TikTok’s airport hack: miracle or madness?

TikTok’s “airport theory” promises to get travelers through security and onto their flights in under 20 minutes. But is this viral hack a clever shortcut or a recipe for disaster?

Ever had that debate with your friends about how early to get to the airport? Some say two hours, others much less.

Well, “airport theory” is the latest mass-trending video on TikTok, with travelers arriving at the airport less than 20 minutes before their flight is scheduled to take off.

Without a trace of irony, and with an anxious sense of optimism, travelers like Michael DiCostanzo have braved the busiest airports in the land, like New Orleans’ airport, at peak times, such as the day after the Super Bowl.

The TikTok creator embodies the “main character energy” on his mad dash, in a seemingly effortless move to board the aircraft, right at the last minute, with no hitches.

In his viral video, which has attracted over 200,000 likes, DiCostanzo and his travel companion remarkably take just 22 seconds to walk to the luggage kiosk and print the baggage ticket.

The influencer also talks about deceptive lines, noting that airports may look busy, but waiting lines are often more fragmented.

DiCostanzo points out that anything shy of 45 minutes is actually a win for “airport theory.” He enters an over/under 22-minute bet with his girlfriend, Mackenzie, and wins with a time of 21 minutes and 50 seconds.

Interestingly, he does have a couple of important disclaimers. Firstly, airport theory is only possible with TSA PreCheck, a faster security screening process that is available for about $85 for five years – it’s like a fast lane for security.

Secondly, he admits he actually chose to arrive four hours before the flight departed on the day after the Super Bowl because “you never know,” and that the whole point of airport theory is, “If you’re running late, never stress,” but that “you never actually want to risk it.”

@michael.dicostanzo Quick little 90-minute excursion 🤝♥️🥐 #surprise #couple #breakfast ♬ original sound - Michael DiCostanzo

Flying under pressure

In a more competitive take on airport theory, content creator Asa Labelle and his girlfriend enter into an over/under 15-minute challenge. Asa has PreCheck, and his girlfriend does not. She wins the challenge, as Asa takes 19 minutes to get through all the checks.

His wife, Kirklee, points out an important moral to the story: you can get food or drink, read a book, or “do anything in the world” to offset the panic that “airport theory” may induce.

@asa.labelle “Circle the wagons” is a close second #college #entrepreneur #apparelbrand #smallbusiness #collegetraditions ♬ Confidence (sped up version) - Ocean Alley

These opposing views perfectly capture the common conversations travelers have with friends. The question remains: is it worth taking a shortcut when taking a flight?

With so many variables to throw into the mix, it’s certainly a bold move to arrive at the airport at the same time boarding is announced.

And to add insult to injury, there are also videos on TikTok whereby fliers have missed their flight, as Jenny Kurtzz found out the hard way, getting 1.2 million likes in the process.

Life hacks and gamification might be fun, but it might be better to prepare the traditional way, before reality checks-in on you, like it would with a 15-second workout or DIY haircut.