When you are just about to leave on a holiday of a lifetime, the last thing you want to happen is to spend a few hours milling around listlessly in an airport. It’s not the ideal start to your trip away, and it can be frustrating – especially if you have kids in tow with you.

But is there anything you can do about it? Well, there are quite a few things, to be honest. In this article, we’re going to take a look at several methods you can employ to cut down on the time you spend at the airport. And also give you a chance of avoiding those miserable moods that usually accompany it! Let’s get stuck in straight away.

Use A Smaller Airport

If you can fly from your local airport, then you can expect to be pushed through your checks much quicker than it takes from a large international-standard airport. The likes of Gatwick and Heathrow get busy because they have to usher through tens of thousands of people at any one time. Smaller airports tend to have excellent transport links, too, so you can reduce your journey time significantly.

Pack Less

Every single bag that you check in is going to eat up valuable time. Your best bet is to take hand luggage only, although this can obviously be a struggle if you are going away on a long trip. However, you can avoid those snaking queues if you can squeeze everything into a small enough bag. Some airlines also allow you to bring a laptop bag on board, free of charge. Try using that to store clothes instead, and you have another extension to your wardrobe that you didn’t even realise existed! You will also save time at the other end because you won’t have to wait for the baggage handlers to bring all of your cases out.

Check In At Home

If you don’t need to drop bags off, check in can be much easier. Do it online at home or, if you forget, use one of the many self-service machines that are dotted around most modern airports. In smaller airports that have less waiting time, you can shave an hour off the length of time you have to wait. Which isn’t bad going just for being organised!

Use A Private Jet

OK, some of you have probably just snorted out some coffee onto your screen. Of course, private jets aren’t for everyone. But if you want to avoid all those horrendous check in queues, security controls, and do the same on the other side, then there is no better way of traveling. There are plenty of companies like Stratos Private Jets that offer speedier boarding processes, and although they can be pricey, it can sometimes work out well. They are also great for those of you with younger children, as there will be more space for them to stretch their legs. And also, most importantly, they won’t annoy anyone else. Which – as any parent will tell you – can seem like it adds several hours on to any journey time.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our blog for more excellent tips on travel. Until next time!