Obviously, I travel a lot. That means I spend a lot of time in airports. When I first started this job I hated airports as much as the next person, but the more I traveled the more I got used to them and figured out some of the tricks that make them more tolerable.
1. Packing
Before you even get there, pack smart. It’ll make your life much easier when you arrive. Want to spend less time at an airport? Don’t check your luggage! Pack smart, and you’ll never need more than a backpack and a carry-on bag.
I have, on occasion, needed to check a bag, but it’s only when I’m running a conference and need to check a 100-lb t-shirt press. This is really one of the only excuses for checking a bag. All your toiletries, makeup, creams, goos, etc. can be under 3 oz. You can wear a pair of jeans twice. Layer rather than taking a large jacket. Wear your largest pair of shoes and pack a smaller pair. I’ll go further into this in another post, but chances are, you don’t NEED everything you’re packing.
Avoiding checked luggage also speeds you up on the other side. Baggage claims are notoriously slow in most airports, so waiting for a bag adds another 20 to 30 minutes of time spent in an airport. With Global Entry (see Security) and no checked luggage, I am at my car less than 15 minutes after touchdown of an international flight and home in under an hour.
2. Getting There
The basic ways to get to the airport in the US are: drive yourself, get a ride from a friend or family member, or take an Uber or Taxi, other shared ride service, private car, or public transportation. Sure, some places may have a handful of others, like rickshaws or pack mules, but for the sake of simplicity, the above list sums up the core options.
I use all of these at various times in various cities. When you’re traveling, it’s good to have a general understanding of the city’s usual methods of transportation. Boston, for example, only allows Uber for certain hours each day on certain days, so sometimes that isn’t an option. London has a train dedicated to the airport. Houston has a complete lack of public transit, but parking is generally pretty cheap. Moab doesn’t have any options other than a private car. So, take a few minutes to look at your options. Often, an airport’s website will have a list of transportation options available and some recommendations of companies they routinely work with.
If you park, do a little research on the lot options. Parking on airport property is never the best option. Lots of off-site parking is much less expensive, and shuttles run constantly. These lots often have additional perks, and the shuttle drivers help with your luggage. They also usually give you a ticket to remind you where you parked. Put it in your wallet right away so you don’t have to worry about it, and hand it to the driver when you get back. It is important to double-check the hours of these lots. Some of them at smaller airports have limited hours during the night.
If you get a ride from friends and family, just make sure you allow enough time. If the person tends to run late, lie about your departure time. =)
I usually allow a little extra time for Uber and Taxis. Especially since I live outside of town, sometimes it takes 15 or 20 minutes for an Uber to get to me. Make sure you leave enough time for this, especially if you aren’t familiar with the area you’re departing. Uber drivers will occasionally mess up directions, so it’s good to have a few extra minutes so you aren’t in a rush.
Private cars are very expensive but often more comfortable and more professional. Shared services, like Super Shuttle, are great overall. They’re usually quite reliable, but you have very little flexibility. They’ll pick you up at the scheduled time, and there’s no wiggle room in that, so they aren’t my favorite.
Public transportation isn’t available in all areas; sometimes, getting to the nearest station also requires an Uber, bus, etc. If you’re opting for public transit you aren’t familiar with, I recommend using it when you arrive as well as when you depart in a new city. That way, you’ll just do it in reverse rather than try it for the first time when attempting to catch a plane. As an added precaution, if you aren’t familiar with that city’s public transit, give yourself extra time in case you miss a train or decide to give up and take an Uber.
3. Checking in and Boarding Passes
It’s pretty common knowledge that most airlines allow you to check in 24 hours in advance. With many airlines, if you’re a little late, it doesn’t matter much. With others, if you haven’t purchased a seat yet, you’ll get better randomly assigned options the sooner you check-in. Southwest assigns a boarding position instead of seats, so checking in right away becomes very important. Most airlines allow you to select your seat for an additional cost. Southwest allows you to pay for “Early Bird”, which will automatically check you in 36 hours prior to boarding for a better boarding position.
I highly recommend downloading the app for whatever airline you’re flying with. These apps make it very easy to check in and get a mobile boarding pass (if traveling domestically) and often have terminal maps and other helpful information. Mobile boarding passes allow you to skip your airline counter if you aren’t checking luggage (you should avoid checking luggage). If you’re traveling internationally, you’ll still need to visit your airline’s desk so they can confirm that your documents are in order.
4. Security
Get a Known Traveler Number (KTN), commonly known as TSA Pre Check, and KNOW HOW TO USE IT! . If you plan on traveling internationally, just get Global Entry. This is a little more expensive and takes more time and effort to get, but it lasts longer and will drastically speed up your re-entry to the US. Your Global Entry ID will work as a KTN (Known Traveler Number).
There’s nothing more frustrating for frequent travelers than to be standing in the precheck line watching someone take their shoes off. If you have it, get it randomly or are traveling with someone who does, make sure you know the rules! You don’t need to take shoes off, you can leave laptops and toiletries in the bag, and light jackets are okay to wear through the metal detector. You DO still need to remove everything from your pockets and remove all metal. You’ll walk through a metal detector, so if your shoes are covered in gold sequins for some reason or if you’re wearing steel-toed boots, you will need to remove them, but in general, leave them on. I always wear cowboy boots when I travel, and they never have to come off, so even bulky shoes will often be fine.
