A travel expert has revealed that there are some annoying mistakes a lot of people make at boarding gates.
Of all of the many movements required to get to and then through an airport and onto a commercial jet, boarding is the final step.
Although the stress of getting to the airport on time is behind you at that point, there are still a number of things which can go wrong.
Veteran traveller Jana Frawley, who is content director at Escape, has watched many a plane passenger make mistakes as they're about to get onto a flight.
She shared the most common offences with the publication.
Not knowing where their passport is
Given how much energy people spend fretting about if they've got their passport before they head to the airport, it is surprising how often people can't locate it when they get to the boarding gate.
It is easy to forget which pocket you've stored it carefully in for safe keeping.
Jana recommends choosing an easily accessible place in your bag or clothes to put it in, and then mentally underlining where that is.
Don't be caught unsure of its location and frantically patting yourself down - choose one place and stick to it.
Not printing things out
Many countries still require Covid certificates, adding to the pile of required documents which also can include visas and plane tickets.
So you don't get tied up loading apps or fearful your phone will run out of battery, Jana advises printing out all the important documents and then storing them in a travel wallet.
Picking the wrong carry-on bag
If you've spent a significant amount of time on easyJet, Wizz Air of Ryanair flights, then you probably will have seen someone being caught out by carry-on requirements.
Sometimes boarding staff do not check if your luggage is the right size, other times they check them meticulously.
You don't want to be the person who finds out that their bag is too big and, in front of a queue of impatient fellow travellers, is made to fork out over the odds for extra allowance.
Jana empathises with people who cannot find the perfect carry-on, having spent much time struggling with ones which are too big or small, bulky or impractical.
Her solution is to create a "Russian doll-style set-up of bags".
"I start with a small crossbody bag for my phone, passport and paperwork, wallet and glasses," she explains.
"Next is a small case on wheels (mine is from one of Aldi’s epic travel sales) with an external zipped compartment for my laptop and Ziploc bag for liquids and gels under 100ml (so I can whip them out easily at security).
"Inside the case are my iPad, headphones, toiletries, jumper, etc, plus a soft, drawstring bag (this is my current one)."
When she gets on the plane she fills the drawstring bag with things she considers vital for the flight, and then puts that under her seat.
The bigger bag, with all the just-in-case items, is then put in the overhead compartment.
