Even the most patient individual can get frustrated at the airport. Here are some tips to expedite airport procedures, including checking in and getting through security:
1. Check in online, up to 24 hours before your flight. Print out your boarding pass or transfer it to your phone, along with screenshots of your complete itinerary and all hotel/car rental confirmations.
2. Try to limit your luggage to a carry-on bag. If you need to check a suitcase, do it curbside if possible, as the lines there are usually shorter than inside the terminal.
3. Sign up for an airline credit card, which will give you preferred status for check-in or to speak with an agent.
4. Enroll in an expedited screening program such as Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Clear, which isn’t affiliated with TSA but has dedicated security lanes at a dozen U.S. airports. Although Clear’s annual fee is higher than TSA’s, users can add family members to their accounts.
5. Download the My TSA app, which details wait times at airports and may suggest screening areas that might be less crowded.
6. When faced with a line, choose to go left. Since most people are right-handed, they unconsciously select things on the right side.
