Darija Stojanovic 
Hello traveler, headed for the airport? This part of the trip can get quite nerve-wracking, I know! Even though I have flown over 100 times, I still get nervous and try to optimize my time at the airport for minimal nerve damage and maximum efficiency. These airport tips have made things so much easier for me.
I gathered all my wisdom and did some more research to present the ultimate, practical, and easy-to-read list of the most important things to know and do before going to the airport!
I separated the airport tips into 8 different categories (baggage, check-in, customs, security, etc.) for every part of your time at the airport so you can easily find what you need! I’m sure that after reading, you’ll feel like you’ve hacked the airport-preparation process and you’ll be more than ready for the trip!
Get comfortable, we’re taking off!
Quick Picks for Your Stay
These are the 3 most important airport tips that’ll save you time, nerves, and money:
- Arrive at the airport at least 3 hours for international departures.
- Check in online whenever possible.
- Reserve parking in advance if you’re driving to the airport.
Contents
1. Baggage and packing tips
First things first! How you pack your bags for the airport drastically affects how smoothly your time there will go.
Preparing your items
Use these simple tips to pack more efficiently and avoid having to pay extra fees or leave items behind at the airport:
- Buy travel-size bottles for liquids and place them in a reusable ziplock bag. The famous 3-1-1 rule for packing liquids is that each passenger can carry liquids, aerosols, or gels in containers of 100 milliliters (3.4 ounces) placed in one quart-size bag. This is important for airport security.
- Research baggage size and weight restrictions (both for the carry-on and the checked-in luggage) and prohibited items for your specific airline company.
- Get a luggage scale to weigh your luggage easily.
- Bring an empty water bottle or flask you can fill before boarding.
- Keep the essentials within easy reach (documents, medication, boarding passes, your phone & charger) in your carry on bag.
- If possible, avoid having checked-in luggage altogether.
GADGET TIP: Consider a multi-plug adapter (if traveling abroad) and a portable battery charger so you always have enough battery at the airport and on the plane!
Luggage safety and security
As a long-time traveler, I’ve had my baggage broken (and lost) multiple times. If only I had known these tips sooner, the damage would have probably been smaller:
- Add a lock or cover on your baggage so it’s harder to open.
- Add a “fragile” sticker or tag to your baggage so it’s treated gently by airport staff. Otherwise, they can throw it around and damage it. It happened to me many times. Do this yourself because some airliners don’t have this sticker (I know European low-cost carriers like Wizzair don’t have them, but many national carriers do).
- Add a luggage tag for easier identification of your bag in case it gets lost.
- Search for luggage storage services at your destination airport if you want to leave your stuff there temporarily.
2. Getting to the airport
Once you’ve packed your bags, it’s important to make it to the airport on time. That’s where the next set of tips comes in.
- Plan the route. Check for traffic delays and see which route is fastest.
- On the day of departure, look for flight delays on your airport’s official website.
- Compare transportation options. Is it better, cheaper, or faster to take a car, train, or other means of transport?
- Research the terminal you’re flying from. This is crucial if there are multiple terminals. I made this mistake once and almost missed my flight because I lost time going back to the right terminal.
- Be at the airport 2 hours before departure for international flights. Allow extra time for check in, baggage drop-off, car rental drop-off, etc.
- Research parking if you’re driving to the airport. You may need to reserve your parking spot in advance.
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3. Check-in tips
The next set of tips will help the check-in process run much smoother:
- Be aware 24 or 36 hours before the flight. This is when most airliners start checking in online.
- Always check in online (and no later than 120 minutes before the flight), especially if you fly with low-costers as they will charge you extra for airport check in. If you don’t have a checked bag and you’ve received your boarding pass online, you can skip the check-in counter and head straight for customs.
- Most airlines now accept digital boarding passes (just show the boarding pass QR code on your phone), but it won’t hurt to print your boarding pass just in case.
- Pick your seats beforehand for greater comfort (or don’t if you don’t want to pay extra & the perk is not included in the ticket price). You can almost always select your seats for free when you check in (but the good seats might be gone!).
- Only get priority boarding extras if they’re really useful. For many European airliners, priority boarding has lost its essence since everyone can get priority now, and you end up waiting in line either way.
- Use self-service check-in at the airport if available.
- Request wheelchair assistance for the elderly traveler(s) or if you’re injured at least 48 hours before the flight. Click on “Add special assistance” or similar buttons when booking your flight or managing your trip online (on the airline’s official website). Or call the airline directly with the request immediately after buying your ticket.
4. Customs tips
Although fairly simple, crossing the customs control will require your full attention.
- Have your passport and boarding pass ready when you enter the customs control line.
- When leaving the destination country: Find the entry stamp in your passport and remember which page it’s on. An officer one time couldn’t find my entry stamp when I was exiting Bulgaria and had to double-check his computer for illegal entry. The minute he spent checking seemed like eternity. I could’ve prevented that if I found the entry stamp beforehand (it was barely visible but it was there).
5. Airport security tips
The security procedure is the most stressful and annoying part of any airport stay (for me, at least). Luckily, there are ways to make it simpler!
