Mark Wolters has a handy tip for avoiding long queues (Image: oliver de la haye via Getty Images)
Perhaps the most infuriating part of air travel is discovering your flight has been delayed, leaving you condemned to spend the next few hours slumped in an uncomfortable plastic seat. However, American travel guru Mark Wolters has some invaluable advice that could spare holidaymakers the misery of lingering in the departure lounge.
In a recent video on his Wolters World YouTube channel, Mark offers several clever solutions for tracking down the finest restaurants and the most spotless toilets at any airport. He also recommends, in the US at least, opting for flights that depart from exclusively international terminals rather than those handling both domestic and intercontinental services.
It’s exasperating when you lose a chunk of your holiday to flight delays (Image: Jackyenjoyphotography via Getty Images)
He explains that security queues will invariably be far lengthier at dual-use terminals: “For example,” Mark says, “when I go to Chicago, I know if I’m flying out of Terminal Five, the international terminal, it’s going to be a lot faster than if I’m flying out of Terminal Two, which has a lot of domestic flights.
“It’s a good idea to look up because it could save you a time, especially if you’re running behind getting to the airport,” he advises.
Mark adds: “The airport secret I use the most when I travel is take the early morning flights if you want the least amount of headaches.” He adds that while it may mean setting your alarm at an ungodly hour, there is a compelling reason to opt for those early-morning departures: “If you take that early morning flight, usually your plane landed the night before, so you don’t have the delays,” Mark explains.
“Also, when you go to check in, there’s not 3,000 extra people there. It’s just the first people flights that are there. So, it’s usually faster to get through security, faster to check in, faster to get to your gate, that takes a lot of the stress away.”
Mark advises catching an early flight when the airport’s emptier (Image: ASphotowed via Getty Images)
Mark also points out that as the day progresses, minor delays tend to compound, making late evening flights far more susceptible to disruption: “So, you’re going to travel for holidays or anything like that, don’t take the afternoon flight.
“Get up in the morning… suck it up, take that early morning flight so you have less chance for problems.”
Another of Mark’s insider tips is to seek out the toilets closest to the baggage reclaim area, as these are likely to be the cleanest and most pleasant to use.
He explains: “Think about it. When people get off the plane, they want to go to the bathroom right away. So, those bathrooms in the terminals by the busy gates, those get used a lot more than the other ones.
“All of them get cleaned, but the ones that aren’t used as much, they tend to they tend to stay cleaner longer. At baggage claim, no one’s thinking ‘I want to go to the bathroom’. They’re thinking, I want my luggage and I want to go home.’ So that would be a cleaner one to use.”
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