Air travel can be a hassle. It can be frustrating, intimidating and utterly maddening. There is probably no known way to completely eliminate these hassles, but here are 10 tips a traveler can use to have a better airport experience and consequently, a better day.
1. Check your flight status before leaving home. Most airlines have Web sites — they all have toll-free customer service numbers. A traveler who knows his flight status is better prepared to deal with any delays. A traveler can also check an airport’s on-time status through the real-time FAA Web site. If it looks like delays are heavy, he can make arrangements for a different connecting flight or whatever he needs before he walks out the door. This will greatly minimize his stress when he arrives at the airport.
2. Get ticketing issues resolved ahead of time. Call the airline and sort out any last-minute ticket problems. Get an e-ticket if possible, which will help shorten check-in time. People at ticket counters who have issues that should have been wrangled out in advance are a major annoyance to the ticketing agent, and to the people in line behind. Make sure those problems are taken care of before arriving, if at all possible.
3. Familiarity with the airport terminal. Most major airports have Web sites. These sites almost always include detailed maps of the terminals, including restaurants and other service areas. Knowing the approximate location of baggage claim, car rentals, trams, etc., with help a traveler navigate the airport with ease and safety.
4. Arrive early. This should be pounded into the brains of all travelers. Security is more stringent. Therefore, lines are longer at checkpoints and travelers should consider this. Arrive at least 90 minutes before a domestic flight, two to 2 1/2 hours early for international flights. The days of getting to the airport and clearing security 10 minutes before the flight leaves are over. Late arrivals hold up everyone involved. Be smart and be early.
5. Don’t come in hungry. If leaving in the morning, eat a hearty breakfast somewhere outside the terminal. Some airports are worse than others, but a traveler can always expect to find ridiculously high prices on food at the airport. Travelers can also bring in their own food, and since most airlines have stopped serving a meal on board, this is recommended. A hungry traveler is a cranky traveler. Coming in with a full stomach is a good idea. In the same vein, take any recommended medications before boarding the aircraft. Get all personal business out of the way, including making a restroom stop.
6. Pampering time. If a traveler has a long layover, many airports offer certain pampering services, such as a massage or facial. If time and dollars permit, this is a great way to reduce stress and stay happy at the airport while waiting on a flight.
7. Bring reading material. Newspapers and magazines are usually available at an airport, but if these do not interest, bring that novel or puzzle book and two pencils. Waiting on a flight is a tedious business, and something like a book will help while away the time, pleasantly.
8. Pack smart. Don’t pack like an idiot. This may sound painfully obvious, but someone is always packing something stupid in his luggage: fireworks, firearms, drugs, something. Just be smart and don’t pack anything that might look like a bomb or other weapon. Even if you don’t have anything forbidden, if you’re pulled out for a search because an agent thought he saw something, it will ruin your day and that of everyone who is sitting, waiting on you to make the flight. Pack neatly, too, so if you are pulled out for a random search, the agent can go through your luggage and you can re-pack quickly. Pack intelligently.
9. Appropriate shoes. Wear comfortable shoes that are easily slipped on and off and do not have metal on or inside them. Loafers, mules or clogs are ideal shoes for a flight. Boots should be forbidden. If you wear boots, you can bank on having to take them off, and they are a pain to put on in a hurry. Wear something that you can put back on in 15 seconds. You will be more comfortable inside the airport and you will clear security more quickly.
10. Be courteous. This, above all things, will help a traveler have a better day at the airport. Courtesy will cover a multitude of sins. Using basic good manners and having a pleasant demeanor will do more to get a traveler through security quickly than anything else. This includes being mannerly toward the agents and, most important, having ID and boarding passes out and ready to present when they are asked for. Nothing holds up a line like someone fumbling through three pieces of baggage for ID and boarding passes. Keep them in an outside luggage pocket or inside a jacket pocket so they are easily located and accessed. Smile and wish the agents a good day. You never know when it might come in handy.
These bits of advice should help even the novice traveler have a better day at the airport.
