Top Airport Travel Tips From Travel Expert Samantha Brown
By NICOLE CORD-CRUZ
Host of "Places to Love," Samantha Brown, has visited 74 countries in two decades. With such extensive travel experience, she has many tips, including navigating airports.
Brown suggests planning your airport arrival time based on your boarding (not take-off) time and opting for the curbside bag check-in when available to dodge long queues.
The travel guru advises that if you have an option, fly out of airports with better reviews to increase your chances of avoiding hassles.
As a mother of twins, Brown has learned that having children board ahead of everyone else can make them feel more anxious and jittery than they already are.
You can make it less stressful for the whole family by having one of the adults install car seats and store baggage on the plane first instead of pre-boarding together.
It helps if your children are familiar with planes so they stay calm on the day of your flight. Show them books or online videos to avoid potential intimidation.
Brown says it's good to learn the layout and amenities of the airport by either walking through and observing before your departure or checking the airport website.
Knowing which shops and amenities you would like to visit or how long it takes to get from the gate to the exit could make a difference when you return.