Obviously, everyone knows that there is this annoying yet important element of the security check every time before you can enter a plane. This requires you to be at the airport early, so that mostly there is some time left with sitting and waiting for your flight to depart. And especially for these situations, but also the hours you spend on the aeroplane itself, there are some things that can make life a lot easier.
Lots of bloggers and magazines actually recommend always being 3 or even 4 hours early at the airport. Well, I would actually change that a little.
There are situations when this is really helpful, and even necessary, like when you are flying from an airport that you have never been to before, flying from a country where you don`t speak the language so that orientating takes a little longer and if you are not sure whether whatever is bringing you to the airport (train, bus,..) will arrive on time so that you need to plan with a buffer.
However, on most flights I do from my home country I can make sure I am 2 hours in advance or even a bit less (shortest so far was 1 hour, which made me get a little scared actually). This is espacially on city trips where I travel with hand luggage only. Also, I would say of myself that I am a relatively fast walker and thus (at least when I am alone) get around the airport really quickly. And I also don`t mind doing things without a break, lots of time to eat or anything else.
Simply think how you like to have it: Rather a bit more relaxed and a bit of waiting instead of having to rush. Or maybe are you rather the one who always is on track, almost jogging and tries to avoid waiting as much as possible.
Now let´s start before the security check: When coming to this area, you already see hundreds of signs showing you what you need to take out of your hand luggage and which things you might have to take off. My advice: simply do a little more than required. If you are unsure whether to take off your belt or take out that power bank, simply do it. It`s much more time saving and easier for everyone if nothing beeps and you can simply repack it at the end of the security check. In most airports there are designated areas with tables and sometimes even chairs where you can take all your belongings and get them repacked properly without any stress. Believe me, it is a much bigger hustle if there is something in your bag that shouldn`t be in there and it has to be double checked by a member of the security team.
Also, as bringing liquids bigger than 100ml is not allowed, you will have to empty your water bottle before ging through security. But it`s best not to simply throw it away. Keep the empty bottle in your bag. It is allowed to bring them, as long as they are completely emptied and this will clearly help you. First, you are saving the environment which is a great thing in general, but you also save money which is good for you. By simply refiling your water bottle either at a sink on the toilet or at a special refilling station you have water for free for your flight instead of having to pay these rediculously high airport prices.
Also, bring food! You are allowed to bring (pretty much) any kind of food through security. So, my advice: do so. You will see that it is much cheaper than buying something. And the food on the airplane is mostly not very fresh and if you actually get anything included in your ticket price, you can`t really choose from a lot. Making sure you have your favourite snacks with you makes a flight much more comfortable.
When repacking after security, make sure you pack clever: put the things you want with you on the plane at the top, you can easily access them. Think of your phone, a water bottle and the book you want to read. Also don`t hide your passport too deep in the bag, as you will probably need it for a ticket check when entering the plane. If you travel with a small suitcase and an additional bag as your hand luggage, sometimes your suitcase has to be put on hold luggage as there is not too much space in the plane which can cause problems when it is fully booked. So, it is better to already make sure your important things are in the smaller bag that you will definitely be allowed to keep.
Something you can already think about at home is what you are wearing. I`d always recommend going for layers. Best is probably to wear a t-shirt, bring a jumper to put on top and then have a coat and if you are going to/coming from a cold place or if you have a long overnight flight, bring an additional scarf that doubles as a blanket. Definitely make sure the things are comfortable: not too tight, without annoying buttons or zippers and don`t crinkle easily = still look okay after a long flight.
For shorter flights where you want to start off right after your landing, obviously you can and should wear jeans/business clothing. An additional point is to always pack one set of clothes into your hand luggage, in case your check in suitcase should get lost.
When it comes to boarding, you know that you have your seat already. So technically there is not a single reason to rush into this narrow space, but still people always run to be the first ones for boarding. Instead I would recommend staying seated in the waiting area in front of the gate until there are only a few people left to enter the plane. You can pack your things totally relaxed and go to the toilet one last time when they announce boarding to start.
This actually is one very handy thing as well: going to the toilet right before entering the plane makes sure you don`t feel uncomfortable during the departure as you need the toilet already. On short flights it might even ensure that you can completely avoid these uncomfortably narrow and a little unhygienic restrooms.
Once you are on the plane, wait with taking a lot of things out of your bag until you are sure you don`t have to get up again, so until the people sitting next to you have seated as well. In case you sit at the window or everyone else sits already, start taking your things out and store your bag under the seat. Organise your belongings in your pockets or the seat pocket, but make sure you don`t forget anything in there when leaving the plane. Then immediately put on your seat belt, so you have this done, and turn on flight mode on your mobile phone.