Airport for beginners. A guide for those flying by plane for the first time

Finally, you’ve waited for your vacation and are flying off to relax. But this will be your first time flying by plane… And a million questions arise: what to do at the airport? Where to go? How not to miss your flight? We decided to create a small FAQ on terms and procedures that will help beginners feel a little more confident at the airport.

The order may vary slightly, as each airport has its own sequence for security checks and registration.

Upon arriving at the airport, first and foremost, you need to go through flight check-in (Eng. check-in). Above the check-in counter, look for the board with the airline logo, flight number, and arrival city.

This information is duplicated on the information board, which also indicates the counter numbers where check-in for your flight is taking place.

Check-in begins 2 hours before departure and ends 30–40 minutes before departure.

During check-in, you must present your passport and airline ticket. If you have an e-ticket, present only your passport. You must place your luggage on the conveyor belt, where it will be weighed, tagged (so that handlers know which plane to put it on and you can find it later), and sent to the handlers. You will also be asked to check your hand luggage (items you want to take with you into the aircraft cabin); a tag can also be placed on it.

As a rule, hand luggage weight should not exceed 7–10 kg. Additionally, there are new requirements for bag dimensions, which you can check with the airline.

After check-in, you will be issued a boarding pass and baggage tags (stickers placed on your passport or boarding pass, which will help you find your suitcase upon arrival).

You can check in not only at the airport but also at home. Some airlines offer online flight check-in. You can check in this way using a laptop, tablet, or even a phone. You can read more about mobile check-in in the post “Mobile Check-in”. After this, the boarding pass is printed on a regular printer, and luggage is placed at the Drop Off counter. The boarding pass will indicate the boarding method and your seat in the cabin. During check-in, you can ask the airline representative to seat you in a convenient spot, for example, by the window or near the emergency exit. The gate is the boarding exit to your plane.

Then, following the signs, you will need to proceed for pre-flight security screening. You will be asked to go through the scanner and will be checked for prohibited items. And border control representatives will check your passport and visa if necessary.

Please note that during the security check, when asked by security personnel about items and substances you possess, you should not make jokes, such as “it’s a bomb,” “it’s drugs,” etc. Such responses are considered a passenger’s statement about possessing dangerous substances and items and may lead to removal from the flight, further investigation, and serious legal consequences.

On international flights, all passengers must go through customs control before check-in. During this process, you will see two corridors: red and green. They are marked with inscriptions: “Nothing to declare” for the green corridor and “Goods to declare” for the red corridor. The green corridor is intended for passengers who are not carrying goods subject to mandatory written declaration.

The red one is for passengers carrying goods subject to mandatory written declaration, i.e., goods that are subject to customs duty, have value and quantity restrictions, etc.

After completing these formalities, you will enter the waiting lounge, where cafes and duty-free (Eng. Duty Free) shops are located.

When boarding for your flight is announced (Eng. boarding), return to your gate and present your boarding pass and passport (it is not always required) to the airline representative. The boarding pass has a detachable stub on the right, which duplicates the main information. The airline representative will tear it off and give it to you. Keep the stub until you collect your luggage upon arrival. Boarding is announced several times over the loudspeaker; the same information is duplicated on the information board and above the gate itself.

If you get lost, approach any airport employee, and they will help you find the correct gate.

You will be boarded onto a bus that will take all passengers to the aircraft stairs. In large airports, there are jet bridges, through which you can go directly from the terminal to the aircraft.

What happens on board the plane is no less interesting, so we advise you to read our article “Why and What on Board the Plane”. It will answer most of your questions, such as why your ears pop during takeoff and landing, why you need to turn off mobile phones, and much more. Upon arrival, you will again be taken by bus or jet bridge to the airport’s arrival hall, where you will go through passport and customs control and collect your luggage.

If you have a connecting flight, read our article “Airport Layover”. In it, we answer the most popular questions about layovers. Buy cheap airline tickets on kupi.com!