WORST Airport MISTAKES to Avoid | Airport Travel Tips 2024
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- 5 COMMON things travellers do at the airport that will ruin a trip. DO NOT make these easy mistakes airport travel mistakes the next time you fly.
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In today's video we will cover 5 airport mistakes you may not even know you are making. I'll also share tips on how you can avoid them, as well as airport travel hacks to save you time, stress and money. .
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0:00 Airport travel mistakes to avoid
0:25 Going to the wrong airport terminal
0:50 Multiple terminals - be careful!
1:20 How. to find your terminal
1:38 Not knowing where your departure gate is
2:16 Not checking the flight monitor regularly
2:50 Missing your flight because you didn't ask for help
3:10 Ways airline agents can help you
4:45 International flight layover- what you NEED to know!
4:40 How to pick up and re-check your luggage
4:58 How to know if you need to re-check your bag
5:19 Bonus tip #1
5:40 Bonus tip #2
// ABOUT
Hey there, I'm Megan and I've spent 5+ years living and working from over 50 countries around the world. I'm on a mission to prove that anyone (even you!) can do it too.
Portable Professional is a youtube channel full of actionable tips and guides to travel, live and work from anywhere in the world. Serving seasoned digital nomads and first-time travellers alike, it's the ultimate resource to hack the travel lifestyle.
www.megangougeon.com/
/ megan.gougeon
/ portableprofessional
taking a photo of the bag is a great idea. thx
iI's one of those things that you don't think you need to do.... until it's too late! It's saved me a lot of time/stress a few times. Safe travels and thank you for being here! :)
If you have time at home, take a photo of what's inside too.
@@PortableProfessional WA do my
(1) Setting destination to wrong terminal
(2) Not going directly to boarding gate after security
(3) Not checking information monitor regularly
(4) Not speaking up if you are close to missing your flight (running late)
(5) Forgetting to get your luggage between international flights to recheck your luggage
Bonus: Take photo of bag in case it gets lost
We saw the video
@@RizZaTV not me, the resume it's so helpfull...thanx
Thank you.
@@ordi5497 You're welcome
@@Atinspain You're welcome
DO NOT only ask "Are my bags checked all the way to my final destination" as they will almost ALWAYS just say YES, as your bag tag says so. ASK INSTEAD "Where will my bags go? AND will I have to RECHECK them or PICK THEM UP ANYWHERE before I arrive at my final destination" (normally your port of first entry into another country) That part MUST be cleared up or it will confuse passengers. Other points great.
That is very good advice! I have had problems getting a straight answer before.
@@ericstevendennis3206i had the same problems 2 days ago, which i miss my flight because of that
Good point on taking a photo a your suitcase
Yes, it's saved me a few times now!
TIP for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing travelers
At the boarding gate ALWAYS let them know at the counter that you can't hear the announcements
Make them come and get you personally, and put you in the correct line (or early boarding)
I missed a flight from SFO to Ft. Lauderdale because I was reading and didn't notice people leaving (people walk around all the time anyway).
Great suggestion!!! Thanks for being here and sharing the knowledge. Safe travels!
Many airports in the world now are silent , they never have any verbal communications , only visual ,and often they change the gate numbers at very short notice before the flights '
I will never transit a flight again in China , last time , Sydney to China then transit China to Rome , they changed the departure gates about 10 times before departure and people were running up and down the steps to change to different gates and some gate require re-checking bags at border control .
@@philipmullins6235 Yes - that's my experience too, as I've traveled all over the world as an 'almost deaf' person. This is why I ALWAYS pre-board the flight by talking to the people at the boarding gate as soon as I get there... I'm totally deaf when people wear face masks, as I rely on lip reading.
It always amazes me how many people do THIS stupid thing:
1. Arrive at gate
2. Find QUIET chair far from the gate
3. Take out MP3 player/portable device
4. Plug in earbuds and crank the volume to the skies and go to sleep
5. Wake up, flight is long gone.
6. Run to counter and scream "I never heard them announce boarding!" Well, you were too busy listening to crappy music on your MP3 player with the volume set at maximum! (and on a lot of airtight earbuds, even halfway can damage your ears if you do this all the time. I can tell by the graphics on the phones that the fool jacked the volume wayyyy past the halfway point.)
