Right now, getting back into full-swing travel mode might not be the top priority for everybody. But at some point things will return to normal (or at least close to normal) and at that time you might want to think about upgrading your airport experience.
There are a handful of different ways that you can drastically improve the quality of your airport experience and I'll give you five tips for doing it, so you'll be ready when it's time to start heading back to the terminals.
Airport lounge access
Let's be honest, gate areas just aren't fun places to hang out. They're usually overcrowded, seats are limited, and there's always that one person going back and forth with the gate agent for 20 minutes (that you pretend you're not listening to).
But there is a much better way to wait around for your flights and it's by utilizing airport lounges.
In many airport lounges, you'll find a nice quiet and comfy place to relax and be productive. Complimentary alcohol and food is usually offered and sometimes you can shower up or even find a nap room to relax in. If you're really lucky you might even come across a spa.
Getting access to airport lounges is probably much easier (and cheaper) than you think. You don't have to be flying first class, be a Fortune 500 CEO, or be familiarized with the nuances between hors d'oeuvres and canapé.
You can just have the right credit card. Many credit cards offer Priority Pass Select memberships which get you access to over 1,200 lounges around the globe.
And before you ask, no, you don't even have to always pay a high annual fee of $500+ to get those memberships. Cards like the American Express Hilton Surpass offer 10 annual Priority Pass lounge visits that are perfect for people who don't need unlimited visits and don't want to cough up a high annual fee.
TSA Pre-Check
Getting through airport security can be frustrating and time consuming -- not to mention anxiety inducing for some.
But it doesn't always have to be that way.
TSA Pre-Check allows you to bypass the main airport security line and go through an expedited line that does not treat you like a prisoner.
You don't have to take your shoes off, pull out your liquids, electronics, etc. You also can avoid those invasive full body scanners that just feel so violating.
It's a pretty amazing feeling to bypass a long and winding airport security line and instead breeze through a short TSA Pre-Check line.
All you have to do to get TSA Pre-Check is pay the $85 fee and pass a background check. Many credit cards will provide credits that offset this fee but you might want to hold off and use those cards for Global Entry which I'll talk about below.
CLEAR
If you want to take your airport convenience game to the next level, CLEAR is a must.
CLEAR uses biometrics such as your fingerprints or iris image and allows you to jump to the front of the security screening line as CLEAR provides their own little VIP-like line to wait in that is usually empty or at least very short.
If you also have TSA Pre-Check, then you get to jump to the front of that line which means your waiting experience for airport security could completely be a thing of the past.
Not every airport offers CLEAR and it is pretty expensive at $180 per year. But when you sign up you can often find a promotion and if you are a frequent traveler, then CLEAR can save you a lot of time and be a no-brainer.
Global Entry
When you arrive back into the US during a high traffic time, you could be waiting in excruciatingly long lines of over an hour and a half just to get through immigration.
Don't believe me? Just check the waiting times that U.S. Customs & Border Protection releases.
Luckily, you can avoid these situations with something called Global Entry. Global Entry provides you expedited entry back into the country through immigration and customs.
When you arrive back in the country, you simply walk up to a kiosk, follow a few on-screen steps like scanning your fingerprints and verifying your travel details, and you'll be issued an instant receipt that allows you to fly right through customs.
Global Entry has saved me countless hours of waiting time and is definitely worth the $100 fee which is good for a total of five years.
But again, you can find credit cards that offer credits to completely offset this fee (I've actually never had to pay a Global Entry fee out of pocket).
If you get approved for Global Entry, you'll also get TSA Pre-Check included in that membership so that's why a lot of people like to go for Global Entry instead.
The biggest hurdle with Global Entry is that the interview process is a bigger time commitment because scheduling is often more difficult and the background check is more extensive. If you have anything but a spotless criminal record, you may struggle to get approved for Global Entry.
But if you can get over those two things then I think Global Entry is the way to go.
Mobile Passport Control
If you don't want to bother with the interview process of Global Entry or perhaps you run into issues getting approved, Mobile Passport Control is a free app that helps you to bypass the main processing line when getting back through immigration.
Available to U.S. citizens and Canadian visitors, it's extremely easy to sign up for and to use and it's a solid alternative for Global Entry. There's no interview, no pre-approvals, etc. You simply download the app and register.
If you are traveling in a group with friends or family who don't have Global Entry, Mobile Passport Control is also a great way to get priority access for everybody on your itinerary. It's currently accepted at 27 U.S. international airports and four sea ports of entry.
There is a premium version of the Mobile Passport Control app that offers enhanced features like storing your passport information and automated data entry, but if you don't do a ton of flying you don't really need those features.
If you take advantage of some of these tips above, your airport experience will be much less stressful and you'll regain a lot of your time and sanity back as you return to travel in the hopefully not-so-distant future.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
