as well as when to arrive to avoid being late for your flight.

Arrival time

To avoid delays in departure, it is advisable to arrive for check-in and security at the airport in advance in order to have time to check in for boarding at Aeroflot. These rules may vary depending on the airport. For example, in Sheremetyevo (Moscow), check-in for the flight starts:

  • 2 hours in advance - for a domestic flight.
  • 2.5 hours for an international flight.

Popular destinations of Aeroflot airline

Place Direction Find a ticket

Moscow → Adler

Moscow → Istanbul

Moscow → London

Moscow → Dubai

Moscow → Simferopol

Moscow → Phuket

Moscow → Paris

St. Petersburg → Dubai

Moscow → Bangkok

Moscow → Prague

What to do at the airport, and how long before boarding on Aeroflot planes ends?

After arriving at the terminal, the passenger must go through all the formalities and proceed to board the flight. You must first study the information provided on the special display. If you have luggage, you must check it in at the check-in counter. To avoid delays in departure, it is worth checking the baggage rules in advance, and also making sure that the cargo being transported meets the requirements for dimensions and weight. Otherwise, you will have to pay extra.


Find out in advance when registration ends. The deadline is 40 minutes before the plane departs. Many people forget that upon arrival they are required to go through security control, and in the case of a flight between countries, border and customs clearance. Please also note that on Aeroflot planes, boarding ends 20 minutes before the aircraft departs (indicated on the ticket). There is an exception for flights to St. Petersburg - here check-in ends half an hour before departure.

As for things, you can check in your checked baggage at Sheremetyevo no later than 45 minutes before departure. Registration is carried out at special DROP OFF counters. If the airport does not have one, check-in is carried out at a regular counter. When boarding an Aeroflot flight, it is recommended to present your boarding pass and personal document (passport).

Three categories of passengers board first:

  • Adults with children.
  • Passengers with Sky Team cars (Elite class and Elite Plus).
  • Business class clients.

The passenger must arrive at the airport long before the plane's departure time. This is natural, because before boarding a flight you must go through a certain list of procedures.

Punctuality greatly simplifies life for both the staff and the passenger himself. So, how long before departure do you need to be at the airport? In short, then in 1.5-3 hours.

However, it would be wrong, as they say, to paint everyone with the same brush. Situations are different, airports even more so. Therefore, in practice, the question of how many minutes before departure you need to arrive at the airport does not have a clear answer. It all depends on:

  • flight distance (domestic or international flight);
  • carrier requirements;
  • presence or absence of luggage;
  • Internet registration options;
  • characteristics of the country and the airport.

In order not to confuse a person who went to, or who has forgotten how everything works in practice, it is worth examining these nuances in detail. And we can immediately give general advice: if you have trouble navigating terminals, have never flown on an airplane, or are afraid of getting lost at the airport, add at least another half hour of time from the set time so as not to be late.

If you, add another 30-20 minutes of time, because the pet will be examined by airport staff. It is also worth advising you to check and prepare documents in advance, keep them at hand in full, so as not to delay the process and eliminate absent-mindedness with all the ensuing consequences.

How long before departure does check-in begin?

Usually, check-in starts 2 hours before departure. You can, in this case it will be enough to arrive 40 minutes in advance. In most cases, the time coordinates will be exactly the same, and if you have doubts on this issue, you can call the carrier in advance or look at the information on its website.

Electronic check-in usually becomes available a day before departure, and is very convenient to use. This will save you from having to stand in line at the airport terminal and allow you to travel in a relaxed environment. And your boarding pass will already be in your hands, and you won’t have to arrive much in advance.

Check-in usually ends 40 minutes before departure. By this time, all passengers must be at the airport, complete the procedure and be ready for departure. This is true for both domestic and international flights; check-in almost always ends at the same time.

How long before departure do I need to be at the airport for domestic flights?

This information is relevant specifically for domestic flights that do not require customs clearance and generally provide simpler conditions. For domestic flights, just come to the airport 1.5-2 hours before departure.

How long before departure do I need to be at the airport for international flights?

With international flights, things are a little more complicated. Arriving 2 hours in advance will not be enough here; you simply will not have time to go through all the procedures, and you will either be late or have to rush and displease everyone around you.

So, how long before departure do you need to be there if you are going on vacation or business to another country? To successfully take off on an international flight, You should arrive at the airport at least 3 hours in advance. In this case, you will be able to slowly go through all the procedures, wait a little, walk through and get to the gate without rushing.

When flying internationally, before boarding, you must go through not only check-in for the flight, but also customs, security control, present all documents, and so on. Again, it is worth noting that flying with a pet will require additional procedures; you will have to take this into account and arrive even earlier. In general, arriving at the airport 3-3.5 hours before departure will ensure a successful flight if we are talking about an international flight.

