If you’ve ever missed a flight, you know the stress that comes along with this mishap as well as the wrench it can throw into the rest of your travel plans.
Because the reasons for missing a flight can vary, it can be hard to know what you can do to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you in the future. But with the right planning and preparation, you can drastically reduce the chances of going through this experience again.
To show you how this can be done, here are three ways to ensure you never miss a flight again.
Give Yourself A Buffer Of Time
While you don’t want to be late getting to the airport, you also don’t want to show up so early that you have to hang out at your gate for hours before you can start boarding your flight. To strike the right balance, try to give yourself a small buffer of time from when you leave your house to when you will need to be at the airport in order to make it through security with enough time. The last thing you want is to be rushing to the airport, get in a car accident, and wind up missing your flight completely.
Additionally, Eric Jordan, a contributor to CNTraveler.com, recommends that you be sure to give yourself enough time to make any connections you might have. Consider things like if you’re making a domestic connection, if you’ll have to go through customs first, and how large the airport is before booking flights with tight connecting times.
Take Advantage Of TSA Pre-Check
One way you can work a little more buffer time into your airport routine, according to Trip Advisor, is to take advantage of TSA Pre-Check. With TSA Pre-Check, you can skip the traditional security line and go through an expedited security process that will get you to your gate much faster.
While you do have to pay for this service, you can save a lot of time and stress by by-passing things like taking off your shoes and getting out your electronic devices before going through security. Especially if time is tight, this can be the difference between making your flight and missing it.
Download Your Airline’s App
Knowing exactly what’s going on with your flight itinerary can have a big impact on whether or not you’re able to make it to your flight on time.
To make this as easy as possible, Jeff Haden, a contributor to Inc.com, recommends that you download the app for whatever airline you’re going to be using. Through the app, you’ll be able to do things like check into your flight, get reminders for when your flight time is and what gate you’ll be at, and be given updates in the event that your flight gets delayed or other changes take place.
If you want to be better prepared for your next flight, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you never miss a flight again.
