In the late 90s, I got to the airport 20m ahead of the scheduled departure time, rushed to to the gate at 5m ahead of scheduled departure time, and got on the plane with no hassles.
911, Patriot Act and TSA changed all that for the worse.
911, Patriot Act and TSA changed all that for the worse.
However, it's risky now because airlines are under much more pressure to get flights off the gate, and they'll gladly close the door on you if somehow they have a quick boarding process.