10 Things not to do at the airport!

Airports!!!! I love you, I hate you, I love you, I hate you.......This is the status of my relationship with airports at the current moment in my life.

It's a lot like my relationships with people, a love hate thing. It's as if I can't get enough of the overpriced food and coffee, the thousands of people running and scrambling within the walls, and the amazing noises and overhead announcements that make it impossible to sleep. I also love knowing that everyone there will be somewhere different around the world, travel into the future and back to the past. Some will travel over thousands and thousands of miles to be on the other side of the world and others will be going just a short distance to do out of these world things. You meet the most interesting people from around the world. it's as if the melting pot cools off for a second and mingle in an enclosed area where they are forced to talk. You learn things. I love seeing all the florescent lighting throughout the day and on the many boards with names of cities I can't even begin to pronounce. The different accents and excitement that I will soon be in a place I have only read about or seen through pictures. Now, I love that part, but there are a lot of bits I am not as fond of. I wont go into detail here but what I have done is put together a list that will hopefully help with the bitter bits of airport life. This will especially help those who have never traveled or traveled regionally and are planning to venture out. Now, Go wander!

1. Don't be late!!!!

I think it's safe to say we have all been there at one point or another. Scrambling through a sea of people, running from one end to the other, sweating your makeup off, and having a battle in your head with optimistic and pessimistic thoughts. Sometimes we have slid by depending on the airport and airline. However, there have been those times we have gotten there even an hour earlier because its been ok at a regional airport but you are at an international and they don't play that. For an international flight you want to arrive at the airport 3 hours before your flight, with a domestic flight you can get away with being at the airport an hour before but should allow more time. Sometimes the lines can look like Disneyland lines or you are held up at the security checkpoint. You always have to be prepared for setbacks. If you do miss a flight some airlines will make you pay for a new ticket and that can put a damper on the whole trip....circa 2014 Cancun for Steven and I; not fun. To avoid paying for another ticket and if you tend to be late, get the travel insurance...it will be worth it.

2. Don't wear your headphones the entire time/fall asleep for a short layover or wear headphones at all!

One time My friend and I were stuck at the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport overnight and as if the day and night were not stressful enough because I had left my passport in Spain and my flight was due to leave in the morning!!! that's a story for another blog. We were trying to get some sleep and some sort of comfort a midst the terrible situation and from having a full blown panic attack! However, the people who were about to board a plane to a country that will remain unnamed didn't seem to know what headphones were. they were listening to music, youtube videos, and sermons at full volume making my eye twitch for the next 3 hours. we ended leaving the airport.Wear headphones during a long layover. Once its 3 hours away from your flight and you have checked in, put the headphones away and read a book. Its obvious, I cant tell you how many times they have changed our gate at the last minute and even without headphones you can barely hear, hence missing your flight. Oh, and don't fall asleep and miss your flight, put an alarm clock!!!

3. Leave your charger/portable chargers at home

This one should be a given, right? well, believe it or not there have been those times in a travelers life when they are in dire need of charging their phone because they are at 2% and they need to make an emergency phone call to tell their friend to get their passport from a taxi in Mallorca because this is her only chance of leaving Spain...France....Europe! Do you know how fast 2% goes while your phone roams internationally and the airport you are at is old so they have limited chargers that everyone is using...that's if you can find one in the time span you have. Another suggestion especially in a dilemma like this is always have an electric current converter according to the country you visit. Don't rely on others because sometimes the party you are with dwindles throughout your trip or you don't think of different departures which can create issues if u are sharing items. Be safe and take your own and maybe even extra! Always be aware of the differences in the airports you are traveling through and be nice to the airport employees because they can be your last hope sometimes.

4.Don't over pack

Its 3:00 a.m. and you are waiting in a queue that again looks like a line at an amusement park and is moving at the speed of molasses. You are trying to catch your transfer to get home and are extremely tired, hungry , and delusional because you are jet lagged. All you want at this point is to find a somewhat quiet corner at the airport, crawl into a ball and hopefully be able to rest, and sleep away the next couple of hours waiting for boarding to sit for another couple of hours. You are finally in front of the line and find the person in front is frantically taking things out of their luggage and transferring them to their carry on or themselves. it's a back and forth for the next couple of minutes. you cringe. Finally, you are next and put your bag on the scale fully confident this will be a breeze. the ticket agent says " you are over"!!!!! Always read the guidelines for weight and luggage for the airline you are flying with. Don't be those people who are surprised at the counter and scramble to transfer things or worst have to pay more and delay everything for themselves. Also make sure what you can and can not bring, some airlines charge for checked in baggage and while they are economic choices they will make up for this for charging you each way, it can become expensive. Airlines like Wow airlines offer cheap flight to Europe but charge for almost everything else. always read the fine print. If you want to avoid this, don't over pack at all and try to fit everything in a carry on. Try it, its freeing!!!!

