Traveling can do wonders for the mind and body. Traveling helps us improve our health, become smarter and improve our understanding of other cultures. Traveling can also disconnect us from daily life, allowing us to de-stress and recharge.
Traveling to another country can be fun, but finding a parking space in airports and going through airport security can be stressful. Your excitement can dwindle once you arrive at the Nashville airport, or any other airports, and then later find out that there’s no parking space for your car. The same happens if you’re caught in long lines when going through airport security.
For your upcoming trip to be memorable for all the right reasons, these tips can be very useful to get through airport security quickly and easily.
1. Prepare Appropriately Before Arriving at the Airport
To get through airport security in the fastest and easiest way possible, you should know how and what to prepare, even before arriving at the airport. This is one of the most important tasks any traveler should accomplish because showing up at the airport unprepared can cause unexpected snags with the airport security.
Take note of these tips on how to prepare appropriately before arriving at the airport:
Plan the parking: The availability of parking spaces when you arrive at the airport can influence the time you spend with the airport security. Leaving home early in an attempt to save yourself from minutes of standing in long lines will be unsuccessful if you end up spending a lot of time looking for a parking space.
Fortunately, there are now services that guarantee a parking spot the moment you arrive at the airport. Flight Park, for example, is a hassle-free parking service offered at the Nashville airport that allows you to pay for a valet to park your car and 24/7 security to ensure that your car remains safe when you’re traveling.
It’s best to look for similar services available in your location earlier, so you can easily leave your car with service providers and enter the airport early.
Minimize wearing metal: Metallic embellishments on clothes and accessories will always look good, but deciding to wear them when traveling can cause problems and delays with airport security. This is one of the reasons why you should wear as little metal as possible whenever traveling by plane.
Once you arrive at the airport, be ready to remove your belts if they have metal buckles and hide large jewelry pieces with metal into your carry-on baggage. Any keys or change should also be kept in your carry-on bags. Body piercings should be removed ahead, as well.
Arrive with empty pockets: Having pockets in your clothes can be very convenient, as you can keep small items there and easily access them whenever needed. However, putting knick-knacks in your pockets can have the opposite effect when you’re traveling – this can become the reason why you’ll take some time in the airport security as you have to empty your pockets, put all of your smaller valuables on the scanner belt and go through the scanner again. You may even have to be patted down or screened by a wand if the security detected items in your pockets whenever you attempt to go through the scanner for the first time.
You can prevent this from happening simply by showing up at the airport with empty pockets. Smaller valuables should be kept in a small purse and stored in your carry-on bags. Doing this will speed up the screening process at airport security.
2. Prepare the Necessary Paperwork
Certain documents will be required from us whenever we’re traveling. Aside from our passports, we need to show copies of plane tickets and valid IDs. Depending on our destination, we might even have to present copies of our visas and confirmed accommodation bookings.
To prevent any hassles when we arrive at the airport, it’s best if we prepare all the necessary paperwork at home and then keep them in a secured location that’s within your reach. Using the outside pockets of our carry-on bags or bringing a separate envelope solely for our documents is a great idea to ensure that we’ll be able to deal with the airport security swiftly.
Regardless of how tempting it is, we should refrain from putting important documents at the bottom of our carry-on bags or in our jacket pockets. The first idea will only require us to spend more time to get through all of our belongings before we can find our documents, while the second option isn’t safe.
3. Take off Any Outer Layers Ahead of Time
Aside from picking clothes that are comfortable, you also need to make sure that what you’re wearing when traveling suits the weather of your destination. If you’re going to travel to colder countries, for example, you’ll usually wear layers of clothes to ensure that you don’t shiver the moment the plane lands at your destination.
To get through airport security quickly and easily, you should start taking off the outer layers of your outfit before your turn, rather than doing it when you’re already in front of the screening line. Once you get in line to have your IDs checked, you should start removing your jackets, coats, and scarves to save time at the airport security. Doing this will also prevent you from causing any inconvenience to travelers behind you.
4. Assess the Speed of the Lines
Airports will usually have several lines to speed up the process of accommodating travelers. More often than not, you’ll see different lines for baggage check-ins and inquiries in the airport. The more airlines the airport accommodates, you can expect to see more lines.
To ensure that your encounter with the airport security will be brief, take the time to assess the speed of the lines. A short line doesn’t always guarantee that it’s fast. Rushing to the shortest line you see at the airport can usually result in remorse, especially if you realize that the longer lines move faster than the line you’re in. To avoid this, take a few minutes to observe how fast the lines are moving. A short line can take a lot of time to move if there are several seniors or children on them.
Moreover, it’s best to choose a line that’s located in the far right or far left scanner lanes. A lot of new and casual travelers will just walk straight ahead and fall in line with whatever is in front of them, resulting in longer lanes in the middle of the airport.
5. Wear Socks and Slip-on Shoes
It’s common to exert effort to dress up nicely whenever you’re traveling. Aside from taking pictures of your destinations, you would always want to look good in your pictures. What good is traveling if we can’t showcase our best outfits, right?
You have the liberty to pick any clothes (as long as these have minimal to zero metal embellishments) you want when traveling, but always pay careful attention to your footwear. The shoes you wear at the airport can affect how much time you spend at the airport security.
Unless you’re over 75 years old, you’re expected to take off your shoes at the airport security and then place them into a plastic bag for proper screening. You can make this process easier by wearing socks and shoes that are easy to remove. Some of the best choices for easy to remove footwear are loaders, slip-on sneakers, Chelsea boots, and boat shoes.