I remember in Dallas they have so many terminals you need to use a skywalk monorail just to get to the right terminal and this can easily take 20 minutes! I'm sometimes late at check in but when I'm super early, I go to my boarding gate 1st, because sometimes they change it on you with a sign there!
Very smart! I've never been through Dallas airport, but sounds like quite the trek!
Same thing with Orlando!
@@PortableProfessional One of the reasons I don't enjoy living near Dallas: the airport. It's always a big chore. What makes it especially aggravating is the ludicrous way they set up the connection paths from the toll road to the parking garages. You exit on the LEFT to get off the toll road and enter a path between the drop-off area, exit and parking. If you take a wrong turn, you have to drive all the way back past your starting point and turn around. It takes forever. I hate the airport layout and it forces me to slap on a half hour to my arrival time because the driving part is such a headache.
Always place a business card or just a sheet of paper inside your luggage with name, email and/or phone.
Info luggage bag tags get ripped off on baggage belts as well as claim check tags . When a bag is lost and the last resort for the airline baggage service is to search the lost bag for possible information inside a bag with no tags. You will get your lost bag recovered if you also leave contact info inside your luggage. Name, phone & email is sufficient.
I leave a copy of the hotel's address and change it every time I move on to the next.
I do not like retrieving my luggage and rechecking it... ugh. I love when I hear how my bags are checked all the way through!
Agreed! Music to my ears, Tammy!
It really depends on your connecting flights. Whether they're domestic or international.
Just got super lucky by going to my gate 7 hours early I found a boarding flight in process and got the last seat on plane 😬saved 7 hours of a 30 hour flight total.from Thailand
Another great tip my family has taught me would be to have a unique looking suitcase and luggage tag. That way it’s easy to find on the baggage belt if your in a hurry
I always use an electronic checklist, or packing list for any trip, and I highly recommend it. That way you won't forget to pack something important. I also start packing weeks before a trip. Flying carry-on bag only, no checked bags, eliminates most of these problems and makes travel much easier. I prefer a soft side bag like the Osprey Porter 46 over a hard case. True, at some airports like LAX, you can be dropped off right at the terminal where you board your flight, not the main airport terminal.
I had a flight connection at an airport. Besides having to wait 45 minutes on the tarmac for a gate. We disembark at a gate with a high number. Gate one was closest to main terminal. We had to go to the next concourse for the next leg. But at the next concourse, the gate numbers went in the opposite direction. Gate one was at the far end. We missed our connection.
Nice tips sometimes Particular Airline crew would come & ask if anyone for flight is in line might get moved up in line or security might move you up
Those are great tips. I just traveled through Scandinavia and it was pretty challenging. SAS and United Airlines "partnered" for our flights, but they do not work well together. There were many glitches but the worst problem was on the way back home. We had three flights: Helsinki to Stockholm, Stockholm to Newark, NJ, and then home. When we left they said our luggage was checked all the way through. This was not the case. We had to get our luggage in Newark and recheck it. Unfortunately they would not accept it back for a while. We had to go get them retagged which took 20 minutes of UA and SAS reps arguing back and forth that it wasn't their job. Then we had to go through the Clear/TSA security line which was longer than the normal security line.
Don't go through Newark, NJ and don't believe them when they tell you your luggage is checked all the way through.
Yikes! I'm sorry you had to go through this, Carla. Thank you for sharing the experience and hopefully future trips go smoother. Best of luck and safe travels!
Always check your baggage claim check to verify the final destination of your luggage. Don't assume that agents do things right 100% of the time. Be vigilant of your belongings because it matters most to you. EVERYONE who enters the U.S. from any international destination HAS to reclaim their luggage, go thru customs and immigration THEN take their own bags to the re-check area and continue to their connecting flight. Your situation sounds like your bag was only checked to Newark. Now you know to double check your baggage claim for future flights. Good luck! 🤞🏼
The only thing clarification I can add to one of the tips about getting an airline employee to help you cut through the line, well that is usually reserved for the highest level frequent flyer members. After covid, there is limited staff who can not abandon their position to excort anyone and leave the rest of the customers waiting...that's just not going to happen! People arrive late everyday, imagine staff just disappearing to excort people thru security, then it would just create a domino effect. Bottom line..don't believe that this "courtesy" is a guarantee because it is not policy and you will most likely be told no.