5.Don't leisurely stroll through security

Do your research when you travel! by research, I am not simply implying your itinerary and the outfits you will be wearing for the next 2 weeks. Do research on the airport you are going to. look at the layout of the airport. This helped me out in The Mexico city airport where I was late for a flight and knew I had to take a tram to another terminal to get to my gate and that saved me time from going in circles at the same terminal. some airports are big and have trams or shuttles to get you from one end to the next. Also visit the airlines website to make sure what you can take on your carry on and check in baggage. They can advise what not to take. for example, most places you can not take more than 100 ml of liquid through security check in, however it can go in your check in baggage, some airlines don't allow you to bring certain items, like alcohol where as others do. Again , don't be the traveler casually strolling through security stalling the line of passengers trying to get to their destinations, sometimes in a hurry. Security isn't the nicest at airports either so lets just make everyone's life easier, if you know what I mean. Always read the signs before you start picking up the trays instead of looking lost or like you have just seen an alien. Lastly, don't bring anything you shouldn't.....weapons, drugs, chemicals. Don't do that, unless you want problems and never want to fly again.

6.Look aimlessly for a Taxi upon arrival

Look, we have all winged it and sometimes it's been fine and others it hasn't. There have been those times where the airport is in a remote location where it might not be as touristy or developed. This reminds me of the time we were in Cuba. Ahhhhhh Cuba, when they say things move on island time, they mean it! Again, for another blog. We should have expected this because Cuba has less resources and when something happens at the airport it takes time to fix. It was dark outside, and the airport was next to fields at 1:00 a.m.! It looked isolated outside. Luckily we had a friend arrange a taxi who would also be hosting us that night in Havana. Thinking back I am so thankful because it could have been a stressful experience especially after long flights and lack of sleep. By arranging transportation you avoid airport scams and being overcharged. It also eliminates the stress out of your arrival trip. Most of the time you can arrange a ride with the hotel you book in advance.

7.Sit at the same gate without checking departure boards!

This can be a huge mistake and cost you a flight. Always make sure you are listening to boarding gate announcements or last-minute changes. If you can't hear anything, check the boards constantly. You have to be very careful on short layovers because it means you have less time to get to your gate if it is a big airport and worse if they change your gate. Check the local time and if possible ask an employee. Once, at the Guadalajara airport we had a 2 hr. layover and our phones didn't change to local time which jumped an hour forward. We sat at the gate and thought we had an extra hour so we ate and checked the gate until it was too late, they had changed our gate and the airport is big so we didn't make it. we had to buy a set of extra tickets, 800 dollars later( get travel insurance), we were in Cancun. It was a sour 7 hours at the airport after that. Lesson learned!

8.Block the boarding line or lack simple airport etiquette

Let's discuss annoying traveler behavior. We have all experienced someone cutting them off in line, not respecting personal space, and seat hoggers. It's especially annoying and I see it everywhere, people who block or run to the boarding lines. They act as if the plane is leaving right in front of them as people are getting on. It hasn't even started boarding first class and priority passengers (pregnant women, elders, etc.) but you see people in a long line.....why? I usually wait until the end, however, when I started traveling with my little one I would board on priority and have people cut or step over my daughter. It was then I learned to wait, we are all going to sit for the next 12 hours! Don't be annoying.

9.Take No for an answer

There have been times when I have met myself arguing with a ticket agent about an inconvenience or a dilemma.I have been shut down a lot and at the lowest points learned that you can't take no for an answer. Sometimes when it seems every door has closed and you are about to give up a door finally opens. You also need to know who to talk to. Talk to the right person and it is your lucky day. I once lost my passport in Spain and had to fly to France. I was able to get to France without a passport by being very persistent and crying a little. Sometimes, waterworks help and when travel is unpredictable you have to do everything you can to solve the issue.

10.Being unorganized

I can't tell you how many times I have had deathly scares thinking I had lost my passport or boarding pass. I have learned to separate all my travel documents from my personal documents in my purse and have it in a different easy to get zipper bag....you can find a lot of cheap ones on Amazon website. It eliminates the stress of losing it or in some cases thinking you lost it. It makes things quicker and more efficient at the airport, they will ask for it a lot. Keep it separate from your purse because worst case scenerio your purse is stolen, you do not want your passport in the purse. Once you are done with it at the airport you secure it in a fanny pack that you can hide under your clothes and put away in safe so you don't keep it on you. Remember, stay organized! it will make for a stress free trip

I hope these tips help you on your next adventure and make for a smooth ride at the airport!!!! If you have any questions, email me or contact me on Instagram or twitter! Thanks! Go and Wander!!!!!

#travelhacks #airports #traveldosanddonts #airchina #wanderer #exploremore #goexplore #boardinggate