Traveling can no doubt be a stressful experience, but there are ways to make it less so. Here are my five tips to help you make your traveling experience less nerve-wracking and easier.
1. If you’re traveling internationally, make sure you have your documentation with you and readily available. Do your research and make sure you have the appropriate visa. Part of the airline gate agents’ job is to make sure you have the correct documentation, but if they don’t, you will be the one being denied entry into a country. Additionally, in the age of COVID, if testing documentation is required, make sure you have it available when asked.
2. Whether traveling internationally or domestically, you’ll need an airline ticket or boarding pass to get through security. You’ll also need identification like a passport or driver’s license. Have your documentation ready and in hand for the security checkpoint. Now you may have access to a mobile boarding pass. Make sure it is pulled up and ready when you approach the security screener.
3. Make sure you don’t have prohibited items in your carry-on. Know liquid limits and make sure you are adhering so you don’t hold up the security line. You may have to make arrangements for your prohibited items or have them thrown away.
4. Ensure all your luggage goes through the security scanner before you do. It isn’t easy to see what’s happening to your luggage once you go through the security checkpoint. It’s much easier to keep an eye on your belongings when they are in front of you rather than behind.
5. Get alerts from the airline for flight information such as delays and departure information. Especially at larger airports, airlines can operate from more than one terminal, and it can be a long walk from your entry point to your flight departure gate.
These are just a few ways to make the flying and airport experience a more pleasant one. Do you have any other great tips? I’d like to know.