What Should Be on Your Pre-Flight Checklist?
Flying out soon? Before you head to bed, you'll want to make sure that everything is good to go before you hop on your flight tomorrow. Sure, you may already know to have all your essentials packed and review your itinerary beforehand, but there may be other things you're leaving out on your checklist that you definitely shouldn't. To help you get ready (and feel ready), here are 10 things you should always do the night before flying, and 10 mistakes to avoid.
1. Review Your Itinerary
Excitement might get the best of you the night before you fly out, but it's always crucial to review your itinerary another time, even if you've already memorized it by heart. This includes making sure you've finished checking in online, ironed out a plan for any connecting flights, sorted out necessary travel documents, and scheduled a ride to the airport.
2. Make Sure You're All Packed
Packing can be exhausting and tedious, but it's best not to wait until the night before a flight to finally pull out your suitcase. If you pack last-minute, you might end up skipping over essential items. To help you pack more efficiently, try making a checklist of everything you'll need for your trip.
3. Charge Your Electronics
Make sure all the devices you're bringing with you are fully charged and ready to go before you fly out. You wouldn't want your tablet screen going black on you while you're in the middle of an episode 30,000 feet in the air! Similarly, you don't want to leave your phone uncharged—you'll need it to search up directions and plan your trip as soon as you land.
4. Check the Weather at Your Destination
Make sure to check what the weather is like at your destination, including the day you land and the week ahead. This will help you get a better sense of what to wear to the airport (you don't want to wear a thick coat if your destination is warm and humid!) and what outfits to pack for your trip.
5. Sort Out Your Carry-On Essentials
Not only should you make sure your suitcase is ready to go, but you should also have your carry-on sorted out the night before your flight. Your passport is the most important, but you'll want to ensure you have all your other essentials, too, such as any prescriptive medications, electronics, and snacks.
6. Plan Your Airport Outfit
Take some time to plan your airport outfit—your future self will thank you for it. This might not matter as much if you're taking a short-haul flight, but if you'll be in the air longer than a few hours, you'll want to choose loose, comfortable clothing and breathable shoes.
7. Take a Shower
If you're flying long-haul, make sure to take a nice, long shower the night before you head out. You definitely don't want to feel sticky, sweaty, or greasy while you're trapped in a small cabin for a while! Plus, long travel times mean you won't be able to shower again until you finally get to your accommodation.
Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash
8. Do a Home Check
Before you leave, make sure anything that needs to be switched off in your home is turned off or unplugged. If you have any pets, double-check to see that you have everything sorted out with the pet sitter, and that they'll be in good care until you come back. Got plants? Make sure to water them, or have a trusted neighbor come by to do it for you.
9. Set an Alarm (or Two!)
You don't want to miss your flight, so before you drift off to dreamland, set an alarm. Better yet, set multiple—you never know if you might oversleep! A tip that may help is to keep your alarm a few feet away from your bed. That way, you'll need to physically get up to turn it off.
10. Plan Your Airport Transportation
If you haven't already, sort out your airport transportation. In bigger cities, you may have to take multiple forms of transportation to get to your accommodation, and you may also need to prepare a transit card to ride local trains. Make sure you have all of it sorted out before you land at your destination.
Now that you know how to prepare the night before you fly out, let's jump into 10 mistakes you should absolutely avoid.
1. Packing Carry-on Essentials in Your Checked Luggage
You might not think you'll be forgetful enough to accidentally pack your passport in your checked suitcase, but it happens far more often than you think. When you're packing last-minute, you have the tendency to throw everything you need (or think you'll need) into your luggage, without sorting through your items more efficiently. Make sure to make checklists! They'll help remind you which essentials should go in which bag.
2. Forgetting to Purchase Travel Insurance
If you think you can forgo getting travel insurance, think twice. Even if it's rare that you'll need to cancel or change your flight, or that the airline might lose your luggage, it's still better to have a second layer of protection in case those scenarios do happen. Plus, emergency medical insurance is a must, especially if you're prone to sickness or have an existing medical condition.
3. Packing the Day Of
As mentioned earlier, it's best to pack at least a few days before you fly out. If you wait until the last minute to get it done, you may end up forgetting essential items or pack them in the wrong travel bag. Packing the night before you fly also increases stress, which might dampen your excitement.
4. Not Exchanging Pocket Money Beforehand
Even if the current exchange rate isn't great, it's still best to visit the bank to grab some pocket money in your destination's currency before you fly out. You don't want to rely solely on your credit card—some cities still prefer cash.
5. Ignoring Time Zones
Have a connecting flight you need to check into? Make sure you take into account different time zones; if you accidentally follow your current time zone, you may end up missing check-in altogether and end up getting a not-so-great spot on your next flight.
6. Eating a Heavy Meal
Avoid eating a heavy meal the night before you fly. For one, this may cause indigestion and disrupt sleep, making you feel groggy the next morning when you need to head to the airport. It's best to stick to something light and healthy, so your body doesn't feel bogged down.
7. Not Following TSA & Airline Rules
Make sure you're aware of TSA rules and your airline's specific policies before you pack your essentials. If you need to carry any liquids in your personal bag, you'll need to follow the 3-1-1 rules to ensure your items are within limits. Some airlines may also have stricter rules regarding power banks, so always double-check.
Kier in Sight Archives on Unsplash
8. Introducing Your Body to Something New
Don't try a new food or introduce a new item into your skincare routine the night before you fly. You never know if you might have a negative reaction, and if you do, it can significantly affect your trip or possibly even postpone it. Stick to what your body is familiar with; wait until you're back home to test out something new.
9. Pulling an All-Nighter
We know you're excited to fly out to a new destination, but avoid pulling an all-nighter. You might think this will allow you to sleep better on your flight, but it'll most likely make you feel groggy and low-energy instead. Get a good night's rest, so you're awake, alert, and ready to go the next morning.
10. Waking Up Last-Minute
Just because you think you'll be able to get ready in record time the next morning doesn't mean you should be so ambitious as to wake up last minute. Set your alarm for at least two or three hours before you need to head to the airport, while also making sure to account for the two-hour rule—meaning you should be at the airport at least two hours before your flight (three hours is recommended for international travel). That way, you'll have plenty of time to double-check your bags, prepare yourself for the flight, and arrive on time.
