Airport Survival Guide

The normal airport procedures, from checking in to boarding your flight, can be a mind boggling experience. If you are like me, you could easily find yourself standing in the middle of the airport desperately looking around for some sort of screen or board that will reveal the yellow brick road that leads you through the maze that is the modern day airport.

Here are a few tips for airports procedures

• Check your flight details

-          If you’re going to be travelling from a big airport, the first thing you want to check is which terminal your flight is from. There’s no point turning up at terminal 2 and spending an hour trying to find the right check-in point when your flight is at terminal 4. All you will end up with is sore feet, increased stress levels and a lighter wallet after you pay for a last minute cab to get you to the right terminal!

• Checking in

-          From personal experience, I recommend that you reach the airport about 2 hours before your flight so that you will have enough time to get everything sorted without the hassle of rushing.  

-          For many flights you can check in online at home. I would definitely say that if that option is available then take it up as it will speed up the whole process at the airport a great deal. If you can’t do this then don’t worry, once you arrive at the airport check the boards and screens for your flight and which check in desk to go to (for those who check in online, you’ll still have to go to the desk to give in your luggage).

-           I would suggest that you get all this over with immediately, don’t bother hanging around the shops and cafes as it only gets cheaper as you enter duty free!

-          When you are going to check in, make sure you have all the necessary paperwork (tickets, booking information etc.) and above all else remember your passport.

• Baggage

-          When you drop off your bags, don’t forget that at the other end you are going to have to recognise it! So if your bag isn’t very unique try find some way of marking your bag and making it recognisable, one way is by tying a coloured ribbon or anything similar around a handle to make it stand out. This will definitely help because after a long flight when you’re half asleep and waiting for your baggage, all those black suitcases will begin to look the same as they go around the carousel.

-          One vital point about baggage is that you make sure it’s not overweight or you could end up paying extra because you packed 15 tops for a 5 day trip!

• Hand luggage

-          Keep your passport and all your booking details for your holiday in your hand luggage, preferably in a separate compartment so you don’t lose anything and keep it all to hand.

-          I’ve found that it’s always a wise move to keep some sort of pillow handy; not the large type that you would have in your bed but a smaller, maybe inflatable one. This is because even if you are flying on the greatest airline in the world, you never know if there are going to be any unexpected delays. Your pillow will probably be a lot more comfy than any you would get on your flight too.

-          Keep some spare clothes in your hand luggage and a jumper too because it tends to get a bit chilly when you’re flying at 32000 feet.

-          Pack some snacks, especially for longer flights, because there’s nothing worse than that aching stomach feeling and you haven’t got anything to satisfy your hunger.

-          If travelling with kids, make sure to pack some small games or something similar to keep them entertained. Also make sure you bring some books or an mp3 player to keep yourself entertained for all those long boring waits.

• The security checkpoint

-          When you travel, I’d definitely suggest that you wear clothes with minimal metal parts, including belts, watches and excessive jewellery, because you’ll just end up having to strip yourself down when you go through those metal detectors. It’s an unnecessary hassle that can be easily avoided.

-          Go through your hand luggage and make sure all your liquids are in 100ml bottles at the maximum or they will be taken away!

-          If you are carrying any prescription drugs make sure you have your prescriptions with you, and if you are wearing a splint with metal parts, you will need a doctor’s note of some sort.

• Duty Free

-          You can always get some bargains, so if you arrive the recommended 2 hours before the flight you should have plenty of time to have a shop around duty free.

I hope that this has helped you make your airport experience that much easier and for some extra tips I’d recommend that you take a little time out to have a quick look through our Holiday Checklist to make sure you don’t forget a thing the next time you travel!