Check-in rules

Flights within Russia

Check-in begins 2 hours and ends 40 minutes before departure.

When checking in for flights within Russia you must have:

- ticket,
- passport or other identification document,
- if you are traveling with a child, then documents for the child are required,
- if you are transporting an animal, then documents for the animal are required,
- documents for luggage requiring special transportation conditions.

International flights

Check-in usually begins 3 hours and ends 40 minutes before departure. This time is set based on the period sufficient to complete pre-flight formalities (entry/exit registration, baggage inspection, etc.) and the check-in procedure. However, individual airlines and states establish special pre-flight control procedures, which can significantly lengthen the time required for check-in. In this regard, we recommend that you check the registration start time when purchasing a ticket.

When checking in for international flights you must have:

- ticket,
- international passport,
- documents for customs clearance (on an international flight),
- if you are accompanying a child - a power of attorney for the child from both (or one) parents, a notarized permission for the child to travel abroad,
- documents for luggage requiring special transportation conditions.

To check in, you must present your ticket and passport, check in your luggage and receive a hand luggage tag. After check-in, the passenger is issued a boarding pass.

Passengers who are late for check-in or boarding the plane will not be allowed to board the flight.
The departure time on the ticket is always local.

Registration online

Registration online usually starts 24 hours before and ends 1 hour 30 minutes before flight departure.

Advantages of online registration:
- you can register your plane ticket at any time from any place where there is Internet;
- you have the opportunity to choose seats that are convenient for you in the aircraft cabin;
- you do not need to arrive at the airport in advance and stand in line at the airline check-in counter.

How to register online?
1. Go to the website of the airline for which your ticket is issued.
2. Follow the link to the online registration page.
3. Enter your identification information.

4. If you are a member of an airline rewards program, enter your frequent flyer card number.
5. Follow the prompts, choose a seat on the plane that is convenient for you and print out your boarding pass.

If you are traveling only with hand luggage, you can go straight to customs or special control. If you have luggage, you must deposit it at the front desk. Registered passengers can drop off their luggage at the airport no later than 45 minutes before departure at special DROP OFF baggage drop-off counters.

You cannot check in for a flight online if:
- belong to a special category of passengers: unaccompanied children, seriously ill people, passengers on stretchers, deaf, blind, disabled, etc.;
- transport the animal.

To prevent this from happening, and to make your stay at the airport logical and structured, we have prepared answers to the main questions that arise before boarding a plane.

How long before departure should you arrive at the airport?

It is worth arriving at the airport with plenty of time, since the queue can be huge, and then you may be late for check-in. The generally accepted norm is to arrive one and a half to two hours before departure on domestic flights, and two to three hours before international flights.

1.5 - 2 hours for domestic flights
2 - 3 hours for international flights

It is also worth considering that at airports, as on the roads, there are “rush hours”. These include Friday and Sunday evenings, as well as Monday mornings. If the flight falls during this time, it is better to have half an hour in reserve.

What are the mandatory procedures at the airport before departure?

There are three main stages that any tourist must go through before departure. This includes customs control, check-in and baggage drop-off, and then passport control.

Three main stages

1. Customs control (if you need to declare something)
2. Check-in and baggage drop-off
3. Passport control

During customs control, it is necessary to declare such things as weapons, drugs, large sums of money (each state independently determines the amount), antiques, etc., add them to the customs declaration and go to the “red corridor”. For those who have nothing to declare, and these are the majority, there is a “green corridor”. True, even there, customs officers can selectively check luggage.

Check-in for flights and baggage drop-off are carried out in certain sectors, the numbers of which can be found on numerous electronic displays. At check-in, the online reservation is exchanged for a boarding pass, which serves as a pass to board the plane. Those flying with family or friends should present all their passports at once for check-in - then the seats in the cabin will be nearby. At the beginning of check-in, which begins two hours before departure, passengers can still ask for the most favorable seat, but latecomers will have to take what is left.

The last stage is passing through passport control, after which the border guard will put a stamp in the passport stating that the tourist has left his homeland. After this, you can go shopping if you have time, and if you don’t have enough time, go to the gate indicated on your boarding pass and wait for boarding.

How long does it take to go to duty free?

After going through all the required procedures, the tourist finds himself in the long-awaited duty-free - duty-free zone. As a rule, perfumes, alcohol and cigarettes are bought here.

While walking around the shops and enjoying the difference in prices, it is worth remembering that you can spend no more than half an hour here, and only if you were at the very beginning of the queue at registration. The fact is that boarding the plane begins 40-60 minutes before departure and you can miss your flight.