Airport security might help, even cleaners (happened to me in Colombia), or just latch onto a passing official looking person. You might be going in the same direction
So true! Staffing issues are world wide!
Ask politely, acknowledge that you're at fault for being late and hope for the best.
Before the Pandemic, I flew to Narita Airport, Japan before a domestic connecting flight to Chitose (Sapporo) Airport.
After landing at Narita, the Immigration line was so long and there was only 2 hours for me to make my connection. I had to clear immigration, claim my bags, check them in again, and go through another security screening. I sought help from one of the officers and he immediately allowed me to cut the line.
If not, I probably would've missed my connection to Sapporo. It also probably helped that I could speak some Japanese .
This really depends on the staff atm! there’s one time I was late getting into the boarding area after checking in, the gate closes and so i asked the security staff about my situation and luckily, he escorted me at the back and took me to the boarding area.
Your checked bag may be treated differently than other checked bags based upon your originating home country. Happened twice to me when arriving in Spain , transiting from either London or Dublin, originating from Newark NJ. I freaked at the baggage pickup carousel because my luggage was missing. Luckily I saw another panicked traveler from my flight with same problem. Since we were Americans-and it happened to someone from another country too-the airport segregated our bags and processed them differently, requiring us to retrieve them from a special carousel in a different location altogether. Nobody will tell you this upon check in.
4:57 Great tip about checking to see if you have to pick up your luggage on an international layover. When traveling internationally with a layover my baggage has always come through to the final destination so I never worried about it until on one flight I did have to take my baggage through customs on the layover. I was surprised by this and didn’t realize it until I saw other passengers picking up their bags. Just one more reason why I hate layovers.
Great video. The thing about speaking up when you are about to miss your flight was very useful.
By the way, something awful happened to me during a flight with Aerolineas Argentinas from Miami to Rio de Janeiro, with a connection in Buenos Aires. Upon disembarking in Argentina, I simply followed the majority of passengers through the stairs instead of going straight forward to the connections hall. There was no staff at the gate in order to explain the process for connecting pax. I was not supposed to go downstairs but then, while there, airport security stopped me from returning upstairs, so I had to exit the baggage area and was forced to pay for another airport fee of 30 dollars to have access back into the departures/air side of the airport. It really spoiled my day.
Biggest mistake I ever made. Two airplanes to the NL. At the same time. And I was to tired to notice I was at the wrong one… Luckily they where both delayed…..
I arrived very late at the San Francisco airport and nearly forgot to pick up my checked bag, because I try fly carry on only. They also have Uber pick up in a different spot late at night. Luckily, I could talk to my driver and he guided me where to go!
Nice! Fantastic to hear the driver knew what to do.
Great information ! Thanks for sharing 💝
For Pick-up/Drop-off: When there are a lot of flights leaving the airport use the arrival level, when there are a lot of flights arriving, use the departure level.
Useful tips. Great sharing...
Awesome tips once again Megan! Well done!
On a recent trip to Italy flying through Amsterdam, we did not have to collect our check bags, we only had to go through passport control. It made our connection so much easier! However, when we return to the United States to get our connecting flight back home, we did have to claim our bags and put it back on the carousel for connecting flight.
This is why I despise international flights. It seems like the airlines are determined to make it as confusing as possible so I just try to avoid checking in any bags at all. I never trust the airlines when they claim the bags will be checked onto the next flight automatically.
@@largol33t1ouch
Really useful. Thank you.
6:14 what does your bag look like *the black suitcase* literally every suitcase is black lol
Very helpful thanks a lot 👍🏼
Your videos are so helpful. Thank you so very much
amazing tips. Especially love the idea of the selfie with the bags!
