If you leave before 5:45am your drive to the airport should an hour or less. But verify that with a traffic app for the day of week that your flight is. If it’s a weekend, you should be good even later than that & you’ll definitely want to be at the airport by about 6:30am, so you could aim for 5-5:30am.
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You may have to show your boarding pass to someone before getting in line for TSA Pre. I think that depends on the airport. I haven’t had to do that in Orlando but have had to do it in Providence and Chicago so have your boarding pass handy just in case and make sure it says TSA pre on it. You can double check when you see your boarding pass 24 hours in advance.
I took an Uber at 4:00 am for a 6:30am flight out of LAX on a Saturday morning and had plenty of time.
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Is the app OK?
What does this mean?
Oh good!
Again - we have a direct flight home 5 hours - so I will want time to obtain food.
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Yes
All boarding passes, print or digital, will have the words TSA pre on them as proof that you are indeed part of TSA pre. Did you add your known traveler numbers to the flight reservations?
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I don’t think I have this…
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How long ago did you go through the TSA pre process? You should have a letter and/or email from when you were approved with your KTN – known traveler number.
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Which hotel? Some are sketchy.
I don’t ever eat right before a flight so I’m no help there. Not a whole lot is open super early either.
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I’m sorry.
I don’t think I’ve done anything to create a TSA pre approval profile.
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That makes sense since you rarely fly. You will need to go through the regular TSA line then. I’m sorry. I think I read TSA pre above even though you hadn’t typed it 
. I shouldn’t try to help when I’m tired.
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I appreciate ALL the info! 
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Thank you!
Great link.
I’d planned to grab some drinks and snacks and toiletries at Walgreens - but it looks like I can take more than I thought!
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Be careful with the drinks. Each person can only take one quart bag worth of 100 ml containers through TSA security. But you can buy as much as you like from stores and restaurants on the other side of TSA once you have gone through, and take them on the plane.
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I take an empty plastic water bottle and then fill it after going through security.
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When we flew for our first cruise last year, I decided to get some small 3.4 oz travel cosmetic bottles and a clear roughly quart-sized (it’s a little bit bigger but not too much) cosmetic bag so I didn’t have to worry about packing my full size face cosmetics (that I usually just throw in the hygeine bag for our road trips) & for the first time ever, I needed to bring my own color-safe shampoo. I use the bottles for my shampoo, conditioner, facewash & moisturizer. And then I also stick travel sized tubes of toothpaste (sometimes 2 if it’s a longer trip), antibiotic cream & Cortisone cream. And then whatever mini-bottles of sanitizer I can fit in with that bag. And in case TSA wants me to actually put my liquids in quart-sized ziploc bags, I include at least 3 quart-sized bags along the side of that bag (we are a family of 6 and I usually carry all the liquids with me in one bag) . Oh & if DH gives me his eye drops/contact solution I will have those in that bag too. But sometimes he carries his own or just doesn’t deal with his contacts on a trip.
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I meant once I got to my destination I’d buy stuff including toiletries. But it looks like I can bring my toiletries. 
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No. I’ve never flown out of CLT at all. And I haven’t flown since 1993, either.
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As more airports convert over their machines, they care less and less about the liquids bag rules and such. DTW, for example, no longer has you take anything out of your bags, including electronics. Portland airport as well. It is very nice. But, not all airports have made the switch yet, so best to follow the rules, regardless.
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I never realized how many liquids I take on vacation this just now. I am a mom of six who normally drives. I bring a small pharmacy!
So many little tubes and such of meds.
And on cruises I bring static guard and wrinkle release. And hair spray and gels.
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Hotel “stay and park” has always worked really well for us. This should go smoothly.
American will also have some food for purchase onboard - usually a snack box (with semi-healthy food) and often a fruit and cheese box. Sometimes there are sandwiches. The better food you often have to order ahead of time to gaurentee they don’t run out. You should be able to go into the app, open your trip and see if there is an option to “reserve a meal”. You can at least see if there is anything you might want.
I usually only do this for flights like yours: cross country with an early departure. My DD and I usually split the fruit and cheese and that holds us until we can find food on the other side.
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I don’t see any options yet to add a meal, but I will keep looking. Because I would absolutely feed my daughter to keep her from getting cranky.
And yes, she’s 18.
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