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Nine airport hacks every tourist should know

By LLM Reporters   |  

No matter how thrilling your pending destination, most of us dread the experience of waiting around at the airport. Whether you are running late, the plane is delayed, or you are in endless queues, travelling to your desired location can be stressful.

Here, the team at Gear Hungry give us their tips on how to make the airport run a stress free and seamless experience.

I have back up

Running out of battery on your smart phone or tablet is not the end off the world however, in an airport setting it will feel like it. It is possible that you will be on your smart phone or tablet more than usual and a portable charger will see that you are covered even if your flight is inevitably delayed.

My bottle is empty

It is no secret that airports are notoriously expensive when it comes to purchasing food and drink. Taking an empty water bottle through security will see that you can fill up from free water stations in the departure lounge.

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Map out your route around the airport before you get there

Turn left

Going through security can be torturous, speed up the process by turning left. People tend to prefer the right-hand side so will therefore head that way, meaning that you will unavoidably end up waiting in endless queues.

Are we at the gate yet?

Running for miles through an airport looking for a gate number is hardly relaxing. Map out your route around the airport before you get there. It may be a boring task and it takes some preparation however, you will be thankful later.

I can picture it

Take a picture of your luggage before you check in. This will make it easier for airport staff to locate it if it goes missing in transit.

I fly at night

Evening flights are usually cheaper than those in the day and the airports are quieter.

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Going through security can be torturous, speed up the process by turning left

Jump online

If you are delayed and not sure what is going on, avoid the sea of people trying to find the same information and jump online to the airlines website. They will update the status of your flight without fail. It is also worth contacting your airline on Twitter as their customer service reps are usually the first with all the necessary information.

Its been lost and found

Anything that has been in lost and found for up to 90 days is no longer the property of its owner. If you desperately need something such as a charger it is worth showing some honestly and asking. If they have one that has been in their possession for over 90 days, they can hand it over.

Carry a change of clothing

Even if you are flying on a short haul flight, you will be thankful for packing a change of clothes in your hand luggage. Whether it be for spillages or simply to freshen up, it will be perhaps the best hack of your trip.