A FREQUENT flyer has revealed the two pre-airport checks he always makes to avoid travel delays.
R. Carter Langston has spent more time than most in airports and has picked up valuable tips to ensure the experience runs as smoothly as possible.
Sharing his helpful hacks with thrillist he first explained how timing is key for a pleasant airport experience.
He advised travellers to avoid going to the airport early in the morning or late in the afternoon as they’re the busiest times.
“Airports experience high traffic periods, just like roads,” Langston explained.
He added: “So, if you’re flying early in the morning or late in the afternoon, think 4 pm to 6 pm, expect it to be a bit busier.”
The seasoned travellers next tip is to pack an empty bag to ensure there’s no unintentional prohibited item which has snuck its way in.
This will ensure you breeze through security and can spend ample time browsing duty-free.
It comes as experts have revealed why being a dreaded “gate lice” can actually delay your plane.
Airline workers use the term “gate lice” to refers to those passengers who start queuing at the gate way too early.
Urban dictionary gives the definition as: “Passengers, often inexperienced flyers in [economy] class, who crowd around or line up at a gate at an airport completely blocking the boarding area and preventing first and business class passengers from being able to get on the plane when they’re allowed to.
“They can also cause delays and confusion if a passenger in a wheelchair needs to board as the chair has to plough through the mass of gate lice hovering around the gate.
“When it’s time to board, they have to be shooed from the front boarding area to the back of the line, delaying the flight for everyone.”
Gate lice are those people who queue up when there is no need to.
They are eager to spend their spare time waiting in line.
Drake Castaneda, a corporate communications manager at Delta Air Lines and former gate agent, told The Washington Post: “If you’re at the airport, you’re ready to get where you’re trying to go, so you’re just antsy and anticipating the travel experience.
“For me, even as a traveller, if I know I’m going to be sitting on a plane, especially for longer flights, I like standing.”
Shira Gabriel, a psychology professor at the University of Buffalo, told the paper: “People will do any weird thing if they think that’s the way to behave.
