What to do as soon as you arrive at the airport

The right terminal and luggage, in that order

Those who have already done online check-in and are traveling with only hand luggage can head straight to security checkpoints. Those who still need to check in a suitcase or complete check-in must instead locate the airline counters, usually organized by surname initial or flight number — the indication appears on the screens above the counters themselves.

Check the flight status before proceeding

A quick comparison between the departure board (or the airline app) and your boarding pass confirms that the time and gate have not changed: gate changes are communicated with varying notice and do not always reach every channel in time, so it is worth checking in person right after entering, not just the evening before from home.

Documents at hand, not at the bottom of your backpack

Passport or identity card, boarding pass and, if required, visa or health certificates should be kept in an accessible pocket: avoid having to retrieve them while the line behind you at the check-in counter or security checks starts getting impatient. Those traveling with family should also make sure each child has their own document with them, instead of keeping them all in a single bag.

If you arrive by car, public transport, or with animals

Those driving personally should plan in advance the parking closest to their terminal, rather than driving around in circles when time is tight. Those using trains or shuttles should get off at the right stop: some services make multiple stops within the same airport complex, and getting off at the wrong one means an additional walk. Those traveling with a pet must locate in advance the designated relief areas before security checkpoints, verifying with airline staff the specific procedures provided for your pet.

Once you have confirmed the terminal, flight status and document location, allow yourself time for a meal before security if you need one: once past security the food options are often more limited and more expensive than those in the public area.