logo
Airport theory: The new viral trend that has people missing their flights

Airport theory: The new viral trend that has people missing their flights

CNN04-04-2025
Was the raw dogging travel trend not spicy enough for you?
How about something more heart-pounding, more dangerous — and definitely not recommended by airlines?
We're talking about 'airport theory,' a TikTok trend that invites people to arrive at the airport as little as 15 minutes before their flight boards.
The idea is that if you've checked in online and are traveling with just hand luggage, you can zip through security and make a beeline to your boarding gate, just in time for your fashionably late entrance to the airplane cabin.
Sounds more than a little perilous, right?
We spoke to content creators who've tried out airport theory and also found out what airports have to say.
Airport theory is 'about whether or not you really need to arrive at the airport within a certain period of time to catch a flight,' says Betsy Grunch, a neurosurgeon with 2.4 million TikTok followers. 'Is it really necessary to arrive the two to three hours beforehand as recommended to make your flight?'
The concept is about people testing out airport theory and reducing the unnecessary airport wait time to as little as their nerves can handle.
Grunch gave the theory a shot when bad traffic and a luggage mishap meant she arrived at her local airport with around 26 minutes to spare before her boarding time.
That airport just happened to be Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International, the busiest airport in the world.
As a content creator, she instinctively got out her phone and started recording. 'It doesn't slow me down at all. It's kind of a natural part of my life,' she says.
Having grabbed a parking space, she headed up the escalator to security screening. 'I kind of just quickly jogged. I think running in the airport draws a lot of attention to you,' she says.
As luck would have it, her boarding gate was the one closest to her exit after security, and she says she got there in around 18 minutes.
'The biggest thing was that there were no lines,' she says. Her bag did, however, get stopped at security and had to be pulled out for a routine check. 'I thought that was just a little extra something that … the spirits gave to me, if you will, just to make me rethink my decision.'
Content creator James Shaw tested airport theory alongside his wife Terri and daughter Naomi at Tampa International, their local airport in Florida.
They did a risk-averse version rather than the full nerves-of-steel approach.
They arrived 90 minutes in advance, then for their video they used a stopwatch to time their airport journey. They got to their gate in under 13 minutes.
'We don't check bags, so we already had our carry-ons,' says Shaw. 'It was a good time to do it because it was a spring break week here, so it was one of the busiest days that Tampa airport had seen.'
He adds, 'We never ran, we walked the whole time. It was super simple.'
The Shaws have TSA PreCheck, an expedited screening process for eligible US travelers, and without that they 'definitely would have waited in security a lot longer. That line was really long that day,' he says.
They also got lucky by catching the in-airport tram just before the doors closed, although, he says, 'if we did wait, it would have added like 60 seconds to the amount of time it took us.'
Grunch, who is a frequent business traveler, is also similarly prepared.
'I have PreCheck, Clear and Digital ID. So through any airport, I can try to get through security as quickly as possible. In Hartsfield, Digital ID is typically the fastest,' she explains. 'But that is something specific with Delta that uses facial recognition to get you through and most people haven't signed up for that.'
For domestic flights at familiar airports, with PreCheck and no checked bags, Shaw and Grunch are both agreed on being 'around an hour before departure' people.
'I think that traveling can be so stressful for so many people,' says Shaw. 'And so that's why we go, 'I need to be there three hours early or four hours early or whatever.' And I don't think you need to do that.'
However, he thinks that people should do whatever they're comfortable with, particularly if they're not regular travelers. If 'you're not sure, yeah, get there a little bit early so that you don't have to stress about it. And then go grab a cup of coffee or pay $22 for a bag of candy and just relax and enjoy your travel,' he says.
What didn't make it into his Tampa airport video, he adds, is their timed trip to Starbucks after reaching the gate.
'It was over 25 minutes to get our cup of coffee,' he says. 'So if you want coffee and a plane, you cannot do airport theory.'
Our comfort levels with cutting it close come down to personality as well as experience.
Grunch says that unexpectedly testing out airport theory was 'fun, to be honest.'
As a neurosurgeon 'fueled by adrenaline' she says she's 'super-competitive' and that she likes to win. She found it an 'exciting' challenge.
Her husband, however, she describes as the 'typical airport dad' who wants to arrive two to three hours ahead. 'I would never try it with my husband because we would be divorced,' she says.
Both Grunch and Shaw agree that they would never try the trend on an international trip, with the extra security processes involved and because the financial risks of messing up are even higher.
Many of the airport theory videos online have proved that it's possible to get to one's gate in just 15 or 20 minutes, but what those videos haven't proved is that you should.
The two or three-hour guidance is a 'buffer for anything that happens that you just don't expect, whether it's weather, a malfunction in the trains or anything like that,' a spokesperson for Denver International, the world's sixth busiest airport in 2023, told CNN Travel.
'TSA wait times can vary from airport to airport, and even from day to day within each airport, especially during peak travel times,' said a spokesperson for Dallas/Fort Worth, the third busiest airport in the world in 2023.
Grunch, as a frequent air traveler who hates to wait, is not averse to repeating the experience on a tried-and-tested route.
'Me, myself, traveling alone — absolutely a believer, would do it again,' she says.
Shaw is less convinced. 'I am not a fan of airport theory. I think it's stupid. I wouldn't risk missing the flight. It's just dumb.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

