Over the last few years I have learned
to prepare ahead of time for international flights. I’d rather be sitting having
a glass of wine in security at a restaurant in the departure lounge than
running to beat hell so I don’t miss my flight!
I’m
heading out in a few more days for an international flight from Vancouver,
Canada to Istanbul, Turkey with a connection in Munich, Germany. I allow a half hour to 1 hour to check my
luggage and at least another 30 to 45 minutes to clear security when flying
international. I don’t carry any liquids over 100 ml. in my carry-on
luggage. Creams and toothpaste okay -
not usually considered liquids unless I am going through the US. Then they must be stored in an airline
approved plastic bag and be under the 100 ml or grams.
I also need a passport that won’t be
expiring within the next 6 months. I have a cross the body lightweight purse
where I carry my phone and my passport and other important things like driver’s
license, credit cards, money, a couple of pens for filling out passport forms,
and my check list.
A couple of important points to note….
Make sure you won't lose your pants if you take your belt off because you are
going to have to. You will be asked to remove your jacket too if you are
wearing one. Take everything out of your
pockets (wallet and coins) and remove your hat if you are wearing one. It’s a good idea to wear slip-on shoes going
through security because you will have to remove them if they have a steel
shank or if you are traveling in the USA.
Once I get through security I may have
another half hour or more getting to my next gate depending on connections and
whether both flights are from the same terminal. I prefer at least 2 hours if I’m travelling
internationally but sometimes it isn’t possible to make those arrangements
unless I’m doing an overnight stay.
I make sure my carry-on luggage is easy
to carry and store. I prefer soft sided for carry-on in case I have to squish
it under the seat or in the overhead during internal flights in a country once
I reach my main destination. I use a
piece that weighs no more than 6 lbs empty, has at least one set of wheels, can stand on its own, and piggybacks
over the handle of the checked bag for easy movement pre and post flight.
Even 10 lbs without wheels may seem
light at first but halfway through the journey it can get mighty heavy, just
lifting it in and out of the overhead!
I carry an empty water bottle to fill
after I get through security because I’ve learned from experience it gets
tossed! Most international airports have
accessible drinking water available.
Otherwise, I ask the flight attendant to fill it for me occasionally so
I keep hydrated during the flight.
Electronics
Many of the international flights
nowadays are set up so I can keep my electronics charged up while flying. I didn’t want to drag my laptop with me on
this flight so I have downloaded a program that works really well on my phone
and tablet for writing documents. Then I
can copy and paste it to my travel blog when I have wifi or send it to my drop
box to download when I get home. The
name of the app I am using is “docs” and is very user friendly.
Check List
My check list is something I began using after my first international flight. Because of the time differences, lack of sleep, etc. my brain might not be working as well as normal - that and the fact I’m getting older! It is so easy to leave something tucked in the seat pocket or have something slip out of my carry-on. There is nothing worse than finding out my wallet is missing between flights, or my headphones got left behind. (This is for you too, Paula!)
I am definitely on countdown…. Only 3
days until I fly out!
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