15 airport travel tips you’d be glad you knew on your next travel

Hey guys! I’m excited about the new year and hope you are too. Understandably, many of us have goals for the new year, and I do too. If your plans involve traveling, here are the best airport travel tips perfect for first-timers or regular travelers.

Traveling is usually very therapeutic, and I could go on to write the many benefits of traveling. However, I want to focus on airport tips in this article.

I love to look good while traveling. So, I take time to plan my airport outfits a day before. Also, since I don’t want to struggle at the TSA, I avoid some airport wardrobe mistakes to shorten my time with them.

Also, I ensure that I follow my travel packing list so I don’t miss out on packing my essentials. I am such a forgetful person, so I double-check this list to be extra sure. You don’t want to miss your flight because you forget your documents or a vaccine card.

Top 15 Airport travel tips

Traveling by air is easily the fastest way to travel, and I’ve had loads of airport experience. I learn different tips and tricks each time I use the airport. 

So, I’ve compiled a list of airport tips I know to share with you. You’d be glad you knew these airport tips on your next trip. 

Also, from my wealth of experience, I have learned how to find the cheapest flight tickets for my travels. I save on miles and also earn cash back on some of my travel experiences using my WayAway membership.

Anyways, let’s jump into these airport travel tips you’d wish you knew while traveling by air.

1. Get Travel Insurance

I didn’t know that travel insurance existed until I started doing frequent international travel. Let me tell you, getting travel insurance is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It helps to cover the risks and inconveniences that may come with your trip. 

The other time, I landed at my destination and couldn’t find one of my bags. It was a mistake on the part of the airline, and my travel insurance covered the cost of the lost luggage. 

I’ve also had people get compensated for delayed flights courtesy of their travel insurance. You cannot vouch for any airline or know the risks that can happen on a trip. So, one of the best things to do before traveling is to get travel insurance. Click here to sign up for travel insurance on insubuy. It is one of the most important airport travel tips to take note of.

2. Arrive Early

Getting early to the airport can make or mar your travel experience. Trust me; I’ve had my fair share of bad traveling experiences, most of which are tied to the fact that I got late to the airport. 

It is always best to arrive at the airport two hours before takeoff. Yes, it may seem somehow sitting and waiting for long hours. However, it is better to do that than to be in a rush or even miss your flight. Also, you can entertain yourself while waiting for your flight or during a layover.

You cannot determine how long certain processes would take at the airport or how full they would be. So, save yourself the stress and get there early. 

3. Check in online if possible

One thing I always ensure to do when traveling is to check in online if possible. It applies to both international and local trips. By checking in online, I’ve reduced some of the stress I may face at the airport. 

Checking in online also lets me pick my favorite seat. If I wait to check in through the counter, someone else may have taken the seat I love. 

You will have a faster process of checking in at the airport if you have already checked in online. It leaves me feeling like a boss when I get to the airport. These are my favorite airport travel tips I would recommend first to anyone traveling for the first time.

4. Wear comfortable clothes 

Everyone who knows me knows that I love my comfort so much. Of course, I’m one of the most fashionable people you would encounter. But that doesn’t mean that I would compromise my comfort. 

And one of the top places where you would need to wear comfortable clothes is the airport. I usually don’t dress up so heavily when going to the airport. Remember that you need to remove your shoes, belt, etc. when going through security checks. So, why stress me? 

Instead, you may find me wearing sweatpants, a top, socks, and slippers or crocs. These clothes make me feel comfortable, and I know I can easily slip on my slippers or crocs when I remove them. Check out other cute yet comfortable airport outfits to wear for travel.

Click here to buy a checkered over-sized shirt

5. Have a unique tag for your luggage

If I decide to run a poll, I would see many people who have either lost their luggage at the airport or confused their bags with those of others. It is common to see people who have similar bags at the airport. 

It can be daunting picking the bags of others and then coming back to look for yours. Therefore, you need a unique tag for your luggage to make it easily identifiable. It could be a ribbon on the bag or a small teddy bag. So, it is one of the best airport travel tips I highly recommend.

Whatever you decide to put should stand out to help in identification.

6. Have a special compartment for laptops and other electronic gadgets

I usually have a laptop bag when traveling or put my laptop and other electronic gadgets in a special compartment of my carry-on bag. It makes them handy when I have to pass through security checks. 

You would have to remove your laptops, phones, and other electronic gadgets at each security check at the airport. And I’d rather not scatter my bag to get them out. So instead, I keep them specially or in another bag, which helps when arranging them back. It is one airport tip that would have you less irritated at the airport. And you would be happy you did it. 

7. Get a portable charger

The airport isn’t a place where you should expect to see sockets to charge your phone or other gadgets. But, even if you see sockets, many people have thoughts of using these sockets. So, they are often already in use. 

Asides from that, you cannot vouch for the safety of your gadgets if you decide to charge them at the airport. Therefore, I advise everyone to have a portable charger at the airport. It is handy to charge your gadgets while you wait in the lounge or waiting area. You thank me for this as it is one of the airport travel tips you should never forget.

