How to Save Time and Money at the Airport

From long lines to food too expensive and scarce seats, airports are plagued with difficulties.

For some people, said Katy Nastro, an expert in travel on Going, an application for cheap flights, “airports are like travel purgatory: you are neither here nor there.”

But technology, early planning and some creative strategies can help you stop airport problems.

Calculate your transit time

The trip of your airport can begin as soon as 24 hours before the exit, when you must register, pay the tariffs of sheds, which will accelerate the drop in the bag and record to obtain flight notifications by text message to keep up with the programming.

Then, determine when you should go to the airport. The general rule is to arrive two hours before the departure for national flights (three for international), allowing a lot of time to control the bags, overcome security (especially if it does not have an accelerated authorization) and address.

“The biggest challenge with airports is the variability how long it can get there and get along with a door,” said Gary Leff, author of the Aviation Blog view from the wing.

Use a map application to have a feeling of travel time to the airport a week or a few days before departure. Airlines websites commonly include safety waiting times.

If you are checking a bag, you may have to do it no less than 45 minutes before national exits (check your carrier to see the cut -off times). Add this to your transit time, along with a comfortable mattress.

Expedite security authorization

The fastest way through security is to register in accelerated authorization.

Travelers enrolled in TSA Precheck generally wait 10 minutes or less in security, according to the transport security administration. The membership, which costs between $ 76.75 and $ 85, depthing of the registration provider, is good for five years.

The global entrance, which accelerates travelers through customs detection when they return to the United States, includes registration in TSA Preccheck. It costs $ 120 and is good for five years.

Clear allows members to use their lanes in 59 airports throughout the country to reach the front of security lines ($ 199 a year).

Fly waiting on a previous flight

If breeze through traffic and safety, try to fly on an earlier flight, recommends Brian Sumers, who writes the airline observer’s bulletin.

“From the pandemic, the free wait has returned,” said Sumers, noting that also the southwest airlines, which previously banned the practice, sacrifices the wait if the space is available.

Bring your own food

Airports are known for inflated food prices. A sandwich that could cost $ 5 in a grocery store can easily work twice at the airport.

So bring your own meals and snacks. Just make sure they can erase security (for example, yogurt is a liquid, and containers can be confiscated about three ounces). In addition, bring an empty water bottle to fill after cleaning safety.

If you cannot by, Harriet Baskas, a Seattle -based author who writes the travel blog stuck at the airport, recommends navigating the meal courtyards and ordering the snacks or portions of the size of a child to keep the costs low.

Package your electrical needs

Many airports have greatly expanded the availability of electric shots to load devices. But catching one can be competitive, and sometimes the points of sale do not work.

“I have worked Maryry while I thought my laptop or phone was only loading to discover that the entire Powered chair bank was not on the plate,” Baskas said. “I learned to verify first before establishing myself.”

She recommends taking a multiple output cable so you can share a plug with other travelers.

Sagüe the problem with its own external battery. George Hobica, who founded the Airfarewatchdog engine of the flight search engine, takes one powerful enough to load several devices at the same time.

Do

Use the time to stretch your legs. The exercise offers physical and mental benefits, and the long airport competitions offer clues to walk the pact.

Colleen Lanin, who writes the travel blog, Colleen travels between and has been covering family trips for 16 years, suggests tired children with exercise before boarding school.

“When my children were young, I paid them a small amount of money for each return, they ran around our backyard before leaving, and they could earn in an article in the airport’s gift shop,” he said.

Duration of the scales, encourages parents to find a quiet area and play a red light green light or Simon set.

Waiting at a door without congestion

While being monitoring the flight shipment call in an application, there is no reason to be at a door full of people where the seats are scarce. Find a convenient door not cooked and wait there.

Use airport resources

Airport’s websites will help you find Yoga Salas (San Francisco), Art exhibitions (Philadelphia), live music schedules (Austin-Bergstrom), outdoor terraces (Denver) or a butterfly garden (Singapore Changi).

Or request recommendations from an airport employee.

“The people of the information stalls are usual to share the favorite places, and do not need to be a child to ask for crayons and a coloring book or a collectible airport commercial card,” Mrs. Baskas said.

Be your own reserve agent

When a flight is delayed or canceled, passengers inevitably begin align to talk to the door agent. But log in while waiting. With the application of the airline; You can obtain information regularly more efficiently.

“Usually, the customer has the same access to the seats in the application as the agents on the desk can see,” said Sumers.

With storms or waterfall delays, the availability of the seat can be fluid.

“If you are attentive to the application, you can find seats that maintain a notable only one minute before,” added Mr. Sumers.

Have an escape plan

You may not be able to escape from an airport, especially the doors a delay, but a break can be given.

Mrs. Baskas keeps $ 30 in her wallet to buy a gift as a special dessert or a hardcover book.

“That makes me feel better at this time and won to appear on the credit card bill later to remember me or a stressful moment,” he said.