Are You a Rookie Traveler?
We know: airports are stressful, and that's true no matter if you're traveling solo or with a group. And as much of a headache as they can be, you're only making the experience worse if you fall into common slip-ups, like arriving too late or heading to the wrong terminal. If you want to breeze through the process, we've got just the list you need to help you avoid those all-too-familiar travel blunders. Here are 20 common rookie mistakes everyone makes at the airport.
1. Arriving Too Late
If you've been following social media influencers raving about the "airport theory" by arriving 15 minutes before your flight takes off, you might be tempted to test it out yourself by cutting it close. But there's just one thing wrong with this hypothesis: all airports are different. While you might be able to get away with arriving last-minute at smaller, quieter airports, you likely wouldn't be spared at major, high-traffic airports.
2. Arriving Too Early
But arriving too early isn't going to give you a gold star for effort, either. In fact, you'll most likely be lounging around, waiting restlessly for the boarding announcement to be made. And if you get hungry, you'll need to shell out a good amount of money for airport food.
3. Not Weighing Your Baggage
It's one thing to overpack but still ensure you're within limits, but another thing entirely to stuff your luggage and forgo weighing it. If you forget this step, you might be met with nasty surprises at the drop-off counter and be short a good chunk of money afterwards.
4. Not Packing Travel-Sized Items in Your Carry-On
It's important to follow the TSA requirements when packing your carry-on and to make sure all your gels and liquids fit in the required baggy. Otherwise, your items may be confiscated, and you'll have to purchase replacements once you land.
5. Overstuffing Your Carry-On
Overpacking your checked luggage might subject you to extra fees, but at least the weight is off your hands until you land. Overstuff your carry-on, however, and you'll probably regret it. For one, you might run into some trouble trying to fit it into the overhead compartment once you board.
6. Not Charging Your Devices Before Leaving Home
Always remember to charge your devices—laptop, portable battery, phone—before you leave the house. If not, and you forget to bring the right cables with you, they'll just be dead weight when they run out of juice. And if your documents and passes are stored electronically... you'll be in a pickle.
7. Packing Your Essentials in Checked Luggage
Always check to make sure your essentials, like charging cables, medications, and portable batteries (which should never go into your checked luggage in the first place), are with you at all times. Pack them somewhere else and you'll run yourself into trouble.
8. Not Bringing Your Own Snacks
It's not just airport food that's a joy killer—airplane mush is just as bad. The solution? Always bring your own snacks. You might want to tread carefully when bringing fruits and meats, but most eats and bites, like sandwiches and trail mix, should be okay.
9. Not Bringing a Water Bottle
Keep well-hydrated on the day you fly out; the airplane cabin can dry you—and your skin—out if you don't. Instead of bringing a plastic water bottle that you'll need to toss out before security check, take a reusable flask with you so you can refill it when you head to your gate.
10. Not Paying Attention to Announcements
Sure, you don't need to pay attention to every announcement, but once you're at your boarding gate, you should keep your ears open. Unless you've arrived far too early for any of these broadcasts to be relevant to you or your flight, refrain from plugging in your noise-canceling earphones.
11. Forgetting to Eat Before Leaving Home
As previously mentioned, airport food can be pretty pricey. So, instead of skipping a meal at home to head out early, eat some real grub first. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with expensive food court options or the odd, unrecognizable mush you get for in-flight meals.
Farhad Ibrahimzade on Unsplash
12. Going to the Wrong Terminal
Before you head out, always double-check (and triple-check) which terminal your plane will be departing from. Major airports often have more than one terminal, which might be quite a distance away from each other, so you'll definitely want to avoid getting dropped off at the wrong one.
13. Checking In Last Minute
A classic rookie mistake is checking in at the airport on the day of your flight. This almost always guarantees you'll get a seat that nobody wanted. Do the smart thing and check in online as soon as your airline allows you; that way, you can sit where you actually want.
14. Not Reviewing Required Documents
Everybody knows they'll need their passport to travel, but there's more to it. Some countries may require a visa or a travel authorization for entry to be granted. If you forget to review your required documents, you might be flying out for nothing.
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15. Skipping Travel Insurance
Sure, you might be tempted to skip travel insurance when you're heading out on a short trip, but even then, you're putting yourself at risk. After all, you never know you need something until you actually do, so sometimes it's better to be safe than be sorry.
16. Not Locking Luggage or Personalizing It
If you don't lock your luggage up before checking it in, you risk other people snooping at your belongings or having all your clothes and items fly out. Another tip? Personalize your bags so they're easy to identify. For example, you can tie a ribbon around it, put stickers on it, or use a luggage cover.
17. Not Packing a Travel Adapter & Portable Charger
Your plugs, cables, and chargers might not be compatible with the outlets in the destination you're flying to, so always make sure to double-check before you head out. Make sure to carry a power bank as well (and store it in your carry-on) if you know you'll do a lot of exploring.
18. Wearing the Wrong Outfit
Be mindful when choosing your airplane fit. You don't want to wear hard-to-remove shoes, tight jeans, or clothes that expose too much skin (you'll be cold and airplane germs will rub onto you). Pick something comfy and lightweight, and keep in mind what the weather will be like when you land.
19. Not Arranging Transportation Plans Beforehand
You'll also want to arrange transportation plans before you even arrive at your destination. After all, you don't want to be met with nasty (and costly) surprises when you realize you'll need to take multiple trains to even get into the city.
20. Not Using a VPN When Connecting to Public Wi-Fi
Before you connect to the airport Wi-Fi, remember to use a VPN (virtual private network). Sure, you should technically do this no matter what public Wi-Fi you're connecting to, but airport networks are extremely vulnerable—hackers love to target them because the security is so loose.
