Remember those heady days when you got excited about setting off to the airport, the feeling of joy while waiting to board at the gate, the giddiness of air travel? Maybe we all felt this at the beginning, when we first started travelling, but it’s now more common to feel rather jaded and full of a dull sense of dread when we have to fly. Why? Well, with air travel, so many things can go wrong and most of us have experienced a delay, cancellation or been unlucky enough to be denied boarding. Even when things go smoothly, it can feel like you’re in a herd of cattle, being shuffled through security, then the gate, then onto the plane – in fact, it seems like it’s just chunks of time spent waiting. All this is stressful and exhausting, but there are ways to make your experience more enjoyable.
Take a look at our tips to help you fly with ease:
1. Flight issue? Check your claim
If you fly, at some point it’s inevitable – you’ll experience a delay, cancellation or get denied boarding. Whichever way you look at it, it’s not a great situation to be in, but to make yourself feel better, you can always see if you can claim for your troubles. The good news? It’s simple and free – you can use MYFLYRIGHT’s flight compensation calculator , input your flight date and number and find out if you have a claim. Even better – they’ll let you know how much you can expect to get if you do.
2. Fly through security
Going through security is a pain – struggling to get all your gels and liquids into little ziplocks (that is, if the airport hasn’t run out…) feeling your blood boil as the daydreamer in front of you is oblivious that the line in front is moving and trying to figure out if this security in this airport has a shoes off policy. It’s enough to make you flip out – but of course you mustn’t do that, this is possibly the worst place to lose it. To ensure you get through security as stress-free as possible, firstly it’s a great idea to buy a ziplock bag ahead of time, pop everything in it and throw it in your carry on to save you time later on. Check the airport of departure’s policy regarding shoes before you set off and if they do need to come off, take them off while in line. In fact you can get everything ready while lining up – start separating your electronics, take your coat, jacket and belt off, get your gels and liquids out – by the time you get to the front all you have to do is throw everything in a few bins and you’re good to go!
3. Comfort is King
It seems so obvious, but your comfort while travelling is one of the most important things to take care of. It’s not the 60s anymore guys, we don’t need to dress up to go on a plane. Wear your comfiest outfit and shoes and bring a change of clothes just in case you end up stuck in the airport or you have a long-haul flight ahead. Being comfortable is also connected to food and drink, so bring plenty of snacks and an empty water bottle that you can fill up after security. It’s also a good idea to budget for eating in the airport – for example if you have a flight delay, and you’re suddenly faced with a long wait – and try and enjoy sampling what they have if you do. Finally, download your favourite podcasts, playlist or movies, or make sure you have your book with you so you can chill while you wait for your flight.
