49 Travelers Shared Their Airport Wisdom And It's Gold

If it's under 400 miles, drive.

I used to design security checkpoints

I'll try and come up with some tips that aren't common place...

1) When you get your stuff, take the bin and gather yourself at a chair or table near by. There is almost always a revestment area on the other side of a checkpoint. Use it so you're not blocking others and creating a bottleneck.

2) Restack your bin and grab some other strays if you see them. This also keeps things moving along at the front end.

3) Be nice to the folks that work there. As terrible as the checkpoint is for your, it's 10 times worse to work in it. It monotonous, you're constantly being bombarded with X-rays, it pays bad, and you often bump into old high school friends traveling for cool jobs or awesome vacations.

4) My CT scanners always had problems with chocolate. It could have a similar density to certain explosives and could trigger a bag check. I don't know if that impacts other manufacturers, but I don't pack it.

5) I love people that check luggage and don't over pack overhead bins, that said, the checked baggage area behind the plastic flaps is a secret s**t show. Things get lost, stolen, etc. I try to check at the gate if I can. You'll still need to pack light enough to look like a carry on though.

If your flight is over booked and they're asking for 'volunteers' to take a later flight, it's definitely something to consider. Especially if you are carrying on. I have more than once received $300+ flight vouchers AND been rescheduled on another airline to arrive with an hour or two when I would have arrived. It's ok to say "I'd consider taking a later flight, how much are you offering in vouchers and when could I expect to get home?".

If I'm not sure where to eat, I look for flight crews and airport employees, they usually know the best food and affordable places. Also when looking for outlets, look for crew members or machines. I had to divert to a small airport and they had ZERO outlets in the boarding area (they let us off the plane but we stayed in the secure area), and I found this little alcove with vending machines, there was one open outlet. Also carry one of those multi plug things, I have a 3 and a 6 outlet thing, if I'm lucky enough to find an outlet I can charge all my s**t at once, or share the space and make friends.

* Check in early. Airlines overbook, and it's not the first guy at check in that will be without a seat.

* Check in early. Airlines usually don't worry about overweight luggage until they are starting to get near the limit. That won't happen to the first guy in line.

* Some check ins allow you to put the foot under the end of the band where the luggage is weighed and lift, making it appear lighter.

* When you are sitting, keep track of your stuff. Ideally, have your carry-on in your lap.

* At the security check, never, ever, take your eyes off your stuff. People steal a lot there.

* For extra fun at the security check, run through it while reaching inside your jacket while shouting "You'll never catch me alive!". At least you'll be correct.

* If there are delays and you miss your connecting flight, it's possible to negotiate for an upgrade to first class.

* Ask for a seat by the emergency exit. More leg room there.

* Don't be in a hurry to get off the plane, just sit down and relax until the queue is gone. Remember, first guy off the plane is just the guy who will have to wait the longest for his bags.

* Use a hard luggage bag, not soft with zippers. Zippers are d**d easy to open and close without trace, and soft bags are mashed.

* If you see any signs of your luggage being tampered with (such as the code being set, even though you know you scrambled it), walk up to the customs officer and explain the situation. You don't want to end up in jail bacause someone used your bag to smuggle d***s.

* Be careful with photography. Many airports don't allow it.

* Anything you buy in the tax free after check-in does not count against weight limits.

* Pack everything valuable in your carry-on.

* On some airports, you have to pay airport tax or entry fees. Check if that's the case, and make sure you have enough money in local currency.

If you're Arab (which I am), please don't speak Arabic in front of anyone. I mean, unless you want to get dirty looks and called a terrorist multiple times. I advise you to refrain from speaking Arabic until you're away from people.

Don't help anyone carry anything. and I mean ANYONE. It doesn't matter if it's a 90 years old grandma that can barely walk or a person that's missing a limb that wants you to carry a massive suitcase. If you really want to help, go find an airport employee to help them.

I haven't seen this one mentioned yet, but if your European flight is cancelled or arrives more than 3 hours late, you are entitled to a **compensation of at least 250 Euro**. It doesn't matter if the original ticket was cheaper. I made a 100+ Euro profit this way when I flew to Barcelona last summer and it was delayed.

Bring a power strip! Some airports (looking at you, Dubai) are so crowded and have such limited plug in points, you'll be glad you have it. Plus you will become everybody's best friend as they try to use a spot on your power strip. I hate interaction, but I love free drinks which I got a few of last time, so it all worked out.

When purchasing tickets prices tend to drop up until around 2 months before the flight and then increase. Obviously this changes in high demand times. But if you try to get in early you will often get overcharged.

If you are connecting through an airport, make sure you have at least an hour between your flights (1.5-2 hours for large airports), to be on the safe side.

This one may seem more obvious than others here, but so many people underestimate the size of airports and the security involved. What if your plane arrives at one end of a terminal, and your next one is on the other end, requiring a 30+ minute walk? What if you have to go through a security checkpoint before proceeding to your next flight (several airports have transit checkpoints)? Don't forget to factor in the time needed to deplane and board: you may not get off the plane until 5-10 minutes after it parks at the gate, and boarding usually starts 15-30 minutes before departure (with the gate closing at least a few minutes before the plane leaves).

Take a Hoodie with you and you can fold it up into a pillow on the plane.

Keep your hands out of your pockets and you're less likely to be patted down.

When you are looking at flights and hotels online, always look in incognito mode. They can't track you then and charge you more when you go to look again.

I would stop into faith/prayer rooms when my kids were babies so we could sit quietly while they napped. I never found one occupied.

This is a very niche one, but if you're going to Monaco you'll land at Nice airport.

A taxi to Monaco cost 80 Euros and takes about 35 minutes. But for 120 Euros you can get the helicopter service. Amazing views of the coast and then coming into Monte Carlo in a chopper does feel pretty cool. Far better than a boring dual carriageway and worth the extra.

At some big airports, the different terminals are connected on both sides of security. If the security line is long, consider going to the one at a nearby terminal and then coming back after.

Ohh this one is right up my alley.

I'm 6'7'' or 2m. So what I do is I check into the flight as early as possible, sometimes 2-3 hours before take off. While checking in I tell the person at the desk in the nicest way possible "Hey I have a bit of a problem. I hurt my knee recently and as you can tell I am really tall. Is there anyway you could get me into an emergency exit seat?" with a concerned look on my face.Has worked 19/20 times. Has only failed me once with Air Canada, which leads me to my next tip, don't fly Air Canada. Grumpasaurous Middle aged Rex's working for that national embarrassment.

Tip: when arriving to Mexican airports, please drink all the water you can because once in, you are not allowed to bring your own water bottles AND they don't have water fountains. You have to pay for water.

* Buy food before you fly; airplane food isn't that great and the airport sells overpriced snacks
* Empty out all change/receipts out of your wallet and fluff out your pockets before
* Wear shoes that are easy to put on without retying
* Some airports have baggage lockers; use these to store stuff to get out of the airport during a layover; not worth hauling luggage
* Some airports, especially in Japan, have showers. It's definintely awesome to shower after coming in from a 10+ hour flight
* Lookup and plan transportation at your destination before you leave
* Wet wipes and a change of clothes on long haul flights are a lifesaver in case of an accident ;-)
* It might be possible to ship things through the mail rather than pay for baggage fees.