Travelling on a plane can be exciting but can also be stressful. We cannot avoid stress from packing up to waiting in airline counters and immigration. We have to be relax and keep calm. Here are the ways to lessen our stress to prepare for our flight journey:

#1 Review your checklist

This immortal tip will remind you to look and check if you have leave your itinerary to your loved ones at home and if you are done preparing your papers and documents for the trip. Check the dates and times again so you will be prepared to plan your before flight activities.

#2 Pack your bags and check the weight

Pack your things according to your itinerary and don’t forget to bring the basic things for travel such as hygiene kit, first aid kit, clothes for the weather, etc. Check through your weighing or bathroom scale if your checked-in and carry-on bag are within your baggage allowance weight. You don’t want to rummage your stuff on your day of the flight itself are you? It will add more stress if you will do that.

#3 Reserve a parking slot

Especially during on-peak season, you have to research and call for car parks near the airport. Also, if no available car park slots for your travel day, just look for the nearest available and know if you can get a taxi going to the airport.

#4 Check with the airport again if flight’s resumed

Check at least an hour or less before you leave your house if you flight’s still resumed. Doing this will avoid yourself being surprised that there are technical problems or uncontrollable circumstances that make your flight become cancelled. You will be experiencing more stress because you wasted your time, effort and money on going to the airport.

#5 Make sure your house is secured

If there’s no one left inside your house, close the gas and windows. Unplug you appliances and close the main electric switch of your whole house. Lock the doors. Don’t post status updates that you will be going outside. Thieves will make this opportunity to break in if you will post your updates.

#6 Take advantage of online pre-check in

If you will just bring a carry-on bag and no checked-in bag, this tip is perfect for you. Many airlines offer pre-check in right at your home 24 hours until 4 hours before your flight. Take advantage of this and print your boarding passes. This will save you time and stress of going to the long lines waiting in airline check-in counters.

#7 Have a small bag organizer and put this on your carry-on bag

Invest on a small organizer so you can look for passport, boarding pass and important stuff easily and without making other things fall off your bag.

#8 Estimate your travel time to the airport

If you know the duration of your travel from your house to the airport because you have welcomed your arriving relatives before, add an hour or two on top of your normal travel time so you will have more time to check for things, go through a long traffic with less stress, park your car, bringing out your luggage and waiting in lines.

You should arrive at the airport 2 to 3 hours before your flight to prepare your documents and be able to catch up with your flight in case there are unexpected problems or interruptions.

#9 Check your bags before check-in and don’t leave your things unattended

It will be the worst day of your life if you the airport x-ray have detected illegal substances in your bag that you did not bring at all. You will scream your lungs out if you find out that you have lost your wallet or purse together with your travel documents.

Don’t let these things happen to you. Secure your bags and bring a shoulder or body bag instead of a purse. Don’t put your wallets in your pockets. After checking your bags, make sure to lock these or better cover these so no one will be able to put things inside.

Enjoy your trip and don’t be stressed. Stress will result to more diseases. Plan and organize so you will be prepared for your flight without being paranoid. Make your travel a stress-free vacation.