I rode a bike across Italy and discovered coastal gems, quiet hill towns and a gloriously bonkers medieval festival
I rode a bike across Italy and discovered coastal gems, quiet hill towns and a gloriously bonkers medieval festival

Hamilton Spectator

time4 hours ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

I rode a bike across Italy and discovered coastal gems, quiet hill towns and a gloriously bonkers medieval festival

Pedalling my bike over a ribbon of red bricks, I weaved through an obstacle course of sleepy cats that couldn't be bothered to move. My unofficial census count had felines outnumbering people in the hilltop hamlet of Sovana. This medieval village was one of the overnight stops on my coast-to-coast cycling tour of Italy. Before this nearly 600-kilometre adventure, I'd never heard of Sovana. Or Todi. Or Genga. Or a lot of other places on my two-wheeled journey from the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Unlike Venice and Rome, these towns aren't the familiar faces of Italy's battle with overtourism. They're the kind of under-the-radar spots that Visit Italy championed in a recent social media campaign. The tourism site took to Instagram and TikTok to promote ' 99% of Italy ,' encouraging travellers to venture off the country's well-trodden tourist circuit. The double-barrelled allure of escaping the crowds and cycling cross-country led me and my husband to Ciclismo Classico's Bike Across Italy trip in May. We joined 16 others — ranging in age from mid-20s to late 70s — on a ride from the beach town of Pesaro to the southern shores of Tuscany. Our 11-day expedition across the peninsula had us traversing the country's backbone, the Apennine Mountains, and spinning through rural swaths of the landlocked region of Umbria, the so-called green heart of Italy. A sweeping, swift descent awaited cyclists near Gubbio in Umbria, known as the green heart of Italy. Ciclismo Classico has been running this trip for more than three decades. The tour operator typically offers it five times a year between May and October. The May trip differs from the others because it includes the annual Festa dei Ceri (Festival of the Candles) in Gubbio, another gem I didn't know existed. This 'City of Stone' shared the same charming traits of other medieval towns we visited. Frescoed churches. Imposing walls surrounding a labyrinth of skinny streets. Gelato. More gelato. Unlike our other destinations, Gubbio was packed with people. That's the scene every May 15, when the candle festival draws thousands to its main square. Here's the gist of what happens during the millennium-old event: Three teams sprint around town carrying a trio of candle-shaped wooden sculptures, each topped with a statue of a different saint. Spectators fill the streets, many dressed in blue and yellow shirts with bright red scarves — a riot of primary colours that looks all the more vibrant amid Gubbio's ubiquitous grey stone. The finish line is a mountaintop church. Race day in Gubbio was a rest day for our group, the only 24-hour period where we wouldn't be on bikes. Instead, we squeezed into the standing-room-only main square as the ringing from the bell tower grew louder, waiting for the race to begin. Wooden ceri statues poke above the crowd gathered in front of the 14th-century Palazzo dei Consoli in Gubbio's main square. 'Should we start moving out of the way?' I asked one of our three Italian guides, Massimo Gianangeli. 'Don't worry,' he said in a tone that suggested I absolutely should worry. ' They will move you .' They sure did. Teams plowed through the congested streets carrying their five-metre-tall, 300-kilo ceri (pronounced cherry), creating a Pamplona-like running-of-the-bulls chaos. 'Do not complain about a push or the throng,' read a Festa dei Ceri tourist pamphlet I picked up at the hotel. 'It will be the best way to prove you know how to enjoy the festival.' My low-key terror subsided once the racers passed. Brass bands filled the vacuum they left behind, roaming the streets playing everything from 'Nessun Dorma' to 'Beer Barrel Polka.' Locals emerged from their houses carrying trays of cookies and pitchers of wine. 'Viva le ceri!' yelled a man as he handed me and my husband plastic cups and filled them with red wine. The boisterous event turned out to be the yin to the bike trip's tranquil yang. Our rides occasionally took us on busy roads with car traffic. But much of the time it was quiet, except for singing birds and the periodic rev of a Ducati. Riding through the Apennine Mountains, the backbone of Italy. Our route skirted vineyards nursing newborn Sangiovese and Sagrantino grapes. We passed fields of wildflowers and sheep whose milk would be turned into salty pecorino cheese. We shared a mutual jump-scare with some wild boar that oinked and grunted as they fled into a thick forest. Most days we rode about 60 kilometres, with some challenging climbs peppered into the mix. What goes up, of course, must come down. I've never been a fan of fast descents. But the guides held a downhill clinic that taught me techniques like how to better use my brakes or improve my balance by shifting weight to my outside foot on sharp turns. The guides also gave fun tutorials on Italian wine, cheese, history and hand gestures — a language in and of itself. One session taught us how to pronounce Italian words, each one of us taking turns reading aloud from a menu of gelato flavours. Gianangeli promised us a post-dinner ice cream party if we did well. 'You'll still get cups of gelato if you mess up,' he said. 'You just won't get a spoon.' Headed for the west coast of Italy, riders roll out of the tiny town of Sovana on the last day of cycling. As much as I loved being on the bike, I appreciated these mini lessons about Italy. Some cycling vacations can revolve too much around the three Bs: bike, binge eat and bed. This trip offset our time in the saddle with plenty of other activities, like a private art tour in the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino. We visited the Grotte di Frasassi , one of the largest networks of underground caverns in Europe. And we had a soak in the thermal springs of Saturnia , where pre-Roman Etruscans used to bathe in the sulphurous waters. The hot springs were a welcome break on our last day of biking, which culminated with us rolling into the pretty fishing village of Talamone, another place that had eluded me despite multiple trips to Tuscany over the years. We pedalled to the town's serene port and posed for a final group photo. After a sea-to-sea ride spanning 595 kilometres, I felt like I arrived on the west coast of Italy a better cyclist than when I started. A better tourist, too.

