Missing your flight can be one of the most frustrating, disheartening and expensive things to occur when travelling. Whether you are 2 minutes, 20 minutes or an hour late the airline personnel are very strict with check-in deadlines and it’s highly unlikely that they will let you through. 

Here are six sensational tips to ensure that you never miss your flight again!

Tip 1: Be certain of your flights departure time

When you book your flight, even if you book months ahead, check and double check your departure time. Being consciously aware of your departure time will mean that you are organised and aware of when you need to check in.

If you are flying domestically, it’s always a good idea to opt for online check-in. This will mean that you simply need to go straight to security when you arrive at the airport.

Always read the fine print of what the cut off time is for checking in. Make sure you arrive 20 to 30 minute prior to this time to ensure you can get to the front of the long check-in line in time to catch your flight.  

Tip 2: Pack and prepare the night before.

To avoid aimlessly wandering around the house making sure you’ve remembered everything pack and prepare hours or days before your actual flight. This will mean you simply have to pick up your luggage and go to the airport. So many people miss their flights purely because they are fixing up that ‘one more thing’ before they leave their house.

Tip 3: Pre book your taxi

Don’t rely on a taxi service to be on time. Make sure you pre-book them and confirm your booking half hour before pick-up. One of the worst things is be late for a flight purely because you’re waiting on a late taxi driver to pick you up.

Tip 4: Allow time for traffic

In peak hour traffic you can expect to add an hour or more on to your normal trip arrival time. Traffic can often be extremely congested around the airport and it can take a considerable amount of time to get from the airport entrance to the drop off zone.

Think ahead and expect the worse. Will the traffic be busy? What happens if there is an accident? Will public transport get me there in time?

Tip 5: Make sure you’re prepared to walk through the security gate.

Don’t cover yourself in bling and leave five bottles of aerosol deodorant in your carry-on luggage. These issues will only lengthen the time you spend going through security. As you walk to the security gate remove your belt, jewellery and take your laptop out of the case in preparation to walk straight through the security gates. If travelling abroad, call your airline prior to your arrival to ensure you are familiar with limitations for carryon luggage and baggage weights.

Tip 6: Just because you’ve got your ticket and made your way through security doesn’t mean you can relax and take your time.

Being aware of the time is essential. Check-in and security can take quite a lot of time when there is a large amount of people trying to do the same thing as you. Often people will miss their flights because they simply relax once they are through security. They go and get a coffee and a snack, purchase a magazine and do a little last minute shopping. Before they know it their flights’ last call has been voiced over the loud speaker and Oops! You’ve missed your flight.

Being in the travel industry for quite a long time has allowed 1Cover to hear nearly 100 different scenarios about why customers have missed their flights. The best thing you can do is follow these six step and get yourself on your plane in time.