Top 10 Tips On Reducing Airport Hassle
We've all witnessed it and we've all been annoyed by it: the couple in front of you at check-in who don't produce their travel documents fast enough, or set off security gates because they neglected to take their antique coin collection out of their pants before they left home. It takes everything you've got not to fly into a terrible rage and cause a potentially trip-sacrificing scene, doesn't it?
You're definitely not alone. Of the most loathed queues, airports ranked second in a survey carried out, with a quarter of the Aussie population naming airport queues their most hated of all experiences.
In this piece, we hand out some pearls of wisdom on the best ways to cut down queues and ultimately irritation at airports.
Tip #1: Check in online... You rock up to an airport and the first thing you're met with on arrival is the queue to check in. Not exactly great beginnings. Save yourself the trouble of steering suitcases around those annoying barrier queues by checking in online before you leave home.
Tip #2: Hand luggage only... If you're honest with yourself, all you really need to travel with is your passport, tickets and toothbrush - you can get most of the stuff you need when you arrive at your destination. You can claim back that hour spent waiting for your bags to appear on the carousel
Tip #3: Ship it... If you just cannot live without your shoe collection while you're on holiday, an amazing alternative to the baggage carousel is to send your luggage on ahead of you with a courier service. Sometimes it's worth splashing out a bit of cash for the convenience.
Tip #4: Rise and shine... Early morning flight? Stay overnight at the airport hotel and buy back a couple of hours sleep. A good night's rest will reduce the risk of the littlest things tipping you over the edge on your travels.
Tip #5: Upgrade yourself... Go business class. It's more expensive, but you get to skip some queues and win in the leg room department too.
Tip #6: Be organised... Unlike the annoying couple in front of you, have all your paperwork ready. You can get some pretty nice-looking travel organisers which can help you stash all your paperwork in the right order so you breeze through border control.
Tip #7: Know your limits... brush up in advance on all the things you can and can't bring on a plane. Your airline will have a checklist on their website and some additional tips for quick and safe travel. Here's one: if you're taking gifts, wrap them when you get on the other end to avoid having to unwrap and rewrap if security want to take a peek inside.
Tip #8: Enjoy yourself... depending on where you are in the world, there will be varying pampering options you can take advantage of. Book an airport lounge or grab a massage while you're on layover to take the sting out of the waiting time.
Tip #9: Avoid peak travel times... Monday mornings and Friday evenings are huge for business travel - avoid like the plague or you run the risk of security gate hell.
Tip #10: Rentals made easy... Picking up a hire car can age you by about ten years. By sending the named driver ahead while you wait at the baggage carousel, you can get both jobs done at the same time.
So now that you know how to work the system, are you ready for that much-needed holiday?
About the Author
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