Flight Attendant of 30 Years Makes Pre-Landing Request—It Goes Viral
Flight Attendant of 30 Years Makes Pre-Landing Request—It Goes Viral

Newsweek

timea day ago

  • Newsweek

Flight Attendant of 30 Years Makes Pre-Landing Request—It Goes Viral

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A flight attendant's impromptu "air aerobics" routine has gone viral after passengers on a airplane joined in on a lighthearted exercise just before landing. The moment, which took place on a flight with easyJet, a British low-cost airline, was captured in a video posted on TikTok by user @joe_rtm. The clip has amassed over 868,000 views since it was shared on July 20, with widespread praise for the staff member's humor and originality. The clip begins with a view of a passenger in a plane seat, before the voice of a crew member crackles through the PA system. "Just before we come into land … I've been flying for 30 years now … a couple of weeks ago, I just tried something to help the crew out, to help our operations to turnaround the plane quicker," he says. Comments from two other TikTok users said the man talking on the PA system is the cabin manager. User @cabincrewhelen, who is appears to be an easyJet flight attendant, said: "It's the cabin manager doing this. He's a good colleague." TravelingCarpfishing wrote "That's Mike on easyjet, he's the cabin manager great guy." On-screen text simply reads, "What is going on," while the cabin crew member launches into a unique pre-landing routine. "I came up with an idea. If you want to join in with this, please feel free … it's a bit of a laugh and a bit of a giggle. It's called air aerobics," he says. The flight attendant profession remains both in demand and popular. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics said that employment for flight attendants is projected to grow 10 percent from 2023 to 2033—well above the average for all occupations. The agency projects about 19,500 job openings each year during the period, largely due to retirements and career changes. U.S. News & World Report also ranks flight attending as one of the top careers in its 2025 "100 Best Jobs" list. The report places the profession 45th overall, fourth among the highest-paying jobs without a degree, and fifth among both the best civil service and best jobs not requiring a college education. 'Absolutely Genius' Passengers in the viral TikTok clip are later guided through a set of simple movements. The cabin manager is heard saying: "You've been couped up in a seat for about three to four hours … so what I'd like everybody to do is just stretch your arms up into the air." As the video shows a cabin full of people with their arms raised, the flight attendant enthusiastically leads, saying: "Then lean to the right … now lean to the left. Now lean to the middle, touch your head, touch your nose, touch your shoulders, your knees. Now touch your toes." Then comes the punchline as he says: "While you're down there, in the seat pocket in front of you, you'll find the safety card. What I'd like you to do is pull that out of the seat pocket … and wave it in the air like you just don't care." He concludes the exercise session with a final instruction. "Put the card back in the seat pocket, with 'safety on board' sign facing you and placing the card in front of the other literature in the seat pocket. Believe it or not, that's knocked seven minutes on my turnaround time. Thank you very much for helping us." A spokesperson for easyJet told Newsweek: "We're incredibly proud of our crew who will always go above and beyond to ensure our customers have the best experience when they fly with us." TikTok users quickly flooded the comments with applause for the flight attendant's request. Hollie wrote: "That's hysterical!!! Putting the safety cards at the front facing the right way does actually knock time off the turnaround." Others were similarly impressed by the creativity and humor on display. "To be fair. That's a great idea," said Pete, while Ginge🇮🇪 posted that it was "absolutely genius." Carlos 30. shared: "I've been on his plane and did just that! He was very entertaining." Another commenter, @jckpicko, noted: "That's actually so funny, I love how everyone participated." Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified. Stock image: A male flight attendant uses the onboard internal phone system. Stock image: A male flight attendant uses the onboard internal phone system. Getty Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

