An airport can be a paradise or a hellish place for different people. Someone feels in it like a fish in water, and enjoys every minute before take-off, while someone is tormented, in a hurry and nervous. Not everyone copes with the atmosphere of eternal bustle that prevails at airports.
Nevertheless, knowing a few tips, you can make your life easier and significantly accelerate all pre-flight procedures. Perhaps a love of airports and travel will manifest itself and planes will no longer be associated with something very long and complicated.
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Find out the layout of the airport
The complex layout of airports makes some tourists stupor. Finding the right exit (gate), the entrance to the airport building, the passage to the Aeroexpress train, the corridor where the pre-flight control passes, is not so simple. Especially for those who fly for the first time.
Actually, this is one of the first causes of terrible stress before flying. People do not have time to register, do not know where to get a ticket, how to get to their plane. Because of this, excessive vanity, lateness begins, and the mood completely spoils.
It is better to find out in advance where all the necessary points are located at the airport, so that upon arrival you can be prepared and not to look for everything at the last moment.
The map can be found on the airport website, in their official applications, as well as in some cartographic programs. For example, 2GIS and Google Maps. In them, you can find detailed building plans and even turn on floor navigation to find the right exit.
Fly often
Those who make more than 5-10 flights a year can enjoy additional privileges. These include accrued miles, which you can spend on buying some tickets, or the opportunity to relax before departure in the business lounge. You can also buy premium status for them.
This is not the only advantage of flying enthusiasts. A large number of miles and frequent travels indicate customer loyalty. Over time, due to this, the attitude of the staff changes and access to additional privileges opens. There are fewer questions during the audit.
TSA PreCheck System
Some airports around the world have TSA PreCheck. This is a specialized program that gives you access to an expedited check before departure. All you need to do to a potential customer is to subscribe to the PreCheck service.
After that, it will be possible to pass screening in a separate checkpoint without queues. Together with online check-in, this service will allow you to go to the airport much later than the rest, and not worry about problems during the check. PreCheck is especially beneficial for those who frequently travel internationally.
Come in advance
Trite, but as effective as possible. If you need to reduce stress before departure, it is better to leave at the airport in advance so as not to encounter excessive fuss. With at least an hour or two left, you can have a bite to eat, buy souvenirs or products in Duty Free, find all the necessary inputs and outputs, go through all the necessary checks and screenings. Well and the most important thing is to check in your baggage and check in.
Even if you have to spend a lot of time at the airport, it’s better to sit in peace than then to run to the gangway in the bustle.
Pack your bags wisely
Before you go to the airport (preferably the day before), you need to pack and pack. This process should be approached as scrupulously as possible. It is better to find out in advance whether baggage is allowed, to find out what dimensions and weight should carry on hand luggage.
With this information in mind, you can prepare your suitcases and bags in advance so that you do not have to double-check your baggage weight at the airport and do not repack everything on the go.
To check your hand luggage, you can use special applications for smartphones. For example, App In The Air. It has a built-in function for evaluating the dimensions of a suitcase in augmented reality.
Also, do not overdo it with packing. People like to wrap their bags with tape or tape, and then they are asked to show one of the things inside. We have to unwind everything. Long and dreary.
Limit Baggage
Before you pack your things, you need to make sure in advance that they are really necessary. Often people take more than they can carry. This greatly slows down and spoils the overall impression of traveling or moving.
Excess baggage is a burden. Many things can be bought already at the place of arrival without losing much, but buying a new ticket after a late flight is no longer so simple. Therefore, it is better to make sure in advance that a huge number of things will not become an obstacle during the check and when traveling to the airport.
Register online and rely on smartphones
Phones have long been turned into a tool that solves a lot of problems. He can help before the flight. There are many programs that inform about registration, boarding, departure time, delays and other useful information. It’s worth downloading one of these on your smartphone long before departure.
Using branded airline applications, you can not only track your flight, but also register for it via the Internet. One day before the flight, you can choose your seat, and upon arrival at the airport you can print out your boarding pass using a special machine. Do not have to stand in line. This will save a lot of time and save you from being late. So it’s better to master modern technology.
After going through the first online registration and receiving a boarding pass yourself, it will be ridiculous to look at people who are waiting in lines and wondering how long they will have to wait.
Choose the right clothes
If possible, it is worth dressing as lightly, comfortably as possible, but not too weird. It’s better not to try to arouse suspicions with the guards. Baggy clothes can attract the attention of inspectors, which certainly will not benefit.
In addition, you need to be ready to undress, if required by the airport staff. Often at checkpoints they are asked to take off their jackets and boots in order to leave them on the tape. In extreme cases, a more thorough check is carried out. Changing clothes can take precious minutes of time, which is critical if you are already landing. Security officers, even in this case, are unlikely to show compassion and let them go forward.
Get ready for screening in advance
At the entrance to the airport and the ramp, people are carefully checked using special frames that respond to metal and electronics. Often this procedure is accompanied by endless laying out of keys, phones and coins from pockets. Even foil from under a pack of cigarettes can make the frame ring.
If there is no desire to linger at this stage, it is better to put everything metal in a bag before entering the airport. As a result, all the equipment, jewelry with iron coins will fall on the tape, and you will not have to pull them out of your pockets during the screening.
Do not be nervous
Stress before flying is the last thing a traveler needs. Anxiety can significantly slow down, confuse and prevent calmly pack up and hit the road.
Often, once in the hectic atmosphere of the airport, people are lost, freaking out. Naturally, in this situation it is impossible to adequately assess the situation. It is better to take a sedative in advance, meditate and carefully prepare for the flight.
Keep your ID card handy
At first glance, this is obvious, but many people still pack documents in bags. Of course, this is not the most far-sighted decision. Various kinds of documents may be required at any time (not only at registration). Therefore, do not hide them ahead of time. It is better to always keep them nearby (in your pocket, for example) so that you do not have to unpack your suitcases.
Get ready for the delays
Another reason for stress at the airport is flight delays. There are many reasons why airlines delay flight time. Sometimes you need to go through the procedures for applying an anti-icing solution. Sometimes there are gaps in the schedule, if one of the aircraft did not arrive on time, leaving for the second round.
One thing is important. Delays happen, and quite often. Therefore, it is worth preparing for them in advance. This mainly concerns purely domestic issues such as finding food and even housing for a while.
Sometimes flight delays can be used to your advantage. This will especially appeal to those who are late for the plane. If you know in advance that the flight time has been rescheduled, you can avoid unnecessary rush, stress and premature decisions.
