Know a good flight from bad

It's easy to recognize a good flight, someone might tell you. It's the one where you fly first-class.

Someone else might tell you a good flight is a short flight. Or a flight with a particular airline. Or a flight that leaves from a particular airport.

While they're not wrong, what if you need to fly far away? What if you don't have the money to fly first class, to go to a particular airport or request a particular airline?

One big factor left in your control is the timing of your flight. Here's why it matters so much:

• early departure flights

• late departure flights

• the sweet spot

Early departure flights: no

If you're flying someplace new, you need to arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure; some airlines recommend three. Working backward from that time, allow time to get to the airport, plus some extra time (depending on how far you're traveling to the airport and how much time you can afford to waste in construction, traffic back-ups and so one).

If you choose a flight that departs at 7 a.m., you need to be at the airport by 5 a.m. Even if you're flying from your local airport, you need to wake up no later than 4 a.m. If you're flying from an airport farther away, like we do, you need to leave your house 6 to 8 hours before expected arrival. Now you're driving or riding a train all through the night.

Late departure flights: usually no

You know you don't want an early departure, but what's wrong with a late departure and a late arrival?

If your flight is fewer than six hours, a lot is wrong with this.

Picture four Yorks arriving about 9 p.m. in Paris. They take the Metro to the stop by Jardin du Luxembourg. It's dark. They don't speak French. Their cell phones don't work. They can't make sense of the one map they have.

They wander the Latin Quarter of Paris until about midnight, looking for their hotel. I can save you any wondering by telling you, this is zero fun, and it borders on abject fear.

Likewise, picture one York arriving about 10 p.m. in Denver. The hotel is 90 minutes away. No rental car. A snowstorm is blowing in. That's a long, long trip to be able to sleep for a few hours.

The sweet spot: your arrival time

Instead of focusing on your departure, focus on your arrival.

Whether you're traveling in your own country or overseas, you want to arrive during daylight and with enough time to reach your accommodations for the light.

Those 7 a.m. flights and late ("red eye") flights are usually less expensive than other flights for just this reason. Fewer people are willing to fly them. Most hotels, hostels and Airbnbs don't allow check in until some time between 2 and 4 p.m., so why wander your destination with your luggage for hours (or pay for "left luggage" if you can find a convenient place)?

Whether you're flying in your home country or overseas, the "sweet spot" is usually an arrival time of early to late afternoon.

Your arrival marks the start of your getaway. Make the most of it.