We didn’t choose the airport life. The airport life chose us. Unless you’re lucky enough to hop on your private jet, chances are you don’t love flying. It’s not so much the time spent in the air that’s bad, it’s the time surrounding the flight—the 4:30am alarm, the lines, the security, the possibility of your flight being delayed—those are the things that are the most burdensome. I think people that don’t travel often “enjoy flying,” but for us frequent flyers, it’s just another motion we go through. I’ve had my fair share of airport experiences to learn what has worked best for me and what hopefully can improve your travel as well.
Set Multiple Alarms
I’ve had the 3:00am wake up time to catch a 5:30am flight (I live far from the Austin Airport). I also hit snooze. Multiple times. Even if you are good at getting up and going when you’re supposed to, you don’t want to take a chance and miss your flight or be panicked about getting to the airport on time. I like to set mine about 5 – 10 minutes apart from each other.
Have Everything Packed
Don’t go to sleep the night before until you’ve packed everything. It will save you so much time and won’t leave opportunities to forget things. I leave my toiletry bag out and ready to go so when I brush my teeth in the morning, I can simply throw the remaining items in the bag and place in my suitcase. I put my clothes and shoes out the night before (socks included) so no matter what time you’re fumbling around in the morning, it’s a straightforward shot to get out the door.
Limit Bags
I carry two things on my trips; a rolling suitcase and a backpack. Nothing else. If I’m bring a purse, I will stash it in my backpack. Limiting the items you are carrying will relieve you of so much stress. Leaving one or both of your hands free will make life so much easier when you need to use them for things like taking out your ID, carrying a coffee, or putting bags in the overhead bin. (Another reason to invest in wireless headphones).
Go Digital
Gone are the times of digging around for your plane ticket. Airlines like Southwest make it so easy to download your ticket to your phone. You simply pull it out and scan it when boarding the plane. You can also check in via apps and skip the check-in lines all together (unless you are checking a bag). I recently became a CLEAR member, where my fingerprint is literally my ID. I don’t even need to take out my ID at the airport. Kind of freaky. Plus I get to skip the security line. CLEAR saves me so much time at the airport and it continues to expand to other airports across the U.S. Check to see if CLEAR is available at your airport here.
Bring Your Own Water Bottle
Stop paying $8 for a water bottle at the airport. Invest in a travel sized water bottle to bring with you (just make sure it’s empty before hitting security or you’ll get… the look). Most airports now have refillable water stations that will save you time and money. You don’t have to bother waiting for the flight attendant to come take your drink order either just to get your hands on some water. And hey, it’s better for the planet anyway.
Be Aware of Designated Ride Share Zones
New regulations now require Lyft and Uber riders to be picked up in designated areas. The smartphone apps are helpful in directing you to each airport’s designated area, but it can be frustrating if it’s your first time navigating the location as some of these walks can be quite a hike. Don’t be afraid to ask employees where to go. There are so many airports *ahem, Laguardia* that are under construction and nothing seems to make sense, even when you read the signs.
Plane travel can be far from perfect, but the idea is to get your routine figured out so it feels more like you’re simply going through the motions rather than struggling. This is one place where “uneventful” is a positive thing.