- Apply for TSA-pre check if you’re from the US. It’ll put you in a dedicated security line where you don’t have to take off your shoes, laptop, separate your liquids, and more.
- Take your jewelry and belt off before going through the metal detector. Ideally, travel without jewelry to prevent the risk of losing it.
- Place your laptop and other electronics in a separate bin (but you can usually put your phone and watch in your bag).
- Get rid of all water bottles, juice boxes, and liquids larger than 100 ml before security. Usually there will be a large trash can where you can throw these away. If you have a flask with you, be sure to empty it before security (otherwise you might have to down a whole bottle while waiting in line!).
- Travel with shoes that aren’t ankle-height or with metal pieces on them, as you’ll have to take those off for security.
- Put any small coins or keys from your pants pocket into your jacket pocket (or in the bag) and place them in the bin. There should be no metal on you when you pass through the detector.
6. Terminal and boarding tips
Once you pass all the controls, you can walk around the terminal until boarding time. Here are some useful tips for this part of airport travel.
Terminal tips
- Immediately locate your gate at the monitors, walk to it, and only go to explore the terminal shops once you find it. This is a must for large airports. I once got stuck in a Duty-Free shop at Istanbul Airport and didn’t realize my gate was like a 7-minute walk from the store. I had to run to the gate to make it in time for boarding!
- Charge your phone, watch, or laptop before the flight in terminal cafés or sockets (ideally, do this the night before).
- Never leave your valuables unattended.
- Buy water or snacks for the flight.
- Don’t rely on airport Wi-Fi; it’s often nonexistent or really bad and insecure. Use an eSIM instead (I love Airalo) if you don’t have your own data.
- Dress comfortably and bring something warm both for the airplane and while waiting at the terminal.
- Download travel apps you may need once you land at your destination. I have a nice post on the 20 best free travel apps if you want some inspo! Also, now’s the time to download any flight entertainment (videos, movies, podcasts, etc) you may need for the flight.
Boarding tips
- Check for boarding time on your boarding pass (but follow the information on the monitors for any time or gate changes).
- Go to the bathroom immediately before boarding.
- Be at the gate at the boarding time. If boarding is delayed or you don’t see stewarts at the gate, you can still make it to the restroom, but remain nearby.
- Be among the first passengers to board if you have plenty of overhead compartment luggage.
- Be among the last ones (or wait for the line to shorten) if you don’t have any overhead luggage and don’t want to stand for nothing.
7. Layover tips
Ah, layovers. I still haven’t met a person who likes them, and yet they’re often unavoidable. I included a separate section with layover tips so your experience is less annoying and more pleasant:
- If possible, book connection flights with the same airline company.
- Leave at least 2-3 hours between flights if you have to pass customs at the transit airport. Less than 1 hour means you’ll likely be running through the airport. I almost missed my 2nd flight multiple times because the first one got slightly delayed, and I had to go through security again with very little leeway time.
- Use the transit time to charge your electronic devices.
- Stock up on water and snacks in the transit airport.
- Be mindful when shopping duty-free, as the products here are not always cheaper—quite the opposite. Plus, don’t burden yourself with too many extra bags.
- Get a lounge pass, but only if the experience is actually more comfortable than staying in the terminal public space. I once regretted buying a lounge pass for Sofia airport (Bulgaria) because it was literally dull. You can easily research this beforehand.
- Consider the airport sleep pods (research if available beforehand), or pick a hotel near the airport for long layovers.
- Book a quick city tour for long layovers. Check if your airline has a program similar to that of Turkish Airlines. You can also book layover tours on Get Your Guide (like this Dubai one), but it’s always better to do it with the official airline.
8. Arrival tips
So you’ve finally reached your destination, but before leaving the airport, you still have to go through a series of procedures. Here’s how to make sure everything runs smoothly.
- Follow the signs at the airport terminal so you know which way to go. Follow the “baggage claim” sign to get to customs. For transit, look for the “transit” sign. Ask airport staff when in doubt.
- Prepare your passport for customs control (not needed for domestic flights).
- For international travel, be ready to answer some questions about your stay. Ideally, prepare the address you’ll stay at in the new destination and any other details that explain your itinerary. Also, ideally, have the return ticket ready to show to the officer if they ask for it. You may also get asked how much money (cash) you’re carrying.
- Once you arrive at baggage claim, locate your baggage carousel on the monitors. If there are multiple arrivals from the same place, check the flight number (not just the destination origin name).
- Get familiar with transportation options to your accommodation once you land. If needed, book a ride or private transfer beforehand.
Final thoughts on airport tips
That’s it, dear reader! You’re now equipped with all the pro tips for a smooth airport experience! Hopefully, you learned something new today to help you become a more efficient traveler.
If there’s something I learned from all the years of travel, you can never be 100% stress-free at the airport and unpredictable circumstances can happen at all times.
For this reason, do all you can to make your trip as simple as possible, but don’t be demotivated or angry if something still goes off. That’s life, after all!
Please comment below if you have any questions or would like further assistance preparing for the airport!
Enjoy your flight,
Darija
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