As many of us know, traveling by plane is convenient but requires considerable organization: you must always move in time and not arrive at the last minute with your luggage still to be prepared.
Arriving in time at the airport is crucial if you want to get on your flight and those who travel by plane must bear in mind an important concept: boarding and departure times are not the same, and that the boarding gate is usually closed fifteen minutes before take-off. From that moment on, no passengers will be able to board on the plane anymore.
When should you arrive at the airport?
Generally, the suggestion is to reach the airport at least two hours before departure. It is better to spend a little more time on the spot, perhaps reading a book or having a coffee at the bar, rather than running the risk of missing the plane. For this reason, it is important to understand in advance how to get to the airport, whether to use public transport or a shuttle service like our.
Before boarding, you must check-in at the airport or check-in online: once you have passed all the checks, you can relax in view of the flight. As common sense may advise, it is necessary to anticipate the arrival at the airport if you travel with a group, if the flight is gonna be crowded and if the trip takes place during high season. In other words, a number of factors must be considered to avoid problems between you and your airplane.
Checking-in at the airport: how it works
Speaking of what to do at the airport, check-in was mentioned. This is a check that concerns both the traveler and his baggage: the employees will examine the identity card or passport, the air ticket, the measurements and the weight of the hold suitcases and hand luggage. If everything is in order, at the end of the operation you will receive your boarding pass, with which you can access the next step, meaning personal checks.
Check-in at the airport, as you can imagine, requires long lines and takes a long time: this is the reason why you have to go to the airport a couple of hours before departure. There is, however, the possibility of doing your check-in online , which can be done comfortably from home via the website of the airline with which you travel. Just enter your personal data and you will print your boarding pass, in a simple process that however varies according to the company.
Security checks and documents at the airport
At this point it should be noted that, for each airline, there are certain rules regarding hand and hold baggage.
The talk about what you can take on an airplane is very vast: hold baggage is subject to fewer restrictions than hand luggage, but blunt objects, firearms and toy weapons, fireworks are absolutely prohibited and in general anything that can be or appear dangerous.
Flight controls are very strict and allow passengers to travel in total safety. Among other things, attention must be paid to the weight of checked baggage: once again it is important to inquire about the individual company. Flight control also affects documents.
Those accepted for traveling in Europe are the identity card valid for expatriation or alternatively a passport; if you stay in Italy you can also show a different document, such as a driving license or a boat license, a firearm license or a pension booklet, while a passport is required for countries that are not part of the Schengen area. In some cases, a special visa is required, such as ETA for Canada and US.
These rules apply generally to all airlines, but the advice is always the same: it is better to inquire, for safety, on the rules of the specific airline chosen for the flight.
Even children must have special documents with them. If you travel with a newborn baby but you remain within the Italian peninsula, the identity card of the children will be sufficient (it can be requested from your municipality of residence); if, on the other hand, you move to Europe, you must add the pass for expatriation.
Finally, for travel outside the European continent, the documents for infants on the plane include the compulsory passport, to be obtained at the police headquarters.
