5 things every anxious traveller does at the airport

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with travelling. We love visiting new destinations, but hate what’s involved in getting to them.

Airports, in particular, can be a hotbed of stress. There are so many processes to go through – and so much potential to get things wrong – with the overarching fear of missing your flight.

So it’s no wonder that some of us have developed very particular strategies and behaviours to cope. And while some more laidback travellers (looking at you, airport mad-dashers) might mock you for these tendencies, rest assured you’re not alone.

Here are five things that every anxious traveller does at the airport.

1. Arrive at the airport incredibly early

Your flight isn’t until midday, but you’ll be heading to the airport at 6am “just to give myself plenty of time”. You never know – there could be traffic that will turn the usual half-hour journey into a three-hour one.

Anyway, you might as well get going – you’ve been up all night, after setting alarms every hour “just to make sure I don’t sleep through”.

If it helps: The official recommendation from most airlines is that travellers should allow around three hours to check in and drop off their bags, go through security and get to their gate ahead of an international flight. Most check-in counters open three hours before a flight’s departure.

2. Have printed copies of everything

Sure, you’ve checked in online and all your bookings are on your phone, but that won’t stop you from bringing a folder full of paper. It might be old-school, but it just feels safer to have your itinerary to hand.

If it helps: Even though travelling is a mostly paperless experience these days, it still is a good idea to carry physical copies of your travel documents (and get your boarding pass printed). Phone batteries can die, airport systems can crash. Sometimes tech is not to be trusted.

3. Check you still have your passport every five minutes

You’ve put your passport in a special case in a secure compartment of your bag – but that doesn’t stop you from peeking into it every five minutes on your way to the airport, to make sure it hasn’t vanished.

Things only get more stressful when you get to the airport. There’s nothing worse than that gut-wrenching feeling when you realise the special pocket holding your passport is empty – only to look up and remember that you’ve just handed it over to the airline staff member to check you in.

If it helps: You’re right to keep a close eye on your passport – you won’t be going very far if you lose it. But not having one isn’t the only issue that can trip you up. Also be sure to check your passport’s expiry date – some countries require it to be valid for at least six months.

4. Feel irrationally guilty going through security

You’re an honest person. You’d never dream of “accidentally” selecting the less expensive apple variety when using the self-checkout machine. But whenever you go through airport security, you become convinced you’re a criminal who is about to be found out.

If it helps: Airport security can be an intimidating place, but you can lessen your chances of coming under scrutiny by ensuring you know what is and isn’t allowed (watch out for those liquid limits and loose batteries), and dressing for the occasion (nothing in your pockets, belt off).

5. Head straight to your gate to check it exists

The departures boards are all showing the same gate number for your flight that is written on your boarding pass. But you can’t relax until you’ve seen it with your own eyes.

After you’ve confirmed it exists, you might consider having a look at the duty-free shops, or grabbing a snack. But before long you’ll be right back at that gate, sitting and staring at the flight displayed to make sure it doesn’t change, in between those checks to make sure you still have your passport.

If it helps: Unexpected gate changes can happen, so it pays to keep an eye out on the departures boards. Sometimes gates can take longer to get to than you expect, so it’s also a good idea to give yourself plenty of time to get there ahead of boarding.

Are you an anxious traveller? What are some things you do at the airport?