NICE HELP FULL INFORMATION 👍
Tysm this helps a lot
Wow! I fly quite a bit but it has been awhile since I have flown internationally and I forgot about the possibility of having to pick up my bag and recheck it. What a great reminder…thanks. 👍
New in the house,thanks for the profound content👌😊
I flew to mainland Europe via LHR from Boston. Thankfully we did not have to claim/recheck our baggage.... made it straight through on British Airways. Love your videos!
Stunning picture of Portable Professional in the thumbnail. 😁
As a flight attendant we don’t have that access to call ahead to the gate informing them about a late passenger
Traveling alone is tough because you don't have the advantage of someone watching your luggage for you when you use the restroom, go to Dunkin Donuts, grab some foods from the mini mart, or just telling the boarding attendant that you are coming! Great tip on using Google ro check your gate and flight time.
Definitely pros and cons to solo travel... I still love it, but these struggles are real!
Hey I want to know are you single person like me since 2014
My last girlfriend was 27 yrs old an I was quite older than her but she felt out of place dating older guy like me so she dumped me.
I am glad I seen your site
I travel most of time by Amtrak train
Or greyhound bus no hassles of canceled flights being stranded in bad weather
Greyhound bus an train my modes I use
No hassles of security checks
Never leave bags unattended at the airports because most likely airport security will take the luggage and it can take a long time to get it back and for security reason they will most likely will unpack your bag to see if it has anything inside of a security concern .
Thank you!!!!!
If you're connecting domestically and/or don't need to re-check bags, don't just go with the mob when exiting your first flight! You might even be near the correct gate already and because you mindlessly followed other people you end up outside the terminal, so now you have to go through security again.
Also, having tight connection with re-checking bags has been an experience for me. I still don't understand how me and my sister did it, but I guess we have to thank the good signage in JFK for that lol
Thanks so much for this tip Eric! I'm going on my first flight ever, in a couple of days. I have a connecting flight to catch and it's only an hour layover, so I was wondering how to do all this. I'm glad I saw your tip, now I will pay attention and ask someone where I should go! 😊
@@heartfan8257 I'm glad the tip has been helpful. If your airline has an app, when you're a couple hours away from boarding, check if the app shows the arriving gate of your flight so you can figure out how close it is to the departure gate of your next flight.
@@mentonerodominicano thank you!
Very pragmatic advice 👍
Though I am a frequent traveler I have come across all the mistakes u have mention
Last vinous one is awesome
I really enjoyed your video. 🤩 ⭐️
Thanks for Sharing! 👍🏼💕
Greetings from Albania. 🇦🇱
I also purchased AirTags/Tile
Have not thought about taking a photo of my bag. Next time I go anywhere I will definitely be taking a photo of my bag. Thx for the info
Very helpful. Thanks.
You are so welcome!
Great advice....
Would you care to share the information of the Rental Agent that you used for your trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico?
Thank you for these very helpful tips! 😁❤️💺🚙🧳✈️💯☀️
You are so welcome! Happy travels, Heather.
These tips are priceless ❤thanks for sharing them and l hope your channel grows more than expected 🎉
Thank you so much, Jim!
Great video!! Such important information that all of us seasoned travelers learned the hard way. I wish you were around when I started traveling. But that was probably before you were born.
Blessed are those who hear your advice. Keep it up!
This is so kind, Bill! Great to hear the videos are helpful, safe travels!
Good to know you can be pushed ahead of the security line if your running too close for your flight taking off, didn’t know this.
I had to watch this one twice, good top on International flying.
4:00 I've taken countless trans-Pacific flights and have never encountered a baggage re-check scenario. However, I guess you never know what might happen and it always pays to account for the unforeseeable. I will be taking United from the Philippines to San Francisco via Guam and Honolulu. I've taken this route in the reverse in the past with no trouble at all. It is a single carrier route, as opposed to one which involves a contract carrier (Manila-Narita-SF, for example, which uses ANA for the initial leg), and United has always taken very good care of me on Int'l flights. This is one of the reasons (also United allowing my guitar as a carry on) that I'm willing to have 2 stopovers. Always try to fly single carrier, if possible. BTW, taking a photo of checked baggage is an excellent idea!
