What time should you leave for Stansted or Luton?
Enter your flight details and we work backwards from wheels up to tell you exactly what time to leave home - bag drop, security, boarding, all of it, with real-time traffic built in.
How much time do you actually need at the airport?
London Stansted (STN) — allow around 90 minutes to clear security before your flight, based on Stansted's own published guidance. That's on top of parking or walking in from the drop-off point, and bag drop first if you're checking a bag.
London Luton (LTN) — Luton advises around 75 minutes for security, again plus parking/walking time and bag drop if you have one.
These are airport-published averages, not live queue data — busier travel days (early mornings, school holidays, bank holiday weekends) can run longer. When in doubt, build in extra time rather than less.
Bag drop deadlines by airline
| Airline | Bag drop closes |
|---|---|
| Ryanair | 40 min before departure (60 min from 10 Nov 2026) |
| easyJet | 40 min before departure |
| Wizz Air | 45 min before departure |
| Jet2 | 40 min before departure |
These are each airline's official cutoff, not a recommended arrival time — the calculator above builds in extra time so you're not cutting it to the exact minute.
Frequently asked questions
How early should I arrive at Stansted Airport?+
Stansted's own published guidance is to allow around 90 minutes to clear security before your flight, on top of however long it takes you to park or get dropped off and walk to the terminal. If you're checking a bag, add another 20-25 minutes to drop it off first, since bag drop always has to happen before you go through security.
How early should I arrive at Luton Airport?+
Luton's guidance is around 75 minutes for security, plus the same allowance for parking or being dropped off, walking to the terminal, and bag drop if you're checking a bag in.
What time does bag drop close for Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and Jet2?+
Ryanair and easyJet close bag drop 40 minutes before departure (Ryanair is moving this to 60 minutes from 10 November 2026), Wizz Air closes 45 minutes before departure, and Jet2 closes 40 minutes before departure. These are each airline's official last-chance cutoff, not a recommended arrival time — you'll want to be at the desk well before the cutoff so there's still time left for security afterwards.
Does having a checked bag actually change what time I need to leave?+
Yes. Bag drop happens landside, before security, so checking a bag genuinely adds time to your journey rather than just being a separate, later deadline. This tool budgets about 25 minutes for queueing at and using the bag-drop desk, ahead of the security queue.
Is the journey time based on real traffic?+
Yes, when you enter a full address or postcode for driving, taxi or drop-off journeys — the tool uses live and predicted traffic data for the actual time of day you'll be travelling, not a flat average, falling back to a typical average only if live traffic data is briefly unavailable.
What if I'm not flying Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air or Jet2?+
Pick "Other" and the tool uses a conservative 45-minute bag-drop estimate — check your airline's own site for their exact cutoff, since these vary by carrier.
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