The U.S. Airports with the Most Gate Campers

Boarding Areas Get Wild at These Airports

Gate campers, we’re calling you out!

You arrive at your gate to find a young couple snuggling across four seats. They’re using suitcases as ottomans, playing games like sudoku on their phone, charging four separate devices at once, and eating Panda Express while they watch a full season of Stranger Things.

They are gate campers—pests who turn the boarding area into their living room, then pounce up and cut in front of you just before their group is called.

We surveyed people to find out which U.S. airports have the most gate campers.

We scored airports based on how early travelers arrive at the gate and how aggressive they are during boarding.

53% of Americans arrive at their gate an hour or more before departure. And the guy who moseys up in Crocs and pajamas at the last minute? He does it every time.

Why do people arrive so early?

Mostly fear. But also, 1 in 3 say they’re hustling to get that phone charged.

Sadly, just 27% of people take a relaxed approach to boarding. The rest of us are clenched up, side-eying strangers, and carefully positioning our carry-ons to block people from passing us.

Happy travels!

The U.S. Airports with the Most Gate Campers

Traveling can be hectic and stressful, and when it comes to flying, the old saying “the early bird gets the worm” rings true. But for gate campers, arriving early doesn’t just mean walking through the front doors of the airport. These go-getters want to make it through security and take a seat at their gate early so they can be the first to relax, wait for their upcoming flight, and possibly score some perks.

Through our survey, we learned that Philadelphia International Airport is home to the most gate campers. With a gate camper score of 99.78 out of 100, Americans who use Philadelphia (PHL) as their main hub are the most likely to spend their free time at the gate eating or drinking ahead of their flight.

Flying down south, Orlando International Airport, second on the list, earns a gate camper score of 99.55 out of 100. Those who say Orlando (MCO) is their main airport of travel are the most likely to say they arrive at their gate early to ask gate agents for upgrades or seat changes.

From Orlando, we travel to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which lands third on this ranking. Atlanta (ATL) earns this spot as 99% of people who consider it their main airport arrive at their gate early due to fear of being late, and who can blame them? Atlanta is home to the busiest airport in the U.S., recording more than 50 million passengers in 2023.

The Airport Gates Americans Arrive Earliest At

It comes as no surprise that many Americans arrive at their gates early, but some take early gate arrival to new levels. On the high end, we discovered travelers are plopping down in their seats awaiting boarding nearly two hours before their flight. Honestly, for many people that’s likely more time waiting at the gate than they may spend in the air . . . talk about dedication.

Travelers who consider John F. Kennedy International and Philadelphia International as their main airports of travel are on that high end, reporting arrival times at 1.65 hours and 1.63 hours early, respectively.

Just like Philadelphia, Orlando’s airport has returned to the top of yet another ranking as Americans report arriving 1.49 hours early on average. This is followed by Newark Liberty International Airport (1.46) and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (1.46) which tied for fourth place.

Why Americans Arrive to Gates Early

Waking up at 4 a.m., getting ready, going to the airport, navigating security, and then sitting around waiting for your boarding group to be called makes for a long, tiring morning. While there are endless reasons to put yourself through the hassle, we discovered that Americans’ number one motive (96%) is fear of being late.

All that preparation doesn’t leave much time to eat before arriving at the airport, and let’s be honest, who is actually hungry at 4 a.m. anyway? That’s why nearly two-thirds of travelers say their purpose for arriving at their gate early is so they can grab food and drinks nearby. If you’re going to be sitting around for more than an hour, you need some way to pass the time.

For two-fifths of Americans, the urge to arrive early stems from a goal: to get in the best position for boarding. No matter where you’re seated on the plane, you want to secure space in the nearest overhead bin and get yourself settled in so your movie is queued up, your drinks and snacks are accessible, and you can keep seat squatters out of your prime window seat location.

Regardless of your destination and the length of your flight, having fully charged devices is crucial to many travelers to stay entertained on their trip. That’s why nearly 1 in 3 people say they arrive at their gate early to grab a seat with access to charging outlets. After all, they do go pretty quickly.

The Most Annoying Gate Camper Behaviors, According to Travelers

If you’ve made it this far and you identify with gate camping, we have something important to tell you: Your behavior at the gate might be annoying others.

Up first as the most irritating behavior Americans do while gate camping is standing up front and clogging the gate area (46%). Because boarding groups are assigned at check in, just remember what you learned in kindergarten: Take a seat and just wait your turn. Your group will be called.

Up next is truly just a pet peeve of any normal person. Nearly 1 in 4 people say travelers who talk on their phones loudly at the gate is the most annoying behavior in their eyes. If you have trouble controlling your volume, you could always just text. Trust us—your fellow travelers will thank you.

For 1 in 6 Americans, the people who put their luggage on a seat are exhibiting the most infuriating behavior. Of course, some flights have empty gate areas, but if travelers are forced to stand because of your precious bag, just know you're going to get a dirty look or two.

Pass the Time at the Gate with a Game

Whether you are among the first to arrive at the gate for a flight or you are just barely making it aboard, it’s important to find a way to kill time when traveling. We know that waiting around or dealing with unexpected delays can be frustrating, so next time you find yourself looking for a way to kill the time, try playing a game.

With our logic-based puzzles, you can challenge your mind and remain entertained at the same time. From our easy puzzle to the medium, hard, or even tough puzzle, you can choose a difficulty that is sure to help you pass the time while traveling.

Methodology

In this study, we set out to learn which airports are home to the most gate campers. To do this, we surveyed Americans who live near the 50 busiest airports in the U.S. about their travel habits. We asked how early they typically arrive at their gate, how they pass the time before their flight, what their ideal boarding group is, and more.

Of the 50 airports, 20 were removed due to a lack of respondents. From there, we awarded points to responses that showed eagerness to arrive early to the gate and calculated the average score based on each respondent's main airport of travel. We then adjusted those scores on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most gate camping behavior and ranked airports from the highest to lowest scores.