You will have a horrible traveling experience if your gadgets die on you. Therefore, ensure that you have a portable charger. 

8. Know your bag weight before going to the airport

One of the best airport travel tips I can share is this one. It is always best to know the weight of your bags before going to the airport. It is a no-brainer that you would have to pay for excess luggage if your bag weight is more than the allocated weight per person. 

Thus, I love knowing the weight of my bags ahead so I can plan for the excess luggage money. I would rather not be surprised at the airport. 

Also, some airport staff can be mischievous and want to increase the luggage weight to extort money from you. It can only happen when you do not know your bag’s weight before going to the airport. 

9. Carry your snacks

Every time I’m at the airport, I wonder why the restaurants, shops, and food shacks sell things for ridiculous amounts! Their prices are usually five times higher than you would get outside the airport. 

So, when anyone asks me for airport travel tips, one of the first things I tell them is to carry their snacks. I usually have a bag with some of my favorite snacks, especially when I know I may be waiting for some time before taking off. I rather use my money for fun things when I get to my destination than to finish it on airport food and snacks. 

10. Download offline maps

You wouldn’t realize the importance of offline maps until you are stranded in a foreign country. Trust me, the experience isn’t funny and can shatter your mood for the rest of your trip. One of the best travel tips you need to take seriously is to ensure you have an offline map. You don’t want to fall into travel scams or miss your way.

Sometimes, it could be unfortunate that the airport has no Wi-Fi or internet when you arrive. But, even if they do, it isn’t safe to connect. So, one of the best things to do is to download offline maps before arriving in that country. You can do this with travel apps like Google maps.

It lets you move around until you can get a sim or connect to the internet. Also, I find it fun downloading the maps and trying to familiarize myself with them before leaving my region. 

11. Have hand sanitizer/wet wipes

I can’t talk about airport tips and forget to mention health tips. There are usually so many people at the airport, and you wouldn’t want to endanger yourself. Therefore, it is best to have a hand sanitizer handy when you’re traveling. 

You can use the sanitizer when you touch surfaces to keep yourself safe. Wet wipes also come in handy for stains. It is best to remember that people are many, and spills can happen. Instead of being sad when this happens, your wet wipes can be helpful. You can also use them to clean surfaces. 

12. Go to the left at checkpoints

I can see you making a face as you wonder what I mean. However, this is the best airport tip I’ve learned recently, and I couldn’t be more excited. 

For some reason, people always tilt to the right lines at checkpoints at the airport. Yet, when you look, the left lines are always shorter. So why does everyone decide to stick to the right? Well, I’m not out to find the answer; I’m just usually grateful that there is a shorter line, and I go to the left. 

The next time you find yourself at the airport, stick with the left lines. You’ll be done with your checkouts in no time. 

13. Wait for the boarding line to shorten

As long as I have checked in, I’m usually not in a rush at the airport. So, you’re at the waiting area, and they make the first boarding announcement. You will notice that everyone rushes to queue up, and the line is long. If you join that line, you’d have to stand for some time before it gets to your turn. 

I save myself the stress of standing by waiting for the line to shorten before I get more. There are usually more boarding announcements, and there is no award for being the first on the line. So, the top of my airport travel tips is to wait for the boarding line to shorten. After all, I would still get on the flight and be in my allocated seat. 

14. Be nice to the flight crew

Being nice to your flight crew also helps to improve your travel experience. Once they mark you as a nice person, they are usually more than ready to help you out in any way. They would always come to check on you and may even give you extras. 

Of course, it is important to be nice to anyone you meet. After all, we are all humans, and courtesy demands it. No one should tell you to be nice. It is always helpful, and I hope you are friendly to the flight crew on all your trips. 

15. Have gum handy

I’m chuckling as I write this, as it is one of the best airport travel tips I have ever learned. I remember a friend getting gums for me the first time I got on a plane. My friend explained that it helps with the air pressure and that I should chew gum when taking off and landing. Indeed, it helps my ears with the air pressure. 

Many people may have similar experiences as your family and friends would sing this tip to you when you travel. It’s one of the oldest airport tips, and you shouldn’t take it for granted. 

Dealing with a blocked ear after flying can be annoying, but chewing gum would relieve you. 

Finally, the most important airport travel tips is to pack your documents beforehand. I would recommend you pack in a place that is accessible. I prefer to have my travel documents readily available to me. Your visa or if it’s a visa-free country, your international passport, vaccine cards, or evidence of COVID test, etc.

Travel resources for a trip around the world

1. Travel insurance: Get your insurance ready from Insubuy
2. Flight tickets: Book cheap flight tickets from Trip.com

3. Book your stay in any hotel of your choice. Get the best deal with Trivago.

4. Opt for hotel alternatives by booking your stay in a hostel. Network and have a fun trip by booking a hostel using hostelworld.

5. Solo traveler? I have you covered. Plan your trip with the best tour group for a fun-filled time in Africa. Book your tour using GetYourGuide. You can get a tour for as low as $30.