Five Things to Avoid Before a Flight

Whether you regularly board flights or only catch flights for vacations every now and then, there are some things you should avoid doing before you arrive at the airport or board your plane. Here are five of the most crucial things to avoid.

1. Last Minute Parking

 If you leave parking your car until the last minute, you jeopardize catching your flight in time. So, it is crucial you arrive with plenty of time to spare. However, it is equally important that you make a parking reservation. If you do not, you could end up being unable to find a space or taking a long time to locate a parking space. Again, that means you could potentially miss your flight. It is a good idea to make a reservation with an offsite parking lot. The best ones, such as offsite parking for Houston airport parking, include a shuttle service to the airport and other services like a valet service. You can usually get excellent rates by making a reservation in advance with an off-airport parking lot, so you can save on costs too.

2. Paying for Overweight Luggage

 If your luggage is found to be overweight when you check in with your flight, you will have to pay an additional fee. So, it is best to weigh your luggage before leaving home to avoid paying the cost. While airports sometimes provide free scales for weighing luggage, it will be little help unless you want to ditch something from your suitcase in order to avoid paying overweight luggage fees. Know what the luggage weight limit is in advance so you can make sure your baggage remains under and you do not have to pay any fees.

3. Taking Liquids with You

 Even though you know there are tight rules about carrying liquids onto a flight, it can be easy to forget, especially if you are in a rush. You should find out what the precise requirements are for carrying liquids aboard with the airline you are flying with so that you have time to pack your bags suitably before departing home. You could easily overlook things like shampoo or misunderstand the rules if you do not spend time double-checking the rules and your luggage before you pack.

4. Eating Unusual Dishes

 The last thing you want to experience on a flight is an upset stomach and lots of visits to the bathroom. So, be careful what you eat before you fly. If you know that curries go straight through your system, you should opt for a plainer meal, for instance. If you are catching a flight back home from an exotic place, it is more likely you will be tempted to eat an unusual dish before you depart. But it is always best to stick with safe food if you do not want issues like indigestion or diarrhea to spoil your journey.  

5. Not Finding Your Departure Gate Until the Last Minute

If you have a while to kill before your flight departs, you will probably take a stroll around the airport, stop for a coffee, and check out the airport stores. That is fine. But before you start wandering around, you should first find out where your flight’s departure gate is. You also need to know roughly how long it will take you to reach the gate. If it is located on the other side of the airport and it takes a long walk to get there, you do not want to leave until the last minute if you do not want to run the risk of missing your flight. Also, make sure you listen out for announcements and keep an eye on the departure board, as gates for flights can change at the last minute.