We are all aware of how stressful travel can be. No matter how experienced you are, this guide will help you navigate the complexity of commercial air travel and help you become a better and more proficient traveller. For many people, important travel experiences, like studying abroad, taking a gap year, or teaching abroad, begin and end with international travel. You can set the tone for the rest of your trip and get off to a wonderful start by making your travel as convenient and straightforward as possible. Similarly, domestic travel can be far less stressful if you prepare ahead of time and have a strategy for how you will approach your flight.

Whether you’ve been flying for years or you’re getting ready for your first flight, this book will provide you a thorough collection of airport hints, tips, and techniques to make your trip go more smoothly.

AIRPORT BASICS

Most airlines allow you to check in online up to 24 hours before your trip departs. This is the quickest path through the airport and to your gate. If you are bringing a checked bag, though, you will still need to go to the check-in desk of your airline.

The following is a list of must-dos before heading to the airport:

• You can download entertainment in advance on your phone, tablet, or computer, such as films, TV series, music, or podcasts.
• A few hours before your departure, check Twitter to see if anyone is reporting any significant delays or problems at the airport.
• Make parking arrangements in advance if you are driving. Make reservations in advance for any taxi or ride-sharing services you want to use.
• Find out which terminal your airline uses for departures.
• Organise all of your paperwork into a travel folder.
• Arrive at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled boarding time by leaving early enough.

PACKING TIPS

• When travelling, learn how to efficiently pack your things to save time, money, and stress. Although it may seem simple, remember these important things to prevent delays or additional costs at the check-in desk.
• If possible, travel with only carry-on luggage, as airport check-in lines have notoriously long lately. In certain terminals, there have even been reports of checked bags being built up by thousands.
• Most airlines allow one carry-on bag (roughly 9 inches by 14 inches by 22 inches, depending on the carrier) in addition to a personal item such as a briefcase, laptop bag, or handbag. It’s ideal if your item is a bag that securely shuts in addition to your hold all bag.

Select the appropriate carry-on bag.

You can bring a backpack or a regular suitcase as long as the dimensions comply with the airline’s guidelines. But each has benefits and drawbacks of its own.

Benefits of a backsack:

• Less likely to be marked for measurement by workers at the airport
• Simple to use in the airport, especially when rushing
• Drawbacks of carrying a Backsack:
• It can’t be rolled up like a bag.
• Compared to a suitcase, the material is probably less protective (particularly a hard-shell suitcase)

Advantages of a bag

• Because of its wheels, you can avoid having to carry the weight.
• They come in patterns with both soft and hard shells.
• To comply with airline restrictions, they are made in particular sizes.
• Make a roomy, open area for arranging your possessions.
• Drawbacks of travelling with a bag
• Greater visibility when crowded
• It is not as adaptable as a rucksack. You can select a small suitcase as your carry-on and a small backpack as your item because most flights allow you to bring both.

There are a few items you should always bring in your carry-on to enhance your flying experience, particularly if you’re going on a lengthy overseas flight.

• A switch of clothes, with layers
• Over-the-Counter analgesics
• Headphones
• if necessary, contacts or glasses
• A portable cushion
• A water bottle that can be reused (emptied after security)
• Consider packing extra comfort and sleeping materials like an eye mask, earplugs, and a tiny travel blanket for lengthier flights.

If you wish to bring certain products on the plane, you must place them in a carry-on bag.

Lithium batteries, for instance, are prohibited from being checked in luggage and must be carried on, such as those used in cameras and portable phone chargers. Furthermore, do not check your suitcase; carry your prescription medication and travel documentation with you.

The 3-1-1 liquids rule must be adhered to when it comes to liquids, such as gel deodorants and other amenities. According to the 3-1-1 regulation, each passenger is only allowed one liquids bag (1), all liquids must be in a 3.4 litre or smaller container (3), and all liquid containers must be in a 1-quart clear plastic bag (1).

Large suitcases or duffel bags with a substantially bigger carrying capacity than a carry-on bag are usually considered checked baggage. Take into consideration hard-shell bags that will shield your goods from impact and scratch damage, as these bags will be handled—and sometimes roughly—by numerous individuals and equipment on their trip to and from the aeroplane.
Furthermore, keep in mind that you will need to locate this bag among hundreds of other people’s belongings, so make an effort to select a suitcase that is unmistakable or add stickers to make it stand out.
Even if you manage to make it, checked baggage frequently misses connecting flights. When you get at your destination and your bag is missing, speak with airport employees right away.

It’s advisable to include bulkier, non-essential goods in your checked bag. This covers apparel, sporting goods, and liquids in containers bigger than 3.4 quarts.

Compressing the air out of clothes bags with packing cubes is a terrific method to make the most of the available space and maintain organisation in your checked bag. Video game consoles and other large electronics without batteries may also need to be checked, so be sure the airline allows you to bring them before you board.

Once you drop off your checked luggage at check-in, they will go through security and you can expect them to be opened and scrutinised. When packing, keep this in mind because the TSA agent checking your suitcase will need to repack it.

SECURITY TIPS

Think about Clear, TSA PreCheck, or Global Entry.

TSA PreCheck and Clear are essentially accelerated lines for airport security. However, they all expedite the security process in different ways. TSA PreCheck allows travellers to fill their luggage with large devices and 3-1-1 liquid bags while keeping their shoes and belts on. Alternatively, Clear expedites the identity and document check procedures by utilising biometric kiosks. While both of these solutions will save you time in the security queue, they each have benefits and drawbacks.

Benefits of TSA PreCheck

• Refrain from opening your baggage.
• Refrain from taking off your shoes and other clothing.
• considerably quicker than the standard airport security procedure
• Merely $85 over five years.

Drawbacks to TSA PreCheck

• Has to meet in person to provide fingerprinting.
• needs you to clear a background investigation
• doesn’t make the process of checking documentation faster

Benefits of Clear

• Prevent the need to present an agent with your ID and boarding permit.
• Contains an Event Pass to gain entry to events more quickly and a Health Pass to verify immunisations.

Drawbacks to Clear:

• Needs you to pass through the standard security checkpoints (unless you have TSA PreCheck)
• TSA PreCheck and Clear are both available if you want to optimise your convenience when at security.

Depending on the airline, you could follow different boarding procedures in addition to having a designated seat or not. This will also be noted on your ticket; however, if you’re travelling on a Southwest flight, you are welcome to select any seat you choose. When you get to your seat, think about giving the major touchpoints—such as the window, tray table, and seatbelt—a quick clean down with an antiseptic wipe; many airlines will even provide you one as you board!

You are prepared to take off once you are seated, have everything you might need in your seat pocket or beneath the seat in front of you, and are bucked up.

Throughout the course of your flight, bear the following in mind:

• When the plane ascends, pressure can build up in your ears.
• Smoking and vaping are prohibited on aeroplanes. Depending on the airline, there are free or fee-based food and drink alternatives. You can only leave your seat when the seatbelt light is off.
• All gadgets, including your phone, must be switched off or in aeroplane mode during a flight.
• Laptop use is prohibited during takeoff and landing.

After your plane has touched down and is at the gate, quickly make sure you have everything you need by looking around your seat. Since you won’t be able to retrieve your vital documents from the seatback pocket after you disembark, it is better to avoid doing so.

Once you’ve exited the aircraft, follow the directions to baggage claim or the exit. On the other hand, you have to pass through border control before you can exit the airport if you are travelling abroad. The baggage claim carousel that corresponds to your flight, if you have a checked bag, should be located next to baggage claim on an electronic screen.