The rough truth about travelling is that somehow you’re going to have to get there, and often that means you’re going to fly. It’s no secret that airline travel has declined in quality as companies seek profit — and that rough experience can often extend to the airport. However, just because you have to head to the airport doesn’t mean that it has to be terrible. I’ve done a lot of airport traversing in my days, both when I worked on the road and was in airports every month and now for leisure travel and I’ve picked up a couple of helpful things here and there.

Here’s just a few tips for the solo traveller who doesn’t have to worry about a large group when travelling:

Before You Arrive

• If you’re on a budget or you just want to avoid airport prices, make sure that you bring your own snacks. If you grab non-perishable items like granola bars, you can eat them at the airport, on the plane, and even have some for emergency snacks at your destination
  
• When you’re preparing, download your airline’s app! These days, there’s a lot of benefit to having the app including having your boarding pass, getting direct updates about your flight, bag tracking, access to entertainment, and other features. It’s worth it for a quick download to your phone

Parking & Getting To/From The Airport

You have to get to and from the airport, which can often be one of the most annoying things. If you’re lucky, you might have a friend or family member who can drop you off, but sometimes your flights will be at inconvenient times and you won’t want to burden your family. What then?

• Check to see if you have any discounts with a Park n Fly or another airport parking program. Sometimes, I’ve received fantastic discounts for long term valet parking, which allows me some peace of mind
  
• If you’re going for a longer period and long term parking is too expensive, look for local Airport car services; often, they’ll have flat rates that are cheaper than local taxis and even Ubers
  
• Always check out Uber and Lyft, too! You might get a good deal and there might even be coupons that are waiting for you

Check-In Tips

• Use the kiosks where you can and print a boarding pass – this will help you skip the document verification process at the gate by using your identification at check-in
  
• Be mindful of keeping your baggage tag on a place you can easily find (like the back of a printed boarding pass). If you lose your luggage, the last thing you want will be to have also lost your bag tracking tag

Security Tips

Check to see if you have any priority security avenues — whether that’s through your actual ticket or your credit card. If not, don’t sweat it. Some tips to help you through quickly:

• Avoid clothes that have too much metal on them (ie: jeans with heavy duty metal buttons).
  
• If you have a lot of hair, take it out of a thick bun if you’re going through the security scanners. I can’t tell you how many times my hair has been patted down because I guess the cameras can’t see through hair. This can also happen with a lot of clothing layers, so if you’re mindful of being self-conscious, try and keep that to a minimum. Once, I got stopped because I was wearing bike shorts under a skirt and it was one layer too many
  
• Make sure you have slip on (or something easy to pry off) shoes to be able to get them off and put them back on quickly.
  
• Don’t pack liquids or gels (and gel can include things like peanut butter or frosting, which I learned the hard way).
  
• Pack your electronics in a way that they’re easy to pull out and slide back in (dedicated pockets in your bags help immensely).

Clearing Customs

• If you’re in Canada and heading to the United States, this is a tip section for you. I’m based near YYZ (Pearson) and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched people stand in the customs line for longer than they should when Terminal 1 is now offering the MPC app. True, it’s more popular now than before, but they staff these sections more than the regular customs’ lines, and I’ve never waited longer than fifteen minutes. It’s a quick download and set-up on your phone, then you’re breezing through the line

• On your return trip, you can also use apps – depending on where you’re returning to. For example, Canada has ArriveCAN these days, which will allow you to fill out your form in advance, so when you arrive, you just have to scan your passport and move on quickly

Pre-Boarding Tips

• Time that trip to the bathroom perfectly. Waiting for everyone to board and then trying to swim upstream like an airplane salmon isn’t anyone’s idea of a fun time. Instead, head to the bathroom before boarding
  
• If you’re worried about your bag fitting, you may feel compelled to rush the boarding area, but stay out of the line. I’ve had too many issues before where people form a line and block the actual passengers from boarding. Wait for your zone and stay out of the way until then.

Soon enough, you’ll be up in the sky on your way to your vacation and the stress of arriving at the airport will be behind! With luck, though, some of these tips will reduce at least a fraction of that stress with any luck, and will make you feel like a pro at navigating the airport.

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