Important Tips for Air Travel
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Some Things You Need to Know before Boarding the Plane:
Important Tips for Air Travel – Early Bird is a Happy Bird:
Most air travellers make the mistake of arriving at the airport just a few minutes before their flight. When seats are reserved and there’s airport staff to worry about one’s luggage, it only makes sense to come in at the last minute, right? Wrong.
With thousands of passengers coming in and out of airports every hour, something wrong is bound to happen. There are important announcements that passengers need to hear such as flights leaving earlier or later than what’s indicated on the ticket. Sometimes there are also additional documents needed for those with international flights.
This is the reason why they instruct passengers to arrive at the airport two to three hours (international) and One Hour (Domestic) prior to their respective flights. The purpose of this is if any problem arises, they can be addressed at the earliest possible. Coming in early also allows you to relax before you board the plane.
Avail of the Online Check-in or Express Check in Service:
Image: Express Check in Counter
From our first-hand experience i.e. where we missed our flight because of the long queue at the check-in counter. We learned our lesson in an expensive and hard manner 😊 and since then, we made it a point to check-in online whenever possible. You get to save so much time and it spares you from the pain of standing in line for too long.
The advantage of availing this service is one can make a bee line to the departure area, because all you have to do is to leave your stuff/luggage at the luggage drop counter and you’re good to go and also for frequent business travelers if you have no check in luggage you can just breeze to security check straight away you save a precious 15 to 20 minutes of your time…..! Now at many major airports they have come up with an process of printing your boarding passes without standing in queue at the check in counters, they are generally called as “express check in counters” which are placed at the entrance of the departure’s gate and as you enter the air port you enquire any air port employee they will guide to one. Here one can print their boarding pass and straight away move to security check in.
Important Tips for Air Travel – Less Bags to Carry, More Time to Create Memories:
Those who are on the flight for first time tend to carry a lot of bags. This leaves them worrying about their luggage and missing out on the fun during their flight experience. There are chances that you might get charged for excess baggage (general tariff: Rs 400/Kilo for excess baggage i.e. domestic flights). If you want to enjoy your time during your flight, then one should travel light.
While packing, list down the number of days you’ll be spending at your destination and make a list of the things you need to bring. If it’s your first-time flight, read up on items that are not allowed on planes such as aerosol cans, pointy objects, liquids that are more than 100 ml, flammable items, etc. Check it twice to make sure you only pack the essentials. If you are uncertain about some items, don’t bring them since there is a high chance you won’t be needing them anyway. Transfer your shampoo, conditioner, and soap to smaller bottles to make your bags lighter. You’ll be surprised at the number of things you can do when you don’t have a lot of bags with you during your flight. And also, do not carry any batteries or power banks in your check in luggage, it will not be loaded on the plane if they find any.
Important Tips for Air Travel – Show Kindness to Airport Security:
Airport security personnel are responsible the safety of all passengers and guests who come to see off and also receive the guests, so allow them to inspect your bags. Some passengers are iffy when it comes to having their bags inspected because they feel that it’s a violation of their privacy. That’s understandable, but there are policies and procedures that we need to follow if we want a safe journey in the sky. To avoid problems with the airport security personnel, here are some things you can do:
- Place all items that you need to present in a plastic bag/tray you are provided at the counter.
- Put all electronic devices in separate bag/tray.
- Wear slip-on shoes (so you don’t have to tie/untie those laces), if your wearing shoes which are like industrial shoes put them also for scanning separately.
- Avoid wearing a belt or put the belt also for scanning along with your luggage.
- Put passports and other important documents in your carry-on/hand baggage.
Update your Entertainment Library:
Some additional Tips for Air Travel, some flights are longer than others and one way to make the most out of this is by listening to music, reading a book, or watching a movie. Make sure that you update your entertainment library before leaving the house so you don’t bore yourself out during your flight. Yes, most international flights have entertainment on board at your disposal, but it’s best to be prepared in case these don’t work. Oh, and make sure your mobile devices and power banks are fully charged, too just in case 😊.
Something to Keep the Tummy Happy
Always bring some food you want to munch on. This saves you from spending on expensive airport food plus it keeps you from getting grumpy when you’re hungry. If you’re traveling with kids, this tip will come in handy, or if you are not a person who carries food please indulge in some snacking, I personally prefer a Cup of Hot Coffee (without milk and sugar) 😊 at airport before your board your flight.
Prepare everything, and give yourself time to ease into “travel mode” so you don’t get too overwhelmed once you board the plane. Know your departure and arrival time so you can coordinate with people who are picking you up from the airport. Once your flight takes off, allow yourself to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!
Just travel safe and be happy. We hope the above tips in the article will help you for a safe flight. Enjoy! 🙂
Author Bio
Rekha Pant, is an IT professional, B.Tech from RGPV University, Bhopal. Along with her IT profession, she has also evolved herself to become a fluent writer covering different topics in Digital Communication, Education, Marketing and IT. With her rare talent, she has published ace blog pieces as a guest on many websites. For more information about her, you can check her profile on LinkedIn.
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I fly a lot since it takes 16+ hours to drive to where my family lives. Almost all of these are standard for me. I always check in online since I use budget airlines that charge if you don’t and typically only bring a carry-on bag that’s packed in a way to make security as quick and easy as possible. Even though my airport is small, and I know my way around, I still arrive at least an hour and a half to two hours early.
I am a frequent traveler and i find these tips spot on and actually very helpful! Thank you so much.
We travel a lot and these are perfect tips. I wish people could be more efficient.
before I board a plane, I make sure I eat the right foods for a long haul. I also charge all my electronics to the fullest. I also make sure I get early to the airplane just incase there is a delay.
These are such great traveling tips! I travel a lot and I think these are just very helpful for everyone who is planning to travel the first time.
I travel extensively and can attest, the things you mention, when taken care off, make life so much easier.
My travel must haves are snacks and a good book! I love that you included being kind to security personnel.
yeah you are right snacks cannot be ignored 🙂 yeah security personnel work tirelessly for our safety, the least we could do is being polite and cooperate with them.
There are some very good tips here. for me, I always try to pre-plan my luggage as much as possible to avoid any excess charges x
These are all such great tips for air travel!! It certainly isn’t what it used to be. I agree with being an early bird!!