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Don’t be rushed
One simple thing you can do to relieve stress is pack early, not right before you leave for the airport. This way you will have time to remember those things you may have forgotten, and you will feel less hurried before you even reach the airport, said Neil Stelling, a marketing manager of DigiLectual Incorporated, a research company.
Leave for the airport early enough to not speed or run to make your flight. Arrive at least an hour earlier than your flight departure time for domestic flights and two hours early for international flights, according to www.independenttraveler.com.
Get through airport security
Marisol Boatwright, an independent travel agent, suggests some ways to cut the time in line:
Avoid setting off the metal detector by placing all metal objects (even belts and jewelry) in the bins before walking through. Also put mobile phones, keys, loose change and PDAs in your carry-on baggage before you reach the screening checkpoint.
Keep your airline boarding pass and passport or license handy until you are all the way through the security checkpoint.
Be careful
At the security checkpoint you will be required to take your laptops and video cameras out of their cases for inspection. It is a good idea to tape a business card on the bottom of your laptop or video camera to make sure it gets back to you, said Jed Clark, a travel writer from San Francisco.
Luggage can get lost or stolen and some valuables like laptops and film can be ruined by the checked-luggage scanners.
Don’t bring weapons or items that can be used as weapons, like scissors or lighters, on the plane. Pack these items in your checked luggage.
Don’t feel anxiety
Statistics show it is actually safer to fly than drive. There is a 52.6 million to 1 chance of dying in an airplane accident, compared to a 7.6 million to 1 chance of dying in a car accident, according to www.planecrashinfo.com.
If you do feel anxiety, drink lots of water so you don’t become dehydrated and if necessary, take a motion sickness drug before you get on the plane.
