I love to travel, but I hate the "modern" airport security-related hysteria. I'm sure most of you share this feeling.
Nowadays, traveling by air is stressful and airports are indeed unpleasant places where they do full body x-rays and make you strip down in front of hundreds of people. Plus, long haul flights are a pain in the butt.
Not that I'm a superfrequent flier or any sort of authority on the matter, but I have done my share of airports and airplanes. To better manage the stress levels, I try to follow a few rules that I have picked up from cool people and some not-always-pleasant self experience.
They could be summarized as "3P" - packing, preparation and peace of mind. This is the second post of the "series".
I originally planned on doing one single post, but it quickly turned into a loooooooooong ramble. Instead of shortening it, I just decided to split it into three distinct posts. So you have more of my awesome with a couple of breaks in between for beer and popcorn. And may I remind you that all this "wisdom" comes from a girl. Please consider that.
… PREPARATION…
I found that doing a bit of homework before and after booking a ticket can make A LOT of difference in the stress levels of air travel for us mere humans who do most of it ourselves. Contrary to the relatively narrow-focussed topic of the previous (packing) post, this one deals with more or less all the stages that get you from home to airplane. No biggie.
Level one: before booking a ticket.
The internet is an amazing invention and an endless source of valuable knowledge. So, once you've picked your destination, put Google to good use once again and do some ogling and Google mapping of your options in terms of departure and destination airports. Yeah, choose your airport smartly!
Usually there will be more than one option available - the more, the merrier. If that is the case, I always consider factors such as distance from the center of the city I am visiting, transport options to and from the airport and flight connection options. An airport that is closest to my final destination but has poor public transport connections is a loser in my book. Just as much as a remote airport (3+ hours away) that offers super cheap flights is. Whenever I can, I would choose airports that offer the most comfortable journey with a favourable price tag. No shit! That means as few layovers as possible, reasonably-priced tickets and public transport access. No shit! I try to avoid having people drive me to the airport and if I absolutely need to get there by car, I prefer driving there myself and parking the car at the airport. Unless the trip is extremely long, that option usually costs less than having someone make two return journeys. Although I admit that it feels really nice to be greeted by a familiar face at arrivals and then have your suitcase put in the trunk by familiar arms while all you do is buckle up in the passenger seat.
Anyway, when I am at the point of considering airfare prices, I always include the costs of the trip to the airport and the possible costs of coffee/snacks/needless shopping done out of sheer boredom during a 4,5-hour layover in some stupid airport halfway to my final destination.
Level two: booking the ticket.
Compare, compare, compare. Edreams, Expedia and similar search engines vs. old school travel/avio agencies vs. airline websites. Regular carriers vs. lowcosts. You name it. Airfare price is definitely not an exact science for us not in the business, but again, the internet is my best friend and truly helps find the best deal. Differences can be enormous, so I always try to be really patient and spend a lot of time fishing out a sweet deal.
Of course, being flexible in terms of travel dates and destination airport can save money, so can booking very well in advance, but this sort of flexibility is not always available, especially when it comes to dates. When it comes to booking in advance, keep in mind that airlines usually have limited numbers of seats for each price category within the same class of travel and when those run out, they will start selling at a steeper price. This means the earlier you book, the more likely you are to get the best price possible.
Level three: the airport.
Let's say I've figured out the mode of transportation that will get me to the departing airport. Good job! But when to leave home exactly?
If we obey what airlines say, we would have to be at the airport many, many hours before departure. In total honesty, that is not necessarily true. Those 2-3 hours can be a complete waste of time and to avoid that, factors such as size and amount of traffic need to be considered. A small airport means that it will likely be less crowded and the distance from security to gate can be waked in a few minutes, so getting there super early might result in being bored to death and fed up with the whole flying thing even before leaving solid ground. On the other hand, a small airport also means fewer bag drop desks and fewer security check points, which can result in horrible queues at "rush hour". Those issues usually don't exist when using big airports. For those, it usually makes sense to get there in good time due to sheer size. Plus, big ones are usually fun for people watching or window shopping.
So if I am using a departing airport for the first time, I do a little research about its size, number of terminals and gates etc. just to get the feeling of how long I will likely spend just navigating the damn building. Especially if I am flying from a tiny regional airport, it makes sense to study the departures portion on the website to see if my flight falls into the "rush hour" time bracket or not. If it does, I will plan on getting there earlier to avoid panic.