Very good informations especially for those for are first time travelling....
Glad it was helpful!
Great tips as always .
Glad you think so! See you next week! :D
4:15 Did this mistake. I needed to go thru immigration of course b4 getting the bag and I missed my connection...
In my experience, rechecked bags accure in a domestic lay over, rather then international flights.
KL, Malaysia is a mini-city and one needs to take trains between terminals.
I've never been through there, sounds like a mission!
अच्छा vlog है
धन्यवाद 🙂
omg!!! I missed you so much!!!!
I asked someone that was monitoring the line if they can bring me through faster because of my short layover- they said nothing can be done. It's a better bet to ask people in front of you (at least couple people) to let you go- usually they do.
Wayyy Kool. Thx a Ton for the Post.
You are so welcome! Enjoy your travels!
I’m your latest subscriber 🤗
I like your mannerisms & phrases here 🤗. . among other things here 🤗.
Good tips .
Glad it was helpful!
can you make a video on transit requirements in hong kong
Oh that reminded me. I never thought of taking a photo of my luggage.
You need to specify that if you are flying to your final destination with a different airline than the one you flew in with then you need to recheck the luggage.
Can u take a pocket Angel with u as ur carry on attached to ur laptop backpack it’s a thing for in case someone’s try’s to rob u or would it be better to pack into suite case cos it’s flash’s light and makes a loud noise when pulled apart . I’m live in Malaysia and going to go to Singapore then Australia direct flight I think not sure yet
Hey, can i put 36v 20s lithium ion battery pack in checked luggage for my hoverboard please reply
At one of my flights it said on my ticket I should be a terminal 1 my flight was out of terminal 3... needless to say at one point I almost cried since it was my first ever time flying alone and had no clue what I was doing
These are all great tips! I almost got caught while I was waiting near what I thought was my gate, but it was the entrance to the tram that would actually take me to my gate. I just made my flight! I’ll now, take a picture of the suitcase I’m using. 👍🏾
Honestly the country im in which is singapore is an island so there are only international flights so when going to the terminal its more of a concern on which airline your taking coz there is one terminal in Changi that is terminal 3 which is meant only for singapore airlines
Great travel video! I've only had to re-check my bag internationally one time.
I was traveling with my son for the first time to Tokyo and we had to re-check our bags and he was pretty season by that time. Knowing me, the bag would have never made it to its final destination.
I look forward to hearing more useful travel hacks from this channel in the future. ✈✈✈🌎🌍🌏🇺🇸🇬🇧🇮🇹🇫🇷🇯🇵
Once I had a flight by Philippines Airlines , London to Manilla and then Manilla to Sydney on the same ticket , when the aircraft arrived in Manilla all the transit passengers had to go through border control also which is very unusual for transit passengers .
There were thousands of other passengers also trying to pass through , I had to excuse my self to other passengers and push to the top of the line unwise , I would have missed my connecting flight .
Nice
One item that is really important if you are in Amsterdam’s airport during the busy time. Check your airline website and notifications that they might text you.
Last month the airport was jammed to the walls of passengers. Check in line was over 2 hours long so no one made their flight unless you were in line 4 hours before because the security line was another hour and half.
KLM agent said we notified on their site to arrive earlier than the hour usually need. She also said to people in line you should have been in line 4 hours to check in.
Thousands upon thousands missed their international flights.
The EU 204 rules give information on flight delays etc. USA flights will not tell you these rules.
Thats why i use web- check-in and baggage drop or even fly with hand luggage
I love your voice and how you talk 😍
Please talk about those services that sent your bag ahead of you, to your destination.
Certainly the last hack of taking picture of the bag is good to practice.
Telling security that you have a tight schedule will get you to the front of the line?
In your dreams!
Have never flown international. Would have not known about the checked bag. 😳
Right!? I was so freaked out the first time. They make it easy though :)
I have to ask, the accent, it's beautiful, where is that from? :) great video and tips!
Thanks, Jonathan. It certainly is unique! I'm actually french Canadian 😅. Glad the video was helpful!
