Air travel can be disorienting and stressful. Most travelers panic and descend into competitive survival mode. Their tempers flare. They get pushy and inconsiderate. They block passageways. They demand time and attention from airline personnel. They slow the process and create chaos. It can be downright medieval.
You can’t change other people but you can learn how to navigate the airport and enjoy peace of mind. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to run circles around other travelers.
PRE-FLIGHT
1) Provide your “known traveler” number when purchasing your airline tickets. If you don’t have a known traveler number, then sign up for TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry. Global entry, in particular, is a great way to speed up your airport experience. Visit tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/apply or globalentry.gov. Basically, Homeland Security will conduct a background check. If your record is clean, you’ll be approved for Global Entry and be automatically enrolled for TSA Pre-Check for faster security screening (assuming you provide your “known traveler” number upon purchasing your airline tickets.
2) Pack light so you can maneuver the throngs of people more easily. Travel with a carry-on suitcase instead of checking a big one. Believe it or not, it will make your overall travel experience faster and easier. Check out our ultimate guide to traveling light: 9 Reasons Why A Carry-On Is Better Than Checked Baggage.
3) Check in and print your boarding pass at home (or access it on your smart phone). For some international flights, you may have to show your passport to the agents at the check-in area before proceeding to the security checkpoint. Typically, if you’re able to access your boarding pass at home, you can save time by proceeding direct to security.
4) Before you arrive at the airport, mentally prepare yourself. You will probably encounter rude people and unexpected delays. Just come to terms with it and go with the flow. Be patient and courteous.
ENTERING THE AIRPORT
5) Proceed directly to the security checkpoint. Since you’re traveling with a carry-on suitcase, you can bypass the long lines of people waiting to check their bag.
AIRPORT SECURITY
6) If there are multiple security lines, try to choose the shortest one. If you’re boarding pass says “Pre-check” ( Pre√ ) you can speed through security more quickly. If not, choose the shortest security line to avoid ones with families and elderly people. Look for lines with professional looking travelers. When in doubt, choose the left hand line, since most people are right handed and tend to go right. You’ll want to increase your chances of blazing through security more quickly.
7) When you reach the x-ray scanner, be fast and efficient. Remove all substantial metal from your body before it’s your turn to place items on the conveyor belt. Your watch, keys, iPhone, heavy belt and coins. At most airport security checkpoints you must place shoes and electronics in a bin. Also your 3.4 oz (100ml) containers of liquids and gels. Important: A sign will indicate what must be placed in the bins for scanning. Read it closely and know before you reach the x-ray scanner. It may not be necessary to remove some items such as shoes and belts.
NAVIGATING THE TERMINAL
8) Be nimble on your feet and walk swiftly around obstacles. This part of the airport experience can be like playing a video game. There will be people walking in every direction, people stopping suddenly and blocking passageways, streams of people exiting jetways and hoards of people congregating near gates. Tensions will be high. Be part of the solution, not the problem. Be like water flowing around rocks in a river.
WAITING IN THE GATE AREA
9) Stay near your boarding gate so you can hear announcements from gate agents. This is critical. There may be delays, gate changes and other announcements. But do not clog the system by standing in walking areas. Sit or stand off to the side, allowing others to pass through.
JUST BEFORE BOARDING
10) Resist the urge to imitate the crowd by hovering in front of the gate. This is one of the most annoying crowd phenomenons. People become anxious just before boarding and tend to block the gate like football linemen protecting a quarterback. Everyone wants to board early so they can ensure that their bag will fit in the overhead bin. Unlike them, you’re a savvy traveler. Just stand off to the side and listen closely for the gate agent to announce when your row or group should board.
BOARDING YOUR FLIGHT
11) When your row or group number is called, proceed to the jetway. Many people will continue hovering and blocking, even while waiting for their row or group number to be called. Don’t get stuck behind them by assuming they are trying to board. If you are unsure, just politely ask them, then move around them if they are not yet boarding. As tempting as it might be, there’s no need to be pushy, rude or corrective. Note: If you’d like to learn some tips to help ensure you’ll get overhead space for your carry-on bag, read this guide: 6 Tips For Getting Overhead Bin Space For Your Carry-On Suitcase.
ON THE PLANE
12) Find your row, place your suitcase in the overhead bin and quickly sit down in your seat. Don’t block the aisle while fishing out your headphones or neck pillow. Be respectful. Remove those things before you reach your row. Your efficiency will set a good example for others to show how it’s done. Note: If you’re wearing a backpack, remove it before boarding. If you don’t, you’ll likely hit people in the face as you try to turn in the aisle.
EXITING THE PLANE
13) When your plane arrives at the gate, be swift. When the seatbelt sign goes off, get your stuff and exit the plane. Most people are instinctively good at this. The ride is over and nobody wants to linger.
IN CONCLUSION
If you’re more prepared and more aware of other people around you, the whole process will be so much smoother. Please do your part for the good of all humanity. Fly like a ninja.
(Image credit: Ekaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock)
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For Pinners:
