9 Ways to Avoid Airport Stress

I love airports. I love the excitement of travel, I love sitting in departures lounges watching planes jet off and the crowds of people around me, and I love meeting friends and family in arrivals. But perhaps I am a rare breed. Many of us can’t stand the whole experience, so here are 9 ways to make your next airport visit a little easier.

1. Drive to the Airport

If I had to choose one thing I hated about airports, it’s getting to them. Lugging my backpack around on public transport to an airport is the most dreaded part of my travel lifestyle, and a pain even if you’re just going on a short trip, too. Take out the stress of getting there by driving and keeping your car at an airport car park, such as an Airparks. No stress about getting there, and no stress about getting back.

2. Get all your documents ready

I place my documents, such as flight information, boarding pass, and passport, in exactly the same place in my bag, every time I travel. This saves me from being that person in the queue that can’t find the right documents – and let’s face it, we’ve all rolled our eyes at that person in the airport. Get all your documents ready and put them in a place that’s easy to access for a smoother ride.

3. Weigh everything beforehand

Admittedly, I never actually do this anymore as I like to think I know exactly what 20kg feels like (turns out I don’t as I was actually overweight on my last flight! Lesson learned). If you don’t want to be throwing treasured possessions out of your suitcase at a check in desk in the airport, or forking out the extra cash, make sure you weigh your baggage before you set off. This saves you getting worried about that moment when you place your bag on the scales and stare at that little screen, praying that somehow you’re underweight. Alternatively – pack ultralight.

4. Know your security measures

Going through security is one of the most annoying, nail-biting moments of going to the airport, so make sure you’re ready for taking shoes off, laptops out of bags, boarding passes out for attendants to scan, and walking through the scanner with an innocent look on your face.

5. Practice patience 

I know it can be difficult waiting in all the queues and just wanting to get going, but a bit of patience goes a long way at an airport. It is a lot of waiting around, but what else do you expect? Relax, do what you can to make the process quicker, and accept the times when you can’t and just need to wait it out. And if you’re wondering how to make the most of a bad situation, this guy got stuck in an airport overnight and made a music video.

6. Treat yourself

As part of my routine airport experience, I always make sure I have a walk around shops, buy some nice food, and take the time to do those things that I otherwise don’t have any time for at all – like read a good book. Save some fun stuff for all that time you have to wait at the airport, and buy something nice for yourself while you’re at it.

7. Leave plenty of time

I know that with online check ins nowadays you don’t actually need to be at the airport 3 hours ahead of your flight, but I usually am anyway. I like to get there, drop my bag off, and give myself lots of time to relax before I fly, so that I know I definitely won’t be late. This is another advantage of driving to and parking your car at the airport – you don’t have to rely on public transport for you to be on time. By being early, you’ll have no chance of missing the flight and have a lot of time to spare before you fly if something does go wrong.

8. Drink

I can’t believe it actually took me to point 8 before I mentioned alcohol. There are two places in this world where it’s acceptable to drink at inappropriate times of the day – brunch and airports. Like a true Brit, I always, without fail, treat myself to a glass of wine or cocktail as part of my airport ritual. This still applies to incredibly expensive drinks, like the $13 caesar I had at Toronto Pearsons as I left the country for good. It just had to be done. Kick off your vacation with a bang and get a bevvie down your neck for ultimate relaxation.

9. Focus on the destination

Don’t let all the queues and crowds distract you from the fact that flying anywhere is a really exciting experience! Whether you’re going home to see your family, or jetting off to paradise, staying focused on the place you’re travelling to will help to relieve stress at the airport. Any amount of airport stress is totally worth the destination and travelling the globe, so remember that’s the whole reason you’re there.

Do you hate airports? What else do you do to keep calm?