Tips For A Stress Free Airport Experience

Disclosure - This is a collaborative post however the idea for this post is my own. 

There is no better feeling than clicking 'complete' when booking a holiday. The build up to 'travel day' is so exciting however it can be quite stressful with 101 things on your 'to do' or 'to pack' list. I like to try and stay as stress free as possible especially if travelling abroad. I like to be organised and prepared for every possibility and over the years I have gathered some tips to have a stress free airport experience. 

Arrange Travel To and From The Airport

We have tried lots of different ways to get to and from the airport over the years. Firstly we would rely on family or friends to take us and pick us up however we found this really stressful especially if we had a late flight or we were delayed. We didn't like the idea of someone having to wait around for us. We now pre book car parking at the airport and it's really made a difference to the start of our holiday. Knowing we can leave when we are ready and then park the car for our return is so much easier. We have used a variety of airport parking, there is usually parking available close to your terminal or other parking were you have to get a mini bus to your terminal after you've parked. We have felt safe leaving our car in both types of parking and will usually just come down to whatever is cheapest at the time. 

Arrive Early and Check In Online

Depending on where we are flying from and to we would usually head to the airport 90 minutes before our flight however the situation in the airports is completely different now and most will advise you to arrive between 2hrs30 and 3hrs before your flight. Staffing is a problem at the moment in most UK airports so arriving early allows you the time if you have to wait in queues to either check in or pass security. Checking in online can help save you some time however arriving early is definitely a stress free tip especially at the moment. The last thing you want is to be running to the gate or even worse missing your flight. 

Travel Hand Luggage Only

This can be difficult if you are heading off on a two week holiday however if you are just away for a few days or a city break I would definitely recommend trying to squeeze as much as possible in to your hand luggage. Most airlines now allow you to carry a bag that will fit under your seat free of charge but you can also pay to upgrade to a cabin bag which fits in the overhead locker. Travelling with just hand luggage allows you to skip check in and also as soon as you land there is no need to head to baggage claim you can just leave. 

Have All Your Documents In One Place

Having all your travel documents  in one place can make it so much easier for you when you need to show boarding passes, vaccination status or passports. making your way through the airport can be crazy sometimes as you have to show your boarding passes and passports at various points throughout. Knowing they are all together in one place can make it so much easier to find in your bag. 

If Things Go Wrong Know Who To Contact

Like I mentioned earlier unfortunately staffing situations are not good in our airports at the moment which has lead to travel disruption and delays. We would always locate the nearest information point or service desk for our airline just in case anything went wrong however there is now lots of ways that you can speak to representatives. More so than ever customer service within the airport or airlines is so important as there is so much chaos. Having someone you can to via email, live chat or telephone has always been important to us especially based on our past experiences when we have been delayed and we needed information. Make sure you have this information on who to contact handy in the event that you do need to speak to customer service. 

Also..

Once through security allow enough time to visit the duty free and toilets before heading to the gate. 

If you are a nervous flyer consider making a calming playlist to listen to on the plane. 

If travelling with children ensure you have their essentials, activities and snacks in the event of a delay.

Are you travelling this Summer? Leave us a comment below and let us know where you are going. 

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Michelle