Does it sometimes seem challenging to get to the airport? If there’s one place you never want to be late to, it’s the airport. While we appreciate and are entertained, by people who arrive six hours before their flight, it really doesn’t work for most people. After all, who wants to spend any more time in an airport than they have to? Therefore, it makes sense to find a balance between arriving early enough so that it doesn’t feel like a hassle and making sure you don’t miss your flight.
Four Tips to Always Get to the Airport On Time
To make life a little easier for you, or anyone who’s going to be traveling alone for the first time, we’ve put together some tips which should help make your journey a little less stressful and a little more enjoyable. Below, are four tips to always get to the airport on time.
1. Find a Good Parking Spot in Advance
Most often, it’s the little things that we let slip that end up being the reason we miss our flights. Not booking a cab on time, thinking you have enough time to grab a snack, forgetting that traffic exists, and more often than not—not planning for where you’re going to be parking your vehicle. Also, it can be expensive to take a cab or Uber to the airport. Many times, it makes more sense to drive yourself.
Though there are designated parking areas where you can leave your car until you’re back, it’s usually in high demand and people often get stuck without a space to park their cars and have to drive far away until they find a good place (not to mention how expensive that’s going to be, apart from time-consuming).
There is a need for travelers to plan and book a parking spot in advance. As a result, there are travel apps that will assist you in selecting the nearest parking spot to any airport. For instance, if the airport you’re departing from is Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Airport, you can look it up using an app like One Stop Parking and find many FLL airport parking spaces online, and the nearest hotels to the airport.
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Since there are many options to choose from, you can go with the most affordable. Or, simply select the one that’s closest to the airport and book it. Then, head to the airport on the day of your trip without needing to worry about where you’ll leave your car.
2. Always Check-in Online
Technology has made life easier, and this goes for the ability to check in online. This doesn’t mean you should press your luck and arrive at the last minute. However, if you’re flight’s delayed, it certainly will make things easier to arrive on time. Also, make sure to print your boarding pass at home if you don’t already have it on your phone.
3. Pack Light, if Possible
We highly recommend that you pack lightly. Most travelers end up using only half of the stuff that they jam into their suitcases. Hopefully, all you’ll need is a carry-on, and you’ll be able to avoid the unneeded hassle of checking in your bags. Of course, this can’t always be possible, but if you’re ever in a situation where you can lose the checked bag, it’s always wise to go for it.
4. Be Prepared for Everything
Nothing is perfect, and it’s not wise to expect them to be. Buses break down, cars have accidents, and you will almost certainly hit traffic when you least expect it. This is why it makes sense to be extra prepared when you’ve got a plane to catch. Therefore, always be early, and do everything you can to avoid wasting time once you reach the airport.
Read More: Arrive Early to the Airport—How We Narrowly Avoided a Travel Disaster
If you want to get to the airport on time, many steps must be completed. Whether it’s booking your parking space in advance, checking in online, or even cutting short on the time you’ll spend checking in your bags, do everything you can to avoid time-consuming activities that don’t add value to your travel experience.
It depends on the airport. In some cases one needs to be there several hours early, and in others one just needs to be there in time to go through the formalities to be one of the 30 people on the first of only two planes that will fly out that day. Having previous experience with that airport certainly helps, and if possible asking others about that particular airport helps if not already familiar with it (including keeping in mind potential periods of heavy traffic) unless staying essentially within walking distance. If in a hotel, I sometimes ask the staff there. However, I generally make a point of traveling to the airport such that I arrive there an hour before the time I actually would need to be there to still be able to go through the necessary procedures comfortably.