6. Leave Gifts Unwrapped
It’s common to exert effort to dress up nicely whenever you’re traveling. Aside from taking pictures of your destinations, you would always want to look good in your pictures. What good is traveling if we can’t showcase our best outfits, right?
You have the liberty to pick any clothes (as long as these have minimal to zero metal embellishments) you want when traveling, but always pay careful attention to your footwear. The shoes you wear at the airport can affect how much time you spend at the airport security.
Unless you’re over 75 years old, you’re expected to take off your shoes at the airport security and then place them into a plastic bag for proper screening. You can make this process easier by wearing socks and shoes that are easy to remove. Some of the best choices for easy to remove footwear are loaders, slip-on sneakers, Chelsea boots, and boat shoes.
7. Master the Art of Packing
Packing is one of the most important responsibilities you have when you travel. Aside from making sure that all of your valuables fit your bags, you also need to make sure that you can easily find the items you’re looking for the moment you need them.
To get through the airport security fast, you need to exert effort to master the art of packing. Instead of buying travel-sized products, like sachets, it’s best to use a clear bag with clear bottles. These are more convenient as you can easily transfer the products you have at home, such as lotions and shampoos, into these clear bottles and label them for easy identification.
Labeling your bottles and keeping items that belong in the same category will make it very easy to go through airport security. You can simply unzip the bags of these clear bottles, place everything into the bin, and move through.
Moreover, learning how to use packing cubes for your clothes can also help you pack better. This is especially true if you usually bring a lot of items when traveling. With packing cubes, you can organize all of your valuables and easily open and then zip your bags back up again whenever the airport security decides to take a closer look.
8. Use TSA-Friendly Bags for Electronics and Other Valuable Items
Some people like to travel with their laptops as this allows them to continue working even when located in different parts of the globe. Having a laptop also makes it easier to transfer and store pictures and videos taken during the trip.
For your laptop to remain safe and to avoid waiting for long periods in airport security, invest in a TSA-friendly laptop bag. The Transportation Security Administration requires travelers to use laptop bags that come in a tri-fold style, butterfly style, or a sleeve with a designated section for laptops. These types of bags will lay flat on the machine belt of the X-ray machine, allowing you to get through airport security faster without sacrificing the condition of your laptop.
Aside from your laptop, the airport security will also require you to scan any other electronics, such as cameras, e-readers, and large battery packs. This can usually take a lot of time, especially if you bring several electronics.
To get through airport security fast and easily, your electronics should be placed in protective sacks and kept in your checked luggage rather than in your under-the-seat bags. This will ensure that your electronics remain safe, and you don’t have to get stuck at the airport security for long periods.
9. Whenever Possible, Only Bring a Carry-On
You’ll be using a lot of items whenever you travel. Regardless of the location, you’ll need to bring several clothes, pairs of shoes, toiletries, and other personal items to make your trip comfortable and convenient. The number of things you’ll need to pack can significantly increase if you plan on staying for an entire weekend.
Another useful tip to follow to get through airport security efficiently is to only bring carry-on baggage. Bringing lesser items usually means spending lesser time at the airport security, as personnel won’t have to spend a lot of time inspecting your valuables.
Moreover, traveling with carry-on baggage will help you save a lot of stress as you won’t have to regularly check your luggage every single minute or worry about losing any. As long as you know how to pack, bringing carry-on baggage will be sufficient for a weekend trip.
10. Pay for Expedited Services
Traveling during holidays, weekends, or peak seasons is a great way to meet new people, but scheduling your trip during these times of the year can also mean spending more time at the airport security.
If you have enough budget for it, consider paying for expedited services to ensure that you won’t have to spend a lot of time in airport security. Paying for first-class accommodations will allow you to avoid the commuter rush and enjoy faster services at airport security.
Depending on the airlines and time of the year, paying for expedited services will usually cost around $100 but will surely be worth it as you won’t have to take that extra step at customs or security, especially when you have connecting flights.
11. Fly at the Right Time
While some have the budget to pay for extra services to easily get through airport security, others travel with a shoestring budget. People who belong to the latter would pick their travel dates carefully to ensure that they can get the best deals and cheapest rates.
If you’re going to travel with a limited budget, it’s best to choose to do it during off-season or peak travel times, like Friday afternoons from 4 PM to 8 PM. Most travelers would choose to pick this schedule because it allows them to make the most out of their trips and minimize the number of days they’ll be absent for work.
To avoid long lines at the airport security, choose to take the earliest or latest flights in the middle of the week or during the off-season of your destination. Traveling during these times will ensure that the airport isn’t as busy as usual, allowing you to pass through the airport security with ease.
12. Remain Polite and Friendly
Traveling, whether you’re doing it alone or with friends, can be very exciting. Spending a couple of days in a new country while trying out new activities and cuisine is surely something to look forward to.
But regardless of how pumped up you are to board your plane, you should remain polite and friendly to the staff that you’ll mingle with at the airport. These traits can become your ticket to pass through the airport security faster, as loud and rude travelers usually get questioned or given extra screening by airport personnel.
So the moment you arrive at the airport, remain calm and smile at every personnel you see. This will require minimal effort from you and yet can save a lot of time at the airport security.
Follow Tips
Regardless of where your destination is, expect that you’ll always have to go through airport security before you can board our flight. This process can be time-consuming, but keep in mind that the local government is implementing such policy to ensure the safety of travelers.
For anyone who’s planning to travel soon, make sure to follow all the tips presented in this article. This will guarantee that all of your trips will be as memorable as possible, as you’ll be able to get through airport security fast and easy!