Also, I check-in in advance whenever possible and have my boarding pass ready. The era of pleasant chats with nice ladies at the check-in desks is OVER. Now it is all done by machines and usually you'll have to stand in line for those machines first and then stand in another line to drop off your bag. Double queue? Thank you, but no thank you. And I really dislike those check in machines with poorly responsive touch screens and annoying "help" from the random assistant.
Level 4: security.
Yeah, baby. Prepare to be searched and touched, x-rayed, undressed and then re-dressed. But with a bit of preparation, the whole experience can be way less unpleasant.
In order to reduce the unpleasantness, I pick a security-friendly outfit that never includes stuff that is too bulky or metal. Scarves, jackets and cardigans get removed before it's my turn. I also avoid wearing belts or chunky jewelry, because these take forever to get off and on again. Also, when I wear really big shoes like cute wedge boots or the like, I take them off while I am queuing and thus avoid holding the line due to my clumsiness. In that case, always make sure to wear cute socks to keep up appearances ;)
I also make sure I remove the kindle and laptop from their sleeves and have them easily accessible so they can easily be placed in a tray as soon as I reach one. And I never forget the ziplock baggie for liquids. That one is ALWAYS prepared in advance to avoid further delays. To help with all of that, my on-board handbag is usually one with many compartments, so all the things that need to be taken out for inspection are easily found. And believe me, I am one who likes to bring A LOT of junk on board...
To be honest, juggling all the above with only two hands can be tricky, but practice makes perfect and I am proud to announce that I've become a mean security get-through-er despite my innate infinite clutziness.
Level 5: boarding.
That is a sweet, sweet one. Boarding means that the packing, the waiting and the annoyances are over. It means that I made it at the right gate at the right time and that we'll be leaving soon. YAY! It also means that I can sit down and relax while watching impatient losers standing in line like morons as soon as boarding is announced. Why, you ask. Easy. Families with young children and passengers needing assistance are ALWAYS boarded first, along with those ones who paid for priority boarding (which I never do). So, why rush it? Prepare instead. Read your boarding pass for your boarding group or seat. The plane will not leave any sooner because you stood in yet another line. And since more and more airlines are adopting the board-by-group system, you are likely to get kicked out of the line if you stand in before your group is called. If seats are not assigned in advance, I still try not to rush it too much, although in that case it makes sense to maybe push it just a smidgen and try not to be the last on the plane, especially if everyone is traveling with carry on luggage.
Now that we have safely boarded, let's get some peace of mind - until landing.
Safe travels.
Jules
Level one: before booking a ticket.
The internet is an amazing invention and an endless source of valuable knowledge. So, once you've picked your destination, put Google to good use once again and do some ogling and Google mapping of your options in terms of departure and destination airports. Yeah, choose your airport smartly!
Usually there will be more than one option available - the more, the merrier. If that is the case, I always consider factors such as distance from the center of the city I am visiting, transport options to and from the airport and flight connection options. An airport that is closest to my final destination but has poor public transport connections is a loser in my book. Just as much as a remote airport (3+ hours away) that offers super cheap flights is. Whenever I can, I would choose airports that offer the most comfortable journey with a favourable price tag. No shit! That means as few layovers as possible, reasonably-priced tickets and public transport access. No shit! I try to avoid having people drive me to the airport and if I absolutely need to get there by car, I prefer driving there myself and parking the car at the airport. Unless the trip is extremely long, that option usually costs less than having someone make two return journeys. Although I admit that it feels really nice to be greeted by a familiar face at arrivals and then have your suitcase put in the trunk by familiar arms while all you do is buckle up in the passenger seat.
Anyway, when I am at the point of considering airfare prices, I always include the costs of the trip to the airport and the possible costs of coffee/snacks/needless shopping done out of sheer boredom during a 4,5-hour layover in some stupid airport halfway to my final destination.
Level two: booking the ticket.
