Ryan finds a few Asian businessmen and hops in behind them. “Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love ’em.”
This is a scene featuring Ryan Bingham, the fictional main character from the movie Up in the Air, as he lines up to go through screening at the airport. But do Asian businessmen really pack better, making it more efficient to line up behind them?
True or false, we’ve put together these tips to make your journey easier.
1. Get someone to drop you off at the airport. Sure, it’ll be a quicker goodbye, but it also means you spend less time rounding the car pack for a spot and having to walk 10 minutes from your car to the check–in counter.
2. Check if the airport provides free wi-fi. If you’re on a budget flight,you can also use the free wi-fi to connect to your airline’s website and purchase add–ons (like a meal) while you’re waiting in the check–in line, so you don’t get charged extra if you purchase over the counter or in–flight. Plus, you could also use the online check–in system so you can skip the counter check–in queue.
3. Sleep through your flight and wake up refreshed to travel. Bring eye masks if you’re the type that can’t sleep in bright places. It also helps if you are the sort to be nauseous during flights.
4. Don’t leave coats in your bag, wear them on the plane. Planes are always cold and you can save the space for 2 extra shirts or even more souvenirs!
5. Tag your luggage bags to make sure they don’t get mixed up with other people’s luggage. Alternatively, bring a very distinct brightly–coloured or patterned luggage bag. Also, travel with a photo of your luggage bag – and keep the bag locked so nobody can hide things inside your luggage bag. This serves two purposes; so you have visual evidence if your bag is tampered with, and you can grab your bag quickly off the carousel instead of playing the guessing game.
6. Eat before the airplane ride. Eating during the ride might not bean experience you would want to repeat. It’s not the chef’s fault. Nor is it the food’s fault. It’s your sense of taste that’s numbed by the low humidity and high air pressure.
7. Don’t bring sharp and dangerous objects, and throw out your drinks or liquid before screening. Getting stopped for these can hold you up. Instead, bring an empty bottle to fill after you pass screening. Some airlines provide bottles of water on board, so don’t worry about having no water to drink.
8. Get insurance coverage – especially if you’re travelling during winter or stormy weather. This compensates you if your flight gets delayed due to bad weather or any other emergency.
9. Bring an adapter to increase plug slots at electrical outlets. Everyone will be scrambling to charge their phones and tablets at the airport and they’ll thank you for the foresight. It’s also an excellent conversation starter.
10. Being the last person to board the plane does not get you an upgrade. You will probably be the most hated person for stalling the flight and get very little space to store your luggage. Also, getting on board early means you can pick where to stow your luggage – closest to your seat, instead of halfway down the plane! It also means you can ensure your luggage is placed where you want it to be instead of being squished by other bags. Alternatively, sign up for frequent flyer programmes where you get preferred boarding to skip the queue.
11. Bonus tip: Check in online at home and make sure you pack like a ninja. If it’s a short trip, skip the check in luggage and bring only your carry–on! You’ll breeze through the queue like a pro.
Do you have any fail safe airport hacks? Leave a comment on what else we didn’t mention in this list, or if you have your own experiences to share.
