It can be hard to determine how much time you should a lot for getting through the airport. You don’t want to go too early and be sitting around, but you don’t want to get there too late and possibly miss your flight. A question we get often at Self Park FLL is ‘when should I scheduled my arrival time on my airport parking reservation?’ At Self Park FLL, you should always plan to arrive 30 minutes before you want to be at the airport. But when should you get to the airport? That depends on your flight time, international or domestic travel, how often you fly, your trip companions, and if you’re checking a bag.
We mention how often you fly, because seasoned travelers are able to get through security more quickly and efficiently than travelers who don’t fly as often. Why is that? They have an airport arrival checklist. They might not have written it down or even think about it consciously anymore, but there are several things you can do before and when you’re at the airport to get through quickly. Here is our guide to an airport arrival checklist you should use the next time you fly out of Fort Lauderdale International Airport.
Check In Online
Checking in online is not just for Southwest flyers that are jockeying for better boarding positions. Checking in online does two things, both of which are invaluable. One, it confirms to the airline that you will be arriving and using your seat. The earlier you check in the better chance you have of not being bumped. Secondly, checking in early saves you time. If you’re checking bags you may be tempted to check in at the same time since you have to go to the counter anyway. You don’t want to give in to that urge. There are many self-service kiosks or checking bags and bag drop only lanes that you can only use if you’ve checked in early. These lines are generally shorter and move more quickly since the travelers ahead of you aren’t taking up time by checking in.
Check your flight status
Many travelers forget to do this one crucial step before leaving for the airport. If it’s not storming out or you’re rushing, it’s easy to overlook. At the very least, you should check once before you leave home. We find ourselves checking often so that we’re always prepared. At Self Park FLL, we have the departure flight status on display. You can also sign up for flight updates through your airline or on sites like FlightStats.com.
Pack Your Travel Documents
You should always pack your ID, a credit card, and boarding pass (or smart phone if you have a digital boarding pass) where they are easily accessible. You may need them several times before reaching your gate and it will save time to have them ready. Imagine how much time would be saved if everyone had their ID and boarding pass ready to go before they reached the front of the line at security.
Weigh Your Bags
If you think your luggage might be over the limit, weigh them. You don’t want to skip this part of your airport arrival checklist. While you can invest in a luggage scale, we’ve found using a normal scale to be just as effective. Simply weigh yourself alone and then weigh yourself while you are holding your luggage. The difference in the two results is roughly how much your bag weighs. If you get to the check in counter and your bag weighs in over the airline’s limits you’ll find yourself wasting precious time. You’ll either have to get out of line and try to repack your checked bag and hope that the other travelers will let you back in at the front or you’ll have to figure out how to pay the overweight baggage fees. If you know your luggage’s weight in advance you’ll be able to get quickly check your bag.
Know Where You’re Parking
Whether you are parking at the airport or using offsite airport parking, map out where you need to go. You’ll also want to calculate the approximate travel time depending on what time of day you’re flying. Will you hit rush hour? All of these are important to know when you’re using an airport parking solution for the first time. If you’re parking offsite, have your prepaid reservation receipt with you and check the shuttle schedule before you arrive. If you are parking at the airport, know how to find the lot you are looking for and if you will need to take a shuttle. You also want to budget enough time for finding an alternate solution if parking is sold out.
Self Park FLL is home to the best economy parking for Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Our free shuttles, fenced lot, and friendly team make us the perfect choice for your FLL airport parking reservations. Reserve our cheap airport parking now so you can park yourself and keep your keys!
