Arriving At The Airport
Airports, especially large ones, seem very confusing for first-time visitors. Do not fear them; when you learn the routines you will find them quite comfortable. There are many activities on the airports but remember your most important goals: check in, enter the security area and boarding the plane.
Arrive in good time at the airport
Everything takes time on the airport: check-in, security control, shopping, eating, whatever. Your airline can tell you when to arrive at the airport (usually 1 hour before the plane leaves). As a first time traveler, you should arrive half an hour or an hour before the recommended "last time".
Small incidents, like not finding your terminal or looking for the right check-in counter, can steal your time. The times given by the airline are good for frequent travelers, but first time travelers might need some more time.Arrive at the right terminal
Larger airports have many terminals and quite often, the distances between the terminals are long. It is important to arrive at the right terminal. Your travel itinerary often says from what terminal your plane is departing. If you are unsure, contact the airport, your travel agency or your airline.
Have your travel documents available
You need your travel documents frequently at the airport. Important travel documents might be: passport or other identification, tickets (if you have paper tickets), boarding card (given to you at the check-in) and your travel itinerary (not important but very handy).
Navigate yourself
When you arrive in the departure area, your first mission is to find your check-in counter. Some airports have monitors showing what counter you should check-in at, while at other airports you will have to look for your airline’s sign. Almost all airports have an information desk; if you feel lost ask the clerks at the information desk. If you do not find the information desk, ask any employee you will find at the airport. It might be that the check-in for your route has not started yet if you arrive very early at the airport (as suggested above). In that case, find out when it is starting, go to the cafeteria, and take a refreshing meal or drink.
