Never travel the same way again!
Whether it’s your first time travelling or your 100th trip, air travel can get quite hectic – especially if you don’t know what you’re doing! To help take the hassle out of travelling, we gathered tips from frequent travellers and rounded up 15 airport hacks that’ll help make every airport experience a breeze. From here on out, you’ll be skipping out on all those long queues for sure!
Read till the end for a quick hack to enjoy great deals off your travel activities and experiences!
Enjoy 6% off on us!
1. Fly red-eye flights
Not only are the way less people at the airport during the wee hours of the morning, but these flights are generally cheaper than daytime flights, too! It may be quite hectic to prepare for 2AM flights, but you’ll be able to sleep soundly until your arrival at your destination!
2. Online check-in 24 hours before your flight
Once you learn how to check-in online before your flight, you’ll never resort to onsite check-in ever again. Log into the airline’s website and simply locate their web check-in portal and through here you can also change your seats, purchase add-ons like extra baggage or meals as well!
Most airlines also offer special queues for travelers who’ve checked in online prior to arriving at the airport, so you’ll save some time waiting in line should you need to drop your bags.
If you aren’t checking in any baggage as well, online check-in will allow you to go straight to immigration. Just be sure to have your boarding pass downloaded beforehand, too!
3. Line up next to the Business Class counter
If you are checking in baggage, or were unable to check-in online prior to your flight, the next best option is to line up right next to the Business Class counter. They usually have much less customers to accommodate, so it’s likely that they’ll pull in some people from the economy counters!
4. Have a designated document folder or envelope
The last thing you want to be doing right before a flight is scrummaging for all your travel documents. Have a printed copy of your flight details, itinerary and hotel bookings packed neatly in one envelope, along with your passport. It is also ideal to purchase an envelope that will fit nicely into any of your travel bags for easy access!
5. Carry an empty water bottle
It’s a known fact that air travel makes you crazy dehydrated, so it’s very important to double your water intake! But since security prohibits any liquids onto the aircraft, make it a bit to bring your own water bottles and fill them up after the security checkpoint!
This way, you won’t need to keep purchasing water bottles during your trip and lessen your carbon footprint, too!
6. Dress nicely for international flights
It’s tempting to wear joggers or pajamas on long haul flights, but dressing nicely for international flights actually increases your chances for a free upgrade from the airline. According to some flight attendants, being smart with what you wear can get you the coveted First Class ticket. There’s no need to dress designer head to toe, but sometimes a nice pair of trousers and a relaxed blazer might just do the trick!
7. Pay for travel tax in advance
Admittedly, we skip out on paying travel tax online along with our plane tickets because it adds up the cost. But since you’re paying the same amount anyway, save yourself some time and skip the long lines at the airport and just pay for it in advance. You’ll thank yourself later.
8. Ask for a fragile sticker or tag for your luggage
To avoid scuffs and dents on your suitcase, make it a habit to ask for a fragile sticker or tag at the counter. Sure, luggage handlers might just go ahead and ignore this, but this extra step might just lessen the possibility of having to purchase a new bag.
9. Head straight to the leftmost security checkpoint
Long security lines at the airport are inevitable. So whether you’re in a rush, or simply just want to breeze through security, head straight to the leftmost checkpoint! These areas are usually neglected, so it’s very likely that they’ll have shorter queues.
10. Be accustomed to the security process
You don’t have to be a frequent traveller to know the security process well. Just take note of the usual instructions – like removing electronics from your carry on, removing all metal objects from your body (jewelry, belts, etc), and removing shoes.
Once you’ve gotten used to this process, you’ll be more wary of how you dress and how you pack your carry-on items!
11. Make your luggage stand out
There’s a very big chance that you’ll have the same luggage as another person on the same flight – and you wouldn’t want to have a baggage mishap once you arrive in your destination! That said, you might want to put an indicator on your luggage. One easy option is a colorful ribbon or tag.
12. Download your airline app
Stay up to date with your flight schedule and departure gate through your airline’s app! Often times, gates and flight schedules change, so this way you’ll be alerted right away of any amendments. Some flight apps also have some really fun freebies and promos that you can avail of as well!
13. Long layover? Book a stay at a premier lounge!
We get it – not everyone can afford, or have the privilege, to chill out in a premier lounge before a flight. But what many people don’t know is that, you can get access to these lounges at a discounted price – thanks to travel platforms like Klook!
