If you are not sure about how early to arrive at Perth Airport or if you find yourself wondering "Is Perth Airport busy?", then you are in the right place! While getting to the airport a little earlier than usual never hurts, we’ve listed plenty of helpful advice below to make your trip a little easier, as there are numerous factors to consider when planning your arrival time.
Arriving at Perth Airport with enough time is crucial for a seamless journey at the airport. For domestic flights Perth Airport, it is recommended to give yourself two hours before your flight and for international flights Perth Airport, it is recommended to allow three hours before your departure. There are Perth Airport check-in areas located on the ground floor of each terminal.
We recommend checking with your airline as well, as some have different check in time allowances and rules. Be sure to check baggage allowances, too, as this is different for some airlines.
The best option for arriving at Perth Airport is to park your vehicle at a park and ride facility at Perth Airport. All you need to do is drive your vehicle to the car park, then board a shuttle bus which will transfer you to your terminal. On your return to Perth, the car park will send a shuttle to come and collect you from outside of the terminal building and drive you back to the car park. This is a quick and easy way to get to the terminals without having to haul your own luggage from the self-parking locations. For some of the best car park options and for Perth Airport Parking rates, check out the providers below:
The Car Port and Spa is an excellent parking option. Travellers only need to be at the car park 20 minutes before their set arrival time at the terminals. This Australian-owned and operated car park offers excellent customer service, some of the cheapest parking fees, and ultimately, a convenient, hassle-free parking experience that allows you to be at the airport terminals in under 5 minutes.
If you are looking for some of the cheapest Perth Airport parking fees, Bay Airport Parking has them! The car park is open 24/7 with shuttle services running on-demand, during select times. Not only is Bay Airport Parking one of the cheapest car parks near Perth Airport, but it is also one of the closest, being only a 5-minute shuttle ride away from the terminals.
Open 24 hours a day, with fences, a secured barrier, and CCTV, you can ensure that your vehicle will be left in good hands with this Perth Airport secure parking option. To ensure you make your flight, Bay Airport Parking asks travellers to arrive at the car park 20 minutes before their designated arrival time at Perth Airport.
NH Airlink offers outdoor car parking, and complimentary, on-demand shuttle transfers to all Perth Airport Terminals, at any time - day or night. The car park is equipped with 24/7 CCTV, high perimeter fencing, and on-site staff to keep an eye on all vehicles in the yard, at all times. For secure car parking at Perth Airport, consider NH Airlink.
For travellers who want valet-style parking without the typical costs, Skypark Perth should be on your list. Located just 5 minutes away from the airport with a complimentary shuttle bus, Skypark will drop you off at the terminal of your choice, and have your car waiting for you outside, ready to drive home, upon return.
The car park is equipped with 24/7 CCTV, perimeter fencing, and mobile patrols to ensure your car is kept safe and secure. Should you wish to park undercover, you can book that, too. All that's asked is that you arrive 15- 20 minutes at the car park before your designated arrival time at Perth Airport.
If you’re flying to another city or regional destination within Australia, the most frequently recommended time to arrive at the airport is two hours in advance. This gives you plenty of time to check-in, drop your bags off, get through security, and reach your gate.
While experienced travellers will likely need less time, two hours is usually recommended to those who don’t travel as frequently, so that they have a far less rushed and less stressful travel experience. Having said that, if you’re flying during a busy holiday period or special event, concerned about wait times at security, or utilising a Perth Airport car park facility with a shuttle service, you may want to leave even earlier, by twenty or thirty minutes or so.
For flights departing Australia to any international destination, the most frequently recommended time to arrive at the airport is three hours prior to your flight time. Again, if you’re concerned about wait times at security, parking off-site, or taking public transport, you may want to leave even earlier, by thirty minutes or so.
Although many airlines will recommend arriving at the airport just 90 minutes before your flight at Perth Airport International departures, remember that these guidelines rarely take into account that some people may be nervous, and some may have mobility problems. A more generous estimate of three hours will ensure that you don’t miss your flight - which is the object of the entire exercise!
To get a sense of how long the lines will be at security, or to see if recent changes will affect your journey, you can consult Perth Airport’s Twitter account for updates.
As many people want to fly at the same time, there are often queues at PER around peak times in the morning and early afternoon. Given the number of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers and connections to international flights, PER experiences significant peak periods in the early morning, when up to 35 aircraft depart each hour, over a two to three-hour period, and in the afternoon, where up to 24 aircraft arrive each hour for a two-to-three-hour period.
As all passengers will need to go through security control, and a large number will need to go through Passport Control before they can go to their gate, there will be queues in these areas as checks are performed. The more travellers that need to pass through these areas, the longer these checks tend to take. This may mean that you have to queue for longer than usual, and you will need to factor that into your journey time. Typically, Perth Airport wait times are not extremely long.
If you’d like to check your bags at PER Airport, you’ll find that the check-in time will be determined by your airline, as opposed to the airport. As a general rule of thumb, domestic flight check-ins typically open three hours before a flight is due to depart, and close 45 minutes beforehand. International airlines allow check-in up to four hours in advance of departure, and no less than an hour before the flight. As mentioned previously, it’s best to check with your airline for the specifics before planning your itinerary.
When it comes to transferring between terminals at PER, you may need to factor in a considerable amount of extra time into your journey. There are two terminal precincts at Perth Airport: the T1/T2 terminals and the T3/T4 terminals. These are separated by a short, 15-minute drive.
Up until recently, a terminal transfer bus would assist passengers in making their way to T1/T2 from T3/T4, and vice versa. The free inter-terminal transfer shuttle bus would run every 20 minutes, between 6:00 am to midnight. Services are expected to return once normal air travel to/from Australia resumes.
At present, there are taxi and rideshare services available on the respective terminal forecourts. Please note that charges will apply, and that you may have to wait some time to secure a ride.
When it comes to getting from security to your departure gate, you can expect to walk between 2-10 minutes. If you’d like to know more about the facilities available, including restaurants, public restrooms, shops, and long term parking at PER, please consult our guide to Perth Airport.
Occasionally, we hear from travellers who have made the mistake of thinking that airlines or fellow passengers would allow them to jump the queue as they were running late, and their plane was about to leave. Unfortunately, running late does not guarantee you any extra assistance.
Travellers who intended to get to the airport just in the nick of time found themselves held up due to traffic, or stuck in a long wait for a shuttle service, changing a flat tire, dealing with inadequate airline staffing, and other issues. They weren’t presented with the opportunity to jump the security line, and as a result, missed their flights.
The charges involved with purchasing new tickets can be hefty, but at the same time are largely avoidable. As long as you give yourself enough time to get to the airport, you shouldn’t have to worry about being held up by circumstances outside your control.
The goal of this article is to help you become more informed and to help you save time by providing you with helpful information and links to external sources. Flyparks does not accept responsibility or liability for the use of the information, or the use of any of the websites mentioned.
