[josephcsible]

> You have to arrive at least 1hr early before your scheduled boarding time.

You don't have to. It's a recommendation. The only true "have to" is that you have to be at the gate before the scheduled end of boarding, which is usually 15 minutes before takeoff.

[bluGill]

I've had to wait in the security line for over an hour before. That is proof security is not about terrorists - if it was you would not be allowed to stop until after they verify you don't have a bomb with you. Those lines are a perfect place for a terrorists to kill a lot of people.

[dijit]

Perhaps it is not a universal truth but I have certainly been in situations where my boarding card was not accepted because I was at the entry gates to security (where you scan your boarding card) less than 30 minutes before boarding.

This was in Amsterdam Schipol.

[josephcsible]

That must have been some kind of local rule. There's no such rule in the US.

[dijit]

Not a compelling argument, I will always make sure this doesn't happen.

And I also distinctly remember being unable to drop my bag at EWR for being "too late" to do so.

Always better to be early, so people will factor that in.

[josephcsible]

> And I also distinctly remember being unable to drop my bag at EWR for being "too late" to do so.

That is indeed a universal thing when you have bags to check. I just don't consider that a "have to" since you don't have to check a bag to fly.