Experience 035. Beating the queue. Lining up strategies at the airport. The Seat 1A Podcast.

The Seat 1A Podcast

In this experience we look at the different queues and lineups that one experiences when at an airport and how to make the best of them.

In this era of COVID-19, people have settled into a new normal of queuing up. It goes hand-in-hand with the airline and airport experience. Please note that we will be putting this in the context of how things were, and it will be years before the airport returns to how it was.

When you arrive at the airport, are you able to go directly into the terminal, or is there curbside security for passengers? Who are the masses of people? Are they actually the passenger, or are they just well wishers?

Once you're inside the airport, we approach the check-in counter. This experience has changed a lot over the last ten to fifteen years. Have you checked in online? Are you just dropping a bag? Are you going to a self-serve kiosk (and waiting to see if it will actually work?) Or are you going to the regular check-in line? Who is going to serve you? What if you need to queue up to change your ticket? And are you within the cut-off times for baggage drop-off? If you're with a group, are you all co-ordinated? If you have a cart, take it with you after checking in!

Security and immigration – are there fast-track options available to you as a passenger? Don't forget that the fast-tracking starts when you check-in online. Is there a faster moving security checkpoint? Who's ahead of you in the queue? Why do security lines move so slowly in the US? Do you need to line up for an immigration exit queue?

Now on to boarding – what's the system your airline is using and what's the best way to board with that system? On the plane – we'll have a future experience for onboard etiquette.

You land, immigration, customs, and baggage claim at a new airport awaits you. How long should you expect to wait for immigration at some airports? Is there an arrival fast-track? Sometimes business arrival lines could be much busier than economy. How much time is the airline giving you to get processed? Are you collecting a bag, is there a tight connection? What about if you have to take an airport bus?

News Items:

• flyertalk article "WestJet Utilizes Very Canadian Solution for Weather Issues".
• skift.com article "Southwest Airlines CEO Expects ‘Brutal Low-Fare’ Competition".

If you have a story about queuing at the airport, stories of your lining up and waiting for your flight, a question, or other experience that you would like to share, please email us at stories(at)seat1a.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Patreon. Show notes are available online at http://podcast.seat1a.org/