This Yeti bag is the hottest mom tote of the summer — and Wall Street is paying attention
This Yeti bag is the hottest mom tote of the summer — and Wall Street is paying attention

Business Insider

timea day ago

  • Business Insider

This Yeti bag is the hottest mom tote of the summer — and Wall Street is paying attention

Behold the bag that has a chokehold on mom TikTok: the Yeti Camino 35 Carryall Tote Bag. The waterproof tote bag, made by Texas-based outdoor recreation products company Yeti, has been all over MomTok. Parents are taking videos touting it as the sleekest, most durable bag for carrying their things while ferrying children from place to place. It costs between $150 and $170, per its product listing on Dick's Sporting Goods. The bag, boxy with heavy-duty handles, is huge — 18.1 inches in length, 9.8 inches in width, and 15.2 inches in height. Yeti's website said the bag's carry handles can manage up to 300 pounds of weight. A Friday analyst note from Jefferies on July 18 said the tote has gone viral, with search trends for "YETI Camino 35 Carryall Tote Bag" skyrocketing by 1,100% in the past month. Searches for "YETI bag" have increased by 200%, the note said. Representatives for Yeti did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Perfect bag for a day of bringing kids around Melissa Navarette, a California-based content creator and makeup artist, said she spotted the Yeti Camino 35 last year while scrolling on TikTok for the perfect mom bag. She told Business Insider she needed a bag to bring supplies from her family's house onto their boat for a ride around the lake. She now has two Yeti Camino 35s — one in bright pink and another in jet black. And she's customized them with bag charms, beaded chains, bows, and even a pink Labubu plushie. "The bag has collapsible pockets on the inside, perfect for all of us moms carrying our large Stanley cups around," she said. "I absolutely think it's worth the price." Angelica Torres, a Miami-based content creator and first-grade teacher, said she was already a Yeti fan. The company, founded in 2006 by brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders, is also known for its cooler bags, water bottles, and travel bags. "I bought it to use as my teacher bag for the upcoming school year. I needed something that could keep up with my daily routine, carry all my materials, and still look sleek," Torres said. Erin Gunther, a South Carolina-based content creator who heads a video production company, said she bought her Yeti bag in June while browsing Dick's Sporting Goods for an Owala water bottle. She bought it to carry her family's items to the beach, pool, and boat. She said, "I would seriously buy it 100 times over. It's so versatile, and I think it's going to look brand new for years." The content creators compared it to the Bogg Bag, another mom bag that's been popular on TikTok. The Bogg Bag, which retails on Dick's Sporting Goods' website for $90 before discounts, is a large, flexible plastic bag with holes in the sides. It looks like a bag version of Crocs. "The Yeti bag is much more comfortable to carry versus the Bogg Bag. It's also much cuter in my opinion," said Navarrete. Gunther, too, said she preferred the Yeti Camino's straps over the Bogg Bag's, saying the latter's straps were uncomfortable to carry. Torres said she used a mix of canvas totes and nylon bags for work before switching to the Yeti, and they wore out quickly. "The Camino is a major upgrade; it stands upright, doesn't collapse, and handles wear and tear much better," Torres said. The bag is on Jefferies analysts' radar Jefferies analysts said in a Friday note that the bag has gone viral, and it's boosting Yeti's growth. "Yeti's product innovation is gaining traction, with bags quickly becoming a key growth pillar for the company," Jefferies analysts said in the note, adding that they view the category as a "major contributor to future growth." Jefferies analysts mentioned the Yeti bag in a Monday note, saying its momentum boosted their confidence in Yeti Holdings' stock. "We'd be aggressive buyers at current levels," the note said. The company's stock price is up more than 28% in the past month but is flat compared to a year before.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store