Hi everyone! I hope all of you are doing fantastic today. So not too long ago I was at the airport, dropping someone off and–boy! Did I see so many people break so many rules just as they were on the way to their respective flights!
Now, if it’s your first time on my blog, I’ve been traveling since before I could even remember and I’m not kidding! I’ve been to Australia, Canada and the Islands right off the coast of the US and Colombia. So I know a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to traveling and have learned early on, what to do and what not to do when flying abroad.
So lets jump right in!
What to DO:
Check-in 24 hours before your flight
Usually you’ll get an email from the airline, to remind you to check-in.
If it is your first time flying, know that this is not just a precautionary measure, but it is also an opportunity to help you check your bags and make sure that everything on your boarding pass looks right.
Definitely take advantage of this opportunity, as you are agreeing to the safety and procedures that the airline has.
Make sure you have everything
Look, I don’t care if you have to triple check your bags or make a packing list twice over, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING!
The last thing you want is to be without your passport and boarding pass, while you’re at the airport. OR WORSE. YOUR PHONE.
Anyways, you get what I mean.
Make it on time to your flight
This goes without saying… I get that there is almost always going to be traffic on your commute to the airport, but the important thing to remember is to get there at least 2 hours (for international flights) and at least an hour (for domestic flights) before your flight departs.
Which means that if you have to get to the airport at a certain time, take traffic into consideration and leave at least an hour and a half before your time, so that you can say goodbye to your family/boyfriend/bestfriend and go through TSA with all the calm in the world.
Have your passport and boarding pass on hand at all times
It is imperative that you have your passport and boarding pass on you, because when you go through the TSA checkpoint, they ask for that.
The last thing you want is to be the first one up in line, frantically looking for both those things. Travel Tip: keep that personal item bag organized and zippered up.
What NOT to do (Don’ts):
Bring large personal items, unless it is something that you checked
You have the opportunity to bring along with you one personal item and it can be a small to medium sized bag or if the item is something that you can’t fit into your luggage, then you would have to check it.
By checking, I mean that it needs to be tagged as a personal item or else you wouldn’t be able to go through security.
However, when I was at the airport that day, watching the TSA line, I saw so many large bags that weren’t even checked. People were lugging those bags as if they were the second carry-on bag they had. It’s unnecessary added stress, so you’re better off getting a backpack or a cute, spacious handbag.
Hold up the line while going through TSA
This goes without saying, but please for the love of all that is good and holy, DO NOT HOLD UP THE LINE!!! If you forgot something or don’t have your passport on you, be the person to let others go before you!
Have water on you as you are standing in line waiting for TSA
This right here is a big no-no. I saw so many people going through the TSA line with gallons of water, and I wish I was kidding…
The thing is, if you pass TSA with enough time to spare, you have the chance to get something from any of the eateries-on the other side.
THAT INCLUDES WATER! Please don’t make the mistake of bringing a bottle of water, if you want to step out of the line to chug it. It’s really not worth it.
Try to cut the line, unless you have a valid reason to
UNLESS YOU’RE RUNNING LATE FOR YOUR FLIGHT, don’t try to cut the line. Just don’t be an asshole by throwing other people off.
I saw this one person try to cut the line– for no apparent reason–and they got sent back to where they were in line. So. Please for the love of all things that are good in this world, please don’t be that person who cuts people off because they refuse to follow the rules.
So as many of you travel off to your exciting destinations, please keep in mind these little unspoken rules of travel!
Sending all the warm wishes and love your way,
To catch up on all my adventures, follow me on Instagram: @adynamicmentality!
A Dynamic Mentality 