Compare, compare, compare. Edreams, Expedia and similar search engines vs. old school travel/avio agencies vs. airline websites. Regular carriers vs. lowcosts. You name it. Airfare price is definitely not an exact science for us not in the business, but again, the internet is my best friend and truly helps find the best deal. Differences can be enormous, so I always try to be really patient and spend a lot of time fishing out a sweet deal.
Of course, being flexible in terms of travel dates and destination airport can save money, so can booking very well in advance, but this sort of flexibility is not always available, especially when it comes to dates. When it comes to booking in advance, keep in mind that airlines usually have limited numbers of seats for each price category within the same class of travel and when those run out, they will start selling at a steeper price. This means the earlier you book, the more likely you are to get the best price possible.
Level three: the airport.
Let's say I've figured out the mode of transportation that will get me to the departing airport. Good job! But when to leave home exactly?
If we obey what airlines say, we would have to be at the airport many, many hours before departure. In total honesty, that is not necessarily true. Those 2-3 hours can be a complete waste of time and to avoid that, factors such as size and amount of traffic need to be considered. A small airport means that it will likely be less crowded and the distance from security to gate can be waked in a few minutes, so getting there super early might result in being bored to death and fed up with the whole flying thing even before leaving solid ground. On the other hand, a small airport also means fewer bag drop desks and fewer security check points, which can result in horrible queues at "rush hour". Those issues usually don't exist when using big airports. For those, it usually makes sense to get there in good time due to sheer size. Plus, big ones are usually fun for people watching or window shopping.
So if I am using a departing airport for the first time, I do a little research about its size, number of terminals and gates etc. just to get the feeling of how long I will likely spend just navigating the damn building. Especially if I am flying from a tiny regional airport, it makes sense to study the departures portion on the website to see if my flight falls into the "rush hour" time bracket or not. If it does, I will plan on getting there earlier to avoid panic.
Also, I check-in in advance whenever possible and have my boarding pass ready. The era of pleasant chats with nice ladies at the check-in desks is OVER. Now it is all done by machines and usually you'll have to stand in line for those machines first and then stand in another line to drop off your bag. Double queue? Thank you, but no thank you. And I really dislike those check in machines with poorly responsive touch screens and annoying "help" from the random assistant.
Level 4: security.
Yeah, baby. Prepare to be searched and touched, x-rayed, undressed and then re-dressed. But with a bit of preparation, the whole experience can be way less unpleasant.
In order to reduce the unpleasantness, I pick a security-friendly outfit that never includes stuff that is too bulky or metal. Scarves, jackets and cardigans get removed before it's my turn. I also avoid wearing belts or chunky jewelry, because these take forever to get off and on again. Also, when I wear really big shoes like cute wedge boots or the like, I take them off while I am queuing and thus avoid holding the line due to my clumsiness. In that case, always make sure to wear cute socks to keep up appearances ;)
I also make sure I remove the kindle and laptop from their sleeves and have them easily accessible so they can easily be placed in a tray as soon as I reach one. And I never forget the ziplock baggie for liquids. That one is ALWAYS prepared in advance to avoid further delays. To help with all of that, my on-board handbag is usually one with many compartments, so all the things that need to be taken out for inspection are easily found. And believe me, I am one who likes to bring A LOT of junk on board...
To be honest, juggling all the above with only two hands can be tricky, but practice makes perfect and I am proud to announce that I've become a mean security get-through-er despite my innate infinite clutziness.
Level 5: boarding.
That is a sweet, sweet one. Boarding means that the packing, the waiting and the annoyances are over. It means that I made it at the right gate at the right time and that we'll be leaving soon. YAY! It also means that I can sit down and relax while watching impatient losers standing in line like morons as soon as boarding is announced. Why, you ask. Easy. Families with young children and passengers needing assistance are ALWAYS boarded first, along with those ones who paid for priority boarding (which I never do). So, why rush it? Prepare instead. Read your boarding pass for your boarding group or seat. The plane will not leave any sooner because you stood in yet another line. And since more and more airlines are adopting the board-by-group system, you are likely to get kicked out of the line if you stand in before your group is called. If seats are not assigned in advance, I still try not to rush it too much, although in that case it makes sense to maybe push it just a smidgen and try not to be the last on the plane, especially if everyone is traveling with carry on luggage.
Now that we have safely boarded, let's get some peace of mind - until landing.
Safe travels.
Jules
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