An alternative to TSA Pre is Clear. It requires an annual fee but is easy to sign up for and will expedite some security checks. Not all airports will put Clear guests in the precheck line and some airports don’t have it at all, so it is not as reliably fast.
Because of precheck, I only allow an hour at most airports. At larger airports like ATL, I’ll allot 90 minutes just because I have to get on a train to get to my terminal, but for Houston Hobby and even DEN, I only need an hour. At most airports, I am through security in less than 5 minutes. At Houston Hobby, it’s about 90 seconds. ATL is the busiest airport in the world, so it often takes 15 or 20 minutes, even for precheck. It would be faster if everyone in the precheck line knew the rules though.
Regardless of whether or not you have precheck or Clear, you still need to go through a metal detector. This means everything you have on your person will have to come off and go through the scanners, making it much easier to forget or lose something. If you parked your car, just put your keys in your bag as soon as you lock it. Put your boarding pass in your backpack before it goes through the scanner. Wear jewelry with as little metal as possible (in general, jewelry doesn’t trigger the machines, but larger necklaces and bracelets may). Avoid belts on a travel day. Make sure your shoes don’t have metal in them. Etc.
5. Timing
You don’t need 3 hours at the airport before an international flight. Customs happens when you arrive in another country, so there’s no additional security when you’re departing on an international flight. The only difference is that you need to physically check in with your airline in order to get your documents approved. Sometimes this can take 20 or 30 minutes if there’s a long line, but many airlines use kiosks, and this can often be done in less than 5 minutes.
In general, you don’t even need 2 hours. If you’re checking a bag, traveling at peak times, need to use the bathroom two or three times before boarding, want to get something to eat, don’t have any sort of expedited security, etc., you might want 2 hours. I arrive at an airport 1 hour, sometimes even 45 minutes, before a flight, and I usually sit at my gate for 10 or 15 minutes before boarding begins, after grabbing food. Granted, I do travel all the time. I know my airport well, and I often travel in and out of the same airports in other countries and cities, too, so I know those well. I recommend most people give themselves more than 45 minutes, but one of the easiest ways to not spend so much time at airports is to not arrive so early. Prepare ahead of time, and you’ll be fine.
6. Be a Member of Everything
Be a frequent flyer, frequent driver, travel club member, rewards member, or whatever it’s called for EVERYTHING (as long as it’s free to join)! The vast majority cost nothing to join, and you get perks just for having the number. Hilton, Marriott, and IHG hotels all offer better rates for members. Enterprise Plus gives you access to an expedited rental car line. Southwest Rapid Rewards gives you easy access to changing, canceling, and managing your travel. Use a password saver (I use LastPass) to save all your numbers, passwords, usernames, etc. If it’s free and beneficial, there’s no reason not to have it! I have everyone that I’ve ever encountered, and I earn points every time I use one. I get all the perks, many of which are huge time savers.
Side note: airlines don’t offer discounts; being a member of whatever the airline’s club is won’t help. What you find on Expedia is the same as what a travel agent can get you and what you’ll find on the airline’s website. Sometimes it’s cheaper to charter a plane for a large group; but, in general, no rewards membership, travel agent, group booking, etc. will save you money on airfare. Just join the rewards programs for the airline so you can benefit from the times you do fly. If you don’t fly often, most programs allow you to give your points to someone else so at least they’d be used.
7. Be Nice to People
This is the single most important thing you can do to hate airports less, especially if there’s a problem. Anyone who works in an airport deals with hundreds of travelers each day, most of them with an attitude problem for no reason other than the fact that they’re in an airport. A smile and a simple “How’s your day?” can be the difference between excellent service or assistance and getting nowhere fast.
This is especially relevant in situations like a flight delay or cancellation. If a flight is canceled, do you really think being another one of 148 angry people helps you? Why not be the one person who’s understanding and friendly? The gate agent had nothing to do with the delay or cancellation, but they’re stuck with the terrible job of dealing with all those angry passengers. Be the nice one! Chances are, you’ll get the best service.
This is also exceptionally relevant when you make a mistake. If you’re running late, need assistance with luggage, your luggage is over the weight limit, TSA pulled your bag aside, etc., just be nice. Again, all these people are used to people being mad at them for no reason– especially TSA. Ask nicely for help and make it very clear that their help is the only thing that will save you. People love feeling important, and by essentially begging for help you are more likely to get it. While that’s a relevant piece of advice for life in general, it almost always works in an airport.
8. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
A 20-minute flight delay might be inconvenient, but in the end, you’re going to get where you need to go, and you’re going to make your schedule for the day work on a 20-minute delay. You have no control over that delay, so spending a 3+ hour flight being angry isn’t going to help. Getting a seat you don’t like shouldn’t ruin your trip. Your luggage getting lost isn’t the end of the world. All these things are out of your control, so just let them happen, come up with a plan, and relax. You’ll be much better equipped to handle the consequences of the inconvenience if you aren’t already stressed because of it.
Even missing a flight, regardless of whose fault it is, isn’t the end of the world; once the plane is gone, there’s nothing you can do about that missed flight. Just go to the gate agent with a smile on your face and beg for help! They’ll take care of you, and you’ll feel much better once you have a new plan.
Travel doesn’t have to be stressful. Plan wisely and be prepared to roll with it when necessary.
