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Understanding Airport Etiquette

Etiquette

There are unspoken rules about airport and airplane etiquette. It all starts from the ticket counter. Firstly, we should make sure that we have all of our ticket information as well as identification. This will speed up the process and the line will move faster. If possible, we should weigh our bag before we go to the airport. This will make sure that we won’t be surprised by extra charges and there won’t be unnecessary holdup as we need to pay additional charges. There’s a strict 25kg or 50lbs weight limit, depending on the country. If we need to leave some souvenir and clothes behind in the hotel room, it may be necessary, because the charges can be excessively expensive.

We may need to pay the $25 fee, even if we only 4lbs or 2kg over. We can’t argue, it’s the rule and that’s their job. It would save everybody’s time for us to just pay the fee and move on. It’s also unacceptable to leave some items in the airport and we can be fined for that. After we have completed all the processes in the ticket counter, we will need to enter the security gate. We should also plan in advance and it is important to strip down any unnecessary metal objects from our body. We should wear shirts with plastic buttons and it is a good idea to put metal belt into the luggage, instead of wearing it.

It is also a good idea to take off cheap jewelleries and put it into the luggage. Laptop should also be easily accessible, because it needs to be placed in the conveyor belt. Coat and jacket must be taken off in the security gate and we should be able to do this quickly. It should be noted that people who book the flight at last minute are more likely to be subjected for additional security search. Our body will be examined more closely and our luggage will need to be opened. In this case, we should be prepared for the extra treatment and it doesn’t help anyone if we complain loudly.

As a matter of fact, we should be particularly prepared when the staff in the ticket counter writes a letter or other symbols on our ticket. This could indicate that we have been pre-selected for more through scrutiny. If we are unlucky enough to be chosen, we should follow all the procedures. Any attempt to resist can be considered as an offense and cause us to be examined even more carefully. In some cases, it is even possible for us to miss the flight, because the airport authority considers us as a risk. We will look like an idiot if we deliberately make a scene in the security gate.

Every so often, we get examined more thoroughly if we travel often. It could be random examinations or we are considered as a risk due to specific reasons. In some cases, the extra examination is performed based on slight racial and religious prejudice. In this case, we should try to do everything properly to make sure that our trip won’t be disturbed.

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