Don't miss your plane

Ever been stuck in traffic, delayed in reaching your destination or transfer? This is probably one of the worst things that can happen when you have a train or flight to catch. Remember: the cliché “I’ve got a train to catch”? Well, trains, buses, planes, and in fact most forms of public transport, wait for no-one. If you’re late, you’ve missed it.

This can cause much frustration when looking forward to your much deserved break. Nothing is worse than being delayed and not being able to do a thing about it.

Most airports demand that you check-in at least an hour before the flight departure. Some specify two hours. With this in mind, you would be doing yourself a big favour by planning this into your travel plan. Bear in mind that delays can occur anywhere from your front door to the intended destination.

On the day of travel all your checklists should be satisfied and complete. However, your travel checklist will not be complete until you actually arrive at your destination. The best way to account for travelling time is to do a little research before making the journey. Work back from any departure time and give yourself roughly 25% of the overall journey’s travelling time as a ‘buffer’, should the inevitable happen. This should be enough time to deal with any unforeseen delays and, if necessary, arrange alternative transport.

Although you may be getting off a train at the designated airport’s rail-link terminal, ensure that enough time is allocated to get from the train terminal to the check-in. Bear in mind that you won’t be the only person making the transition from train to airport and large volumes of people moving around at the same time is highly likely.

When travelling to your destination, take note of any possible delays which could occur on your return journey and factor them into your plan for the journey home.

A more favoured approach of travelling to the airport is by car. The great thing about using the car is that you can transport your luggage and also drive directly to the airport. Although delays are ever prevalent on the roads today, at least you will have some control over your journey. Once again, ensure you set enough time aside to get to your destination in plenty of time.

Most airports have their own parking facilities. However, like the flights themselves, airport parking is available on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis. Airport parking can often be oversubscribed, so book as early as you can. Basically, book your airport parking at the same time as (if not before) your flight tickets. The advantage of using the respective airport’s car parking facilities is that you are almost there. Short of the transfer to the airport terminal, the most likely sources of delay would have been averted.

All of the larger airports offer this facility. A number of companies usually sell parking spaces on behalf of the airport so it wouldn’t hurt to shop around. You may even find that staying in a nearby hotel and using their parking facilities is cheaper than leaving your car in the airport car park. Explore as many of the possibilities available to you as possible and you could well save some money - making travelling a more pleasurable experience.

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