Top Ten Ways to Avoid Being Late for Your Flight

CanuckAbroad » Top Ten Ways to Avoid Being Late for Your Flight

Getting to the airport on time and checked in for your flight is the last thing you want to worry about when you’re travelling. To help prevent anything from keeping you from getting on the next plane, here are ten tips for making sure that you’re on time.

1. Know your flight - More often than not, passengers forget to check their flights beforehand to see if the scheduled departure has changed. Be sure to check up to eight hours (and even less if you live near the airport) ahead of time to make sure your ticket and the actual time are the same.
2. Schedule an early or a late flight - When travelling during peak hours, you can head into heavier traffic and longer lines at the airport. To avoid this, schedule your flights for off peak times.
3. Travel on holidays - If you’re travelling during a holiday season, you will want to travel on the holiday itself if possible. Many people try to get to their final destinations before the actual holiday, so this can lessen your chances of being late.
4. Check the local traffic - There are a number of websites and phone numbers you can call for local traffic information. To avoid getting struck in congestion due to an accident, for example, check the traffic alerts before you leave and then plan an alternate route if things look backed up.
5. Leave yourself some extra time - While it might seem wasteful to get to the airport early, you never know what might hold you up and make you late. Instead, try to build in extra time for these possibilities.
6. Check the local security lists - When you’re carrying on luggage, make sure that you don’t include anything that might hold you up at security. Look at the airport website to see what the current restrictions are.
7. Have your boarding pass and ID ready to go - Too often lines are held up by inexperienced travellers that don’t have the proper things ready for the security employees. To expedite the process, have everything in your hand as you move through the lines.
8. Know the airline rules - Each airline will give certain recommendations when it comes to the arrival time at the airport. Make sure you are following these guidelines.
9. Know the airport layout - When you’re parking your car for an extended period of time, be sure that you know where you need to go before you head on the road. This will help you avoid unnecessary delays.
10. Check with the airline if you’re a frequent flyer - Some airlines will allow you to pay more money to get a background check in order to receive biometric passes. These passes will allow you to move through the security lines much more quickly and thus keep you from missing your flight