At the Airport: Where Should You Go First?
If you have flown a few times, you know how things work. But the first few times often come with many questions and uncertainties. To counter this, we have created a detailed step-by-step plan to help you travel safely and confidently.
From check-in to boarding, we explain what goes where, how it works, and what you should pay special attention to.
What You Can Take Care of in Advance
To ensure you arrive at your destination stress-free, we recommend informing yourself about the following points in advance:
- Find out about the peak times at the departure airport. You can read exactly how this works in the blog post here.
- Check which terminal you need to go to. Especially at very large airports, the way to the terminal can sometimes be quite long.
The Process at the Airport - 4 Stations
Check-In
To check in for your flight and drop off your luggage, you need to go to a check-in counter. Which counter is responsible for your flight can be found on a large display board in the departure hall. At the counter, you will receive your boarding pass and hand over your suitcase.
At larger airports, there is the alternative of a check-in kiosk. Here you check in yourself. Usually, you need your ID card/passport and your flight booking number. You can also drop off your suitcase here.
You also have the option to check in online a few days before departure. You will then receive an e-ticket, which you can either show on your smartphone or print out. If you are travelling with hand luggage only, this is a very time-saving alternative to the traditional check-in. If you want to travel with a larger suitcase, you must drop off your luggage at the counter.
Passport Control
Before the well-known security check, there is usually a passport control. Here, the data on your boarding pass is compared with your passport and checked to see if (if necessary) all important entry documents are present.
Security Check
You can find out what can you take in your hand luggage for your flight here. The security check mainly serves to verify whether you are carrying any prohibited substances or items. Your hand luggage and separately your electronic devices and liquids go through an X-ray machine. You can read what you are allowed to carry in your hand luggage here.
After the security check, you enter an area with various options to eat and drink. You can also take a little shopping tour in the duty-free shop.
Then proceed to your gate. The number is noted on your boarding pass.
Boarding
Be sure to be punctual and not just arrive at the gate at departure time. How to do this calmly can be read here. The time when boarding begins is also noted on your flight ticket. Here you show your pass and passport once again, and then off you go!
Have a good flight!