Many travelers boarding flights to Mexico from some other foreign nation often believe that the rules will be vastly different and somewhat relaxed than in their home country. How these assumptions came about is anyone’s guess. Believing this sort of misinformation often leads to missed flights, wasted money, and lots of vacation time spent in the airport trying to land another seat on the next plane. Here are five of the most common assumptions made by travelers to Mexico, assumptions that are just plain wrong.

Assumption #1:

When traveling to Mexico, airlines do not require an extensive security check like in other countries. Wrong. All nations on the globe are now very concerned about terrorists’ threats and airport security. Although the individual procedures may be somewhat different from country to country, you can still expect a significant amount of time delay for getting your tickets, checking your bags, and traveling through the airport security line. Arriving to the airport two hours early is always a good general guideline.

Assumption #2:

Flights to Mexico never leave on time. Wrong. Mexico is not some third world country that is new to commercial airline travel. This is one of the most popular vacations destinations in the world, due to its tropical climate, white sandy beaches, inexpensive travel and hotel rates, and popular local cuisine. Mexico airlines also take advantage of the very latest in advanced technologies to ensure that plane arrivals and departures adhere to a predefined schedule as closely as possible. Delayed flights in and out of Mexico are no more common than in any other major city.

Assumption #3:

When boarding flights to Mexico that are minutes away from departure, authorities will allow those passengers to move to the front of the security line so that they do not miss their flight. Wrong. Just because you are traveling to or from Mexico, airlines still do not grant special favors to people who simply do not plan ahead. If they did, then assumption #2 would probably come true. In fact, many cases have been reported of passengers pleading with airport officials to allow them to cut in line for reasons of flat tires, shuttle bus difficulties, or late connecting flights only to be abruptly and unequivocally denied.

Assumption #4:

If you have already checked your bag, then the flight will wait for you to get on board. Wrong. Flights to Mexico usually follow the same protocol as any other nation. And just like any other country, baggage can easily get shipped to your destination without you. So, getting to the airport early is still going to be essential. Allow two hours before the departure time to ensure that both you and your bags make it to your destination. There are some cases of international flights where the bags are checked against the passenger manifesto. But in cases where the bags are on the plane while the passenger is not, Mexico airlines are far more likely to remove the bags than to hold the flight.

Assumption #5:

The doors of the plane never close until 5 minutes before departure. Wrong again. Planes can leave the airport on-time, late, and even 15 minutes early. The later in the day of the flight, the higher the chances for a late departure. Morning flights very often leave on time or well before the scheduled departure time. And every individual airline has their own “door closing” policies. Don’t make assumptions, and get to the airport early.