Save Time At The Airport With These 5 Easy Tips
Thursday, September 7th, 2017 in Airports, Travel Tips
They say you should arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before your plane takes off. What they don’t say is that in this window, you can do a lot to save time and make the experience much quicker.
Saving Time At The Airport: Our Advice
With our 5 top tips, you’ll breeze through check-in and enjoy a longer, more comfortable time relaxing and shopping before your flight. For those in a rush, this could be the difference between making your flight and missing it!
1 : Bring An Empty Water Bottle With You
People often make the mistake of taking water bottles to the airport, only to throw them away at the security gate. That’s a nuisance in itself, but it also eats up time at the other end. The queues at WHSmith are never short which means precious minutes wasted shopping for an item you just had.
Save time and money by taking an empty water bottle with you. Once you get through security, pop to the bathroom and fill it up there.
Time Saved: 5 minutes
2 : Pack < 100ml Liquids Into A Ziplock Bag Before You Leave
We all know the rules about putting liquids in transparent plastic sheets. These are no different from your everyday sandwich bags, and chances are you have some kicking around at home.
Rather than spend time faffing at security, separate your liquids at home so that you jump a few places in the queue and get to your gate earlier.
Time Saved: 3 minutes
3: Bookmark Terminal Maps
Most big airports have helpfully prepared maps showing where the terminal gates are located. They’ve done this for a reason: airports are big and it’s easy to get lost! By knowing where you’re going, you’re not so much saving time as avoiding a detour. For reference, here are the terminal maps to London’s “Big 3”:
4 : Download The Airline App
The big players all have native Apps for Samsung and iOS. These usually feature flight trackers, travel tips, check-in and booking information. With the airline app downloaded to your phone, you can save time by getting live updates rather than waiting at the help desk. That means that when your plane is ready, you’re ready!
Time Saved: 3 – 10 minutes
5: The Classic – Check In Online
Though widely known, it’s surprising how many people still don’t heed this. Checking in online saves you heaps of time that would otherwise have been spent queuing at the flight desk. It’s even quicker for those without hold luggage, as they can waltz straight through with their printed boarding pass or mobile token.
Time Saved: 10+ minutes
Conclusion: It All Adds Up
While each step may not seem like much, the time adds up and might make the difference between taking and missing an important flight. What’s your experience with saving time at the airport? Are you a pro at skipping the queues? Let us know and we’ll gladly feature your suggestions!