Just an additional tip when your flight has a layover in between your origin and final destination: during your check in on your origin airport and the ground staff gave you the boardiing pass on your succeeding flight or connecting flight, you no need to recheck in your checked in luggages. This happened to me when I went to Auckland via Sydney from Singapore. Same also coming back to Singapore via Sydney from Auckland. Both flights I had is with the same Airline.
Really depends on the countries you are flying between. For example all international flights landing in the US have to pickup luggage and go through customs. They give you all the boarding passes and tag bags with the final destination to save time. There's no special section for people to transfer without entering the US.
Yep, I see making sure your baggage is with you. Technology is helping there. AirTags by Apple is one way and others are helping.
Megan, I’m late to your channel. I’m going through your old videos. You’re extremely helpful. I’m finding your voice very addictive. So precious. Your Thailand and Vietnam videos are fun. You’re terrific. Please take care.
Thank you so much for letting me know!! Glad the videos are helpful, they will keep coming! :D
If the traffic is backed up at departure I go down below to the arrival and go up the escalator and beat the crowds.
Clever, I never thought to do this. Thanks for sharing!
Lay Over vs Change Over.
You can also write your name address n phone in the suitcase n on the bottom w a marker
Or tie a piece of colorful yarn around the handle t easily t see your bag, but don't make it too bunchy💖🧚🗯
Travel Tip: If taking a red-eye with a lay over, don't fall asleep at the gate and miss your plane.
Yikes! How awful to wake up after take-off!
I love Red-eyes but always flew direct from SFO to EWR.
I always set my alarm on my phone for 15 minutes before boarding time, which also allows time for the bathroom before boarding.....
What about wheelchair services how to go about it
If you're travelling to another country, remember that what may be a legal substance in your country may be banned in another. This most commonly applies to various drugs, but can cover other items. For example, Australia is an island continent that was isolated from much of the world until comparatively recently. So flowers, fresh fruit and so forth are generally not allowed. So is meat but you're pretty unlikely to be carrying that. Check carefully before you leave home.
You are the best Western woman I ever met in my life , very informative and intelligent western Woman
Another trick:
If your luggage is to heavy they may ask "is there a laptop in it?" Than always say yes! Also when there isn't one in. A lot of airlines a aloud to give you extra 2 Kilos when there is a laptop in it.
And they can't check you luggage.
If your checked bag is not fully checked and you have to recheck it, do you have to pay again?
No
There are now many colors of duct tape, take an unusual color and wrap your suitcase.
Great suggestion!
Hola, don't know if this has come up in the comments yet, but VACCINATIONS.... not only COVID - I was turned back to Panama in Sao Paulo because I had no Yellow Fever proof of vaccination, ON TRANSIT flying to Angola and South Africa. Make sure your destinations/transits don't require specific medical documents.
I was just having a conversation about vaccines with a few of my friends- specifically about Brazil and the yellow fever vaccine!
@@d.g.4499 hola. It's a hit & miss affair, actually. They let me board & fly to Panama from South Africa in March of 2018, without asking for yellow fever paperwork, anywhere en route, not in Ethiopia, Brazil, or Colombia. Then in October 2019 I had to go back to South Africa for business, they let me board Copa in Panama, Avianca in Colombia, and then Angolan Airlines refused me onward access in Sao Paulo. I lost all my onward flights, and the returns to Panama. I had to fly back to Panama from Sao Paulo via Peru and Colombia. Couldn't rebook onward flights to South Africa from Sao Paulo, "as Angolan Airways had to make sure I returned to Panama".
@@kwintinkristie64 Wow! What an experience. I like these types of channels because we can all learn from each other. We wound up getting the vaccine, but it was by no means an easy decision!
❤❤❤
Never use a black suitcase lol
Wow traveling international can be stressful lol
Please note…..NOT ALL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS OR PILOTS CAN CALL A HEAD REGARDING YOUR FLIGHT…MOSTLY DOMESTIC AMERICAN AIRLINES.
Warning! Do not use Safety Wing insurance. They take your money but refuse to payout on claims!
👍👍👍
Thanks! Glad you liked it!