| Tom Tessin I flew this holiday season to visit my family, and I was startled by how unprepared many of my fellow travelers seemed to be for the slightly organized chaos that is the American airport. If you haven't flown in awhile, do yourself (and the folks behind you in the security line) a favor and check out these three tips.
Check In Online
Virtually every major airline these days offers flyers the ability to check in from the comfort of their own home, up to 24 hours before the flight. I always check in on-line to a) verify that I have a window seat, and b) to see if there is an inexpensive opportunity to upgrade to business or first class. Most airports have a separate, shorter security line for those customers, and trust me, an extra 50 bucks is worth skipping the claustrophobia-causing lines on a busy fly day. Plus, you can print your boarding passes at home, and then just check in at the curb. Voila another line skipped!
Pack Appropriately
No one wants to get charged extra because their checked luggage is too heavy, but wedging all sorts of bulky items into your carry-ons isn't the solution, either. You're going to get cranky hauling all that crap through the airport, and we're going to get cranky when you bang our knees with it repeatedly throughout the flight. Earn yourself a couple pounds by wearing your bulkier items like thick jeans or cords instead of packing them. That will give you some room to pack those board games, foodstuffs, or whatever it is you have shoved into that little bag.
Bling Is Never Appropriate for Airline Security
I love me some good jewelry, too, so I totally feel your look as long as I'm not watching you disassemble it before going through the metal detectors. Don't bother putting on earrings, necklaces, belts with metal buckles, etc. the morning of travel. If you fear paparazzi will catch you un-accessorized, stash them in a small zipped bag in your carry-on, and doll yourself up in the first bathroom past security, and the taking off your shoes thing? The security folks mean that. Don't ask when you get up to the scanners if you can leave them on. I see people trying that at least once every time I fly, and it never works out for them.
Hopefully, following these three easy tips will result in a less stressful trip to the airport, both for you and for the poor soul behind in you in line. Happy contrails!
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If you like this article, find more travel tips, as well as more articles like this all on my travel blog. |
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