The Instagram images of individuals enjoying themselves in the airport lounge and drinking champagne on the tarmac are fantastic. For the rest of us, though, airports, flying, and everything else can be a hassle. Long lineups, pre-flight security screenings, and wailing infants can make flying less than ideal.
However, it need not be this way! We've compiled a list of 8 airport travel tips to make your next trip easier. We have you covered, from the optimal time to check in to what to take in your carry-on. Therefore, please raise your tray table and adjust your seat back to the upright position; takeoff is imminent!
If you are not checking a bag, there is no reason for you to stand in line at the check-in counter or struggle with a fingerprint-smudged kiosk when you are at the airport. When you go to the airport, you can save time by going right to the security checkpoint if you do. Even more convenient, the Delta app will check you in for your flight 24 hours before it is scheduled to depart. There are a number of airlines, notably Alaska and Southwest, that is now providing free onboard entertainment to customers via their personal devices via their apps. Because of this, you should already have these applications installed on your phone.
Even within the same family of jets operated by the same airline, individual aircraft can have vastly different seating configurations and amenity offerings from one another. After you've decided on the airline to fly with, visit that airline's website to double-check that the plane you want to take and the seats you want are available on the flight you've booked. After all, you don't want to believe that you've booked one of Qatar Airways' QSuites, just to be given a random chair instead.
Airline applications are typically the last to be informed when something is wrong, much like a lover who has been abandoned. You should make use of FlightStats in order to monitor flight statuses, on-time performances, weather conditions, and even the flight history of your particular aircraft, all of which are updated in real-time. This will allow you to be the first person to know if your plane is delayed and the first person to be rebooked if necessary.
Many airlines, in an effort to tap into new revenue streams, have implemented rigorous size limits for carry-on bags. These limits are strictly enforced by gate employees who keep a sharp lookout for infractions. At home, you should check the measurements of your bag to ensure that they are within the parameters set by your airline. Keep in mind that the limits imposed by European carriers are slightly different than those imposed by American carriers. Put it down to the difference between standard and metric.
Phone: check. Verified on a laptop. Tablet: check. The camera has been checked. Spare charger: check. The power cords have been checked. These days, vacationers bring more smart devices than ever before. You will be relieved to know that numerous organizer cases are available to keep all of your electronic devices and wires within easy reach and prepared for screening.
Since January 2018, airlines have been required to implement bans on the use of smart baggage batteries due to concerns that these devices could start fires on board. If your bag contains a battery pack, you should be ready to demonstrate that it can be removed in the event that your bag is subject to gate inspection. However, you shouldn't necessarily leave that battery pack behind at home. There is no assurance that the power ports that are advertised to be available at the seat in front of you on a flight will in fact be operational when you are actually on board.
The climatic settings inside an airplane cabin appear to alternate between an icebox and a toaster oven, with no viable happy medium between the two extremes. And no one wants to touch those germ-ridden air nozzles, which in any case just produce a hissing draught of dry air. Wearing a number of thin layers allows you to look fashionable while still being prepared for any eventuality.
