Your Guide to Reducing Airport Stress: 4 Key Strategies

Whether you are looking to support a family member with fear of flying during your next family vacation or searching for tips to better manage a long-haul flight, understanding that airport anxiety can be a real issue and taking steps to reduce it can make all the difference in your experience. 

Managing airport anxiety can help you better enjoy the start of your holiday, reduce stress, and allow you to make the most of this first step of your journey. Be it a short city getaway or an adventure abroad, this guide can offer you the tips you need to reduce anxiety and make the most of your next visit to an airport. Let’s dive in. 

Secure Parking in Advance

The last thing you’ll want when you are on vacation or during your business trip is to worry about your car parked at the airport for days. On the other hand, traveling to an airport without a private vehicle can be stressful and add hours to the journey! Fortunately, there’s an easy solution! Platforms like Parking Up allow you to reserve your airport parking ahead of time, choose secure solutions, and access the best deals. This can help you avoid last-minute stress and save time upon arrival!

Check Documents and Luggage Requirements

Some aspects of visiting an airport, such as the duty-free section, can certainly be fun. However, some other factors, such as meeting documents and luggage requirements can be more cumbersome. Some steps you can take to be better prepared include:

• Double-check passport/ID expiration dates
• Print boarding passes or save them digitally
• Know your airline’s baggage policies and weight limits
• Have visas and any required travel forms ready
• Label your luggage clearly

Manage Fear of Flying and Pre-Flight Anxiety

If you are battling fear of flying, you are not alone! Estimates show that this problem affects over 25 million adults in the US alone. Fortunately, some strategies can help you get to grips with this fear, reducing anxiety and stress. These include: 

• Learn about aviation safety by taking a course in advance. This can help you overcome the fear of issues like turbulence as you’ll better understand what causes it.
• Practice meditation or deep breathing
• Use visualization techniques
• Listen to calming music or podcasts
• Distract yourself with books, puzzles, or movies
• Talk openly to travel companions or crew about your fears
• Bring comfort items (neck pillow, blanket)
• Avoid caffeine before your flight
• Consider professional help or therapy if fears are overwhelming

Arrive Early

Last but not least, be sure to arrive early! This can seem like an obvious suggestion, but it can make all the difference! When you arrive early, you have plenty of time to get organized, calm down, adjust to the different environment, and board the plane with a clear mind, no stress!

Ideally, you’ll want to stick to the recommendations: aim to be at the airport 2 hours early for domestic flights and 3 hours for international. However, be sure to give yourself plenty of time for check-in, security, and unexpected delays, which can happen even to the most well-prepared traveller.