Travelers who are delayed for a flight are usually called by voice announcement; in this case, they should run to the flight immediately.

In addition, when buying alcohol, you should take into account the legal regulations for the import of strong drinks that exist in the country to which the plane is traveling. Most often they are very strict and are limited to one or two liters of strong drinks (stronger than 12 degrees) per person.

How to optimize your carry-on luggage

Sharp objects, such as manicure kits, are not allowed in hand luggage, and all liquids, sprays and creams must be in bottles no larger than 100 milliliters and in clear, sealable bags. The same rule applies to perfumes and alcohol from duty free.

You can take with you in your hand luggage all the documents, gadgets that you are taking with you, medicines that may be required during the flight, food (including baby purees in glass jars). In addition, there is always the possibility of lost luggage, so to protect yourself, you should take in your hand luggage things that will be difficult to do without on the spot, such as phone chargers.

For carry-on luggage, it is most convenient to use a special reinforced bag, preferably on wheels, which will not wrinkle in the luggage compartment and will be convenient to carry with you.

Features of connecting flights

If the flight is not direct, but with a transfer, it is worth remembering a few basic rules.

Firstly, when departing from the first airport, you can take a boarding pass to your final destination so as not to waste time during transfers.

Secondly, being late for a flight due to the fault of the airline imposes a number of obligations on it. The passenger must be provided with a free hotel, hot meals and a flight change. In the event of a delay or cancellation of a connecting flight, the passenger has the right to luggage storage, meals every 6 hours during the day and 8 at night, a hotel if the delay is more than 8 hours, mother and child room services and much more. If you have any problems on a transfer flight, you need to contact the staff at the counter marked “Transit / Transfer desk”.

If the ticket with a transfer was purchased independently, the airline is not responsible for the delay, so it is better to choose flights with a difference of 3-4 hours.

So, if you properly prepare for your stay at the airport, select films and literature that will help pass the time at the airport, you can reduce the number of unpleasant and boring moments to a minimum.

They always try to arrive at the airport in advance - in order to have time to check in for the flight, go through all stages of security, check in luggage and, possibly, go to duty-free (duty-free stores).

What documents are needed for the flight?

At the airport you will need at least two documents - a passport and a ticket (paper or electronic). For flights within Russia you need an internal passport, and for international flights - a foreign one.

If you are flying abroad, you will most likely need a visa. It can be obtained at the embassy or visa center, and it is better to do this in advance (for example, you should take care of obtaining a Schengen visa several weeks before your trip). However, there are a number of states that issue visas upon a person’s arrival in the country. For example, an Egyptian visa is simply a stamp in your passport that is given to you at passport control. And some countries, for example Israel, have generally established a visa-free regime with Russia.

If you are flying with a transfer, be sure to check if you will need a transit visa. It also needs to be completed in advance.

Electronic check-in

Some airlines allow you to check in for a plane online. Just like at the airport, you provide the system with your details and receive a boarding pass. This can be done on the airline's website and sometimes on the airport's website.

Benefits of online registration:

  • Check-in usually begins a day before departure, so you can complete it whenever it suits you.
  • You do not need to arrive at the airport in advance and stand in line to check in.
  • You issue your boarding pass in advance, which means you can get the most comfortable seats in the cabin.
  • If you forget or lose your boarding pass, you can print it at the airport (however, some airlines charge a fee for this service).

Electronic check-in is not available at all airports or on all flights. You will have to register in the usual way in some other situations: if you are traveling with a baby on a free ticket, you are accompanying a person with disabilities, you are carrying animals or works of art.

What can you take on a plane?

All passenger belongings are divided into checked luggage - the one that is handed over at the check-in counter - and hand luggage, which is taken into the cabin. The weight, size and number of seats for both are always strictly limited - before the flight you need to carefully study the rules on the airline’s website.

Sometimes the cost of baggage transportation is included in the ticket price. Usually in this case we are talking about one suitcase - you will have to pay extra for the second. However, most often airlines offer two ticket options - for those who plan to fly with luggage and for those who plan to take only hand luggage.

Low-cost airlines most often offer to pay for luggage separately. This can be done when purchasing a ticket or already at the airport. Some low-cost airlines do the opposite: they charge an additional fee for carry-on luggage, rather than for checked luggage.

There is no single global standard for what you can and cannot take on a plane: the rules depend on the country and the airline. But there are restrictions that apply to most airlines.

For example, here is a list of things that are strictly forbidden to be carried either in hand luggage or checked luggage:

  • explosives, explosives and objects stuffed with them;
  • compressed and liquefied gases;
  • flammable liquids;
  • flammable solids;
  • oxidizing substances and organic peroxides;
  • toxic substances;
  • radioactive materials;
  • caustic and corrosive substances;
  • poisonous and poisonous substances;
  • weapon.

You can usually carry any items in your luggage other than those listed above.

With hand luggage things are more complicated. If you are in doubt whether you can take an item on board, be sure to check. Most airlines allow you to take:

  • handbag or folder for papers;
  • printed publications for in-flight reading;
  • food for the child;
  • baby travel cradle;
  • umbrella or cane;
  • coat or raincoat;
  • if necessary - a folding stroller, a folding wheelchair, crutches.
As well as liquids in strictly limited quantities and some “dangerous” items, one per passenger:
  • medical thermometer;
  • disposable lighter;
  • non-hazardous liquids, gels and aerosols (in containers no more than 100 ml) in a securely closed transparent plastic bag with a total volume of no more than a liter;
  • liquids purchased at duty-free in a closed plastic bag (it must contain confirmation that it was purchased at duty-free on the day of the flight).

Please note that these rules (and especially the rules for carrying liquids) are subject to change. In addition, the airport administration and the airline may impose other restrictions.

What stages of inspection do you need to go through at the airport?

Wherever you fly, before boarding the plane, you will have to go through a security inspection (special control). This is a mandatory rule at all airports. The purpose of the search is to check that you are not carrying anything prohibited in your luggage or hand luggage.

Depending on the airport, baggage may be checked in front of the passenger or without his participation. If you receive your boarding pass and check your luggage at the same time, it will be checked without you. Only your hand luggage will be searched in front of you - immediately before boarding the plane. In other cases, passengers are first checked in and then undergo special control. In this case, everything you are carrying will be checked in front of you.

Many airports have additional metal detectors installed at the entrance. Be aware that there may be a queue in front of them.

Before international flights, customs control is usually carried out first, then registration, followed by passport and visa control. Upon arrival, this happens in the reverse order: first through passport control, and then, after receiving your luggage, through customs. Upon arrival in the country, customs control goes through those who have something to declare (for example, a large amount of cash or a chest of gold) - such passengers are sent through the red corridor, the rest pass through the green corridor without additional inspection.

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

If the plane is very delayed and you risk not having time to make a transfer, you need to contact an airline representative. Find out from him the reason for the delay and the estimated departure time. If the weather conditions are not the issue, ask to be put on another suitable flight of the same airline. You must be provided with a seat at no extra charge as soon as possible.

If your flight is delayed by more than two hours due to the airline's fault, you can receive a food voucher at the airport. And if the plane is even more late (more than 6 hours at night or 8 during the day), you should not only be fed, but also placed in a hotel. In a number of countries, including Russia and the European Union, these standards are established by law.

If the airline did not provide you with meals and a hotel room, keep all receipts for meals, hotel rooms, and taxis to and from the airport. The air carrier will have to compensate you for all these expenses. Don't forget to ask for proof of the flight delay - this could be a stamp on your ticket or a certificate. These rules apply to both scheduled and charter flights.

Is it possible to spend the night at the airport?

If you are flying with a connection and the flights are very far apart, you may have to spend the night somewhere. Sometimes this can be done at an airport hotel or even at the airport itself (for example, in Moscow Sheremetyevo there is a capsule hotel). But there are airports where all passengers will be asked to leave the waiting area overnight. Then you will have to spend the night in the city. Before such a trip, do not forget to check the airport operating hours and, if necessary, obtain a visa from the country where you are going to spend the night.

Please note that overnight flights are not very convenient, but are usually cheap.

Is it possible to smoke at the airport

At airports you can only smoke in designated smoking rooms. But they are not available everywhere.

How many hours before departure should you arrive at the airport?

If you don't like to rush, it is better to arrive at the airport at the beginning of check-in. That is, approximately three hours before departure abroad and two if you are flying on a domestic flight.

For flights of many airlines you can check in in advance - on the Internet or at the train station. Then you can come later.

There are also complicating factors - for example, if you are carrying animals or unusual luggage with you, or there is rush hour on the roads or at the airport. Then it is advisable to arrive earlier.

If you are traveling with a group and would like to sit in adjacent seats on the plane, you should also arrive at the start of check-in.

Express to the airport

In some cities, you can get to the airport by comfortable high-speed train. It runs between the city and the airport without stops (or almost without them). Express trains run:

  • from Moscow airports and back (Vnukovo - Kyiv railway station, Sheremetyevo - Belorussky railway station, Domodedovo - Paveletsky railway station);
  • from Knevichi airport to Vladivostok station and back (with stops Second Rechka, Ugolnaya and Artyom).

The trains have economy and business class carriages. In business class, passengers travel in more comfortable seats, and in addition, during the trip they are offered printed materials and soft drinks.