This document is to aid the new flyer and details how to use an airport. A thing that is often taken for granted by the experienced flyer but is often the cause of worry by anyone not familiar with

Airline travel and for everything there is a first time.

The beauty of airports is that they all work the same way no matter where you are. Airline travel is geared at making things as easy as possible for the passenger which in turn makes life as easy as possible for the airline you are flying. The other thing to remember is that airports have well placed signs EVERYWHERE. There are also airline and airport staff EVERYWHERE. They are all very happy to help when asked which they are ALL THE TIME. Do not feel awkward about asking someone they are very used to answering questions and pointing people in the right direction because they know you don’t know the layout of the airport whilst they do. 9/10 times following the signs will get you to where you want to go but if you get lost ASK and don’t panic.

Make sure you get to the airport in plenty time for the flight. In general you are allowed to check in for your flight anything between 20 minutes and 1 hour before departure so get there at least an hour before your flight is due to leave and realistically about 90 mins. With that kind of time

There is no need to rush/panic you have plenty time to get organised and keep calm.

There is adequate parking facilities at all airports often with car parks dedicated for long stay (2 days+) in addition to standard car parks. As airports are open 24 hours a day access to and from terminal buildings presents no problems.

Between entering the terminal building and taking to the air you only do 3 simple steps.

1. "Checking in"

If you already have an airline ticket details of your flight will be on the ticket (flight number, flight details, departure times and day of flight). If not there are plenty of ticket desks at the airport where tickets can be purchased.

All over the airport are banks of TV display screens usually suspended from the ceiling. They show flight information and these will let you know when you can check in/board etc.

They are usually split and colour coded headed arrivals and departures. The screens will update every 10-15 seconds in order to display more than 1 screen full of entries (about 8 large lines of text per screen). They are easily found and are dotted all over the airport. Usually in near seating areas and always near check-in desks and departure gate entry areas.

The screens will usually show :

1. The flight number which is usually a two-letter/four digit number ie. BA7782 where BA denotes that it is a

British Airways flight and 7782 is the flight number. All British Airways flights are BAxxxx and British Midland

are BDxxxx.

The information is presented (these are examples ignore the times and flight numbers)

BA7782 09.20 London Heathrow followed by either: -

Check In Desks xx-xx(desk numbers)

or : Go to Gate No. xx

or : Boarding at Gate No. xx

or : Next Information at xx.xx (means flight delayed)

Most airports are now ' silent' in that they do not announce flights boarding in the Check In Hall but you will hear announcements once you are at the Gate which will be :

" Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome to flight BAxxxx to London Heathrow. Would passengers please make their way to Gate Number xx for embarkation. Passengers should have their boarding cards ready and we would ask you to kindly extinguish all cigarettes. "

So once the check-in desk/s available for your flight are manned if they are not already then the display screens will inform you you can now check in and which desks you can use. The check in desks are usually all grouped together and are clearly numbered. A TV Screen on each desk will display the Airline logo and some desks will be even more obvious decorated in your airlines livery. As the check in desks are often used by more than one airline. Do not panic if you are early and a desk is not yet available for your airline. It will get manned. For any reason if the desk that you need is manned by other airline staff then do not panic just keep an eye on the screens and when desk details appear go to the desk (sometimes very small airlines may use another airlines desk). When the desk/desks become available go to one or join the queue at one and you will be taken in turn. You hand over your ticket, you are asked if you have baggage. You are allowed hand luggage onto the plane. However suitcases etc., if you have them are tagged and loaded onto a conveyor belt at the rear of the desk. You are issued a baggage details card (proving you have luggage in the hold of the aircraft – used in the VERY unlikely event of you loosing your luggage and as proof when reclaiming luggage at the destination airport). You are given a boarding pass and your ticket back. You should be told the gate number of your flight. But your boarding pass card shows the gate number and your seat number on board the aircraft. At the time of checking in you may be asked for seating preferences etc.

2. Getting to the Boarding Area and Gates

Next comes boarding. Either ask at the check in desk or look for the signs pointing you in the direction of the departure area. There tends to be a split where all domestic departures are in one area of the terminal building and all foreign departures are in another. In very big international airports often there are separate terminal buildings each, for domestic and foreign flights. All airports have very clearly marked signs all over the place. Just follow them. The departures area when entered cannot be easily exited from so make sure that you have all you need for the flight before entering the departures area. This will probably consist of a corridor entry area where an airport employee will check your boarding pass before allowing your any further. You will then hit a security area where your hand baggage is placed on a short conveyor belt running through an x-ray/metal detector machine and where you walk through a metal detection device. You will be asked by staff for any coins/keys and metal objects, which you place in a dish that is also loaded onto the same conveyor belt as your hand luggage. If you trip the metal detector you will simply be frisked and/or checked with a hand held metal detecting "wand" before being allowed on (don’t panic it happens ALL the time). On being allowed on your pick up your hand luggage/coins/keys etc. at the other end of the conveyor belt. You then continue into the departure area. This are differs on size from airport to airport but will usually consist of shops/eating area, sitting areas and gates. The gates (usually like corridor areas off the main departure area) will be clearly numbered and one will correspond to the one on your ticket and notified to you at the time of checking in. Some gates for the bigger airlines will be decorated with the airline livery and take the place as a lounge (an upper class seating area!). The gates may often have seating areas and once again TV screen displays will be dotted through the departures area detailing flight details (see above). Airline staff/airport staff will man the doors at the gates and when your flight is due to board. It will be announced over the speaker system and if you are at the gate it will be self evident. Boarding usually commences about 20 minutes before departure and there will be many announcements regarding the flight. If you are in plenty time at the gate or keep an eye on the display screens/listen for announcements you cannot go wrong.

3. Boarding the plane (last step)

The boarding of your flight will be announced at the gate. Depending on the size of the aircraft boarding will be called out in batches of seat number-ranges. If the aircraft is small or the number of passengers are small then all passengers will be requested to board. There are numerous announcements for boarding. Once again depending on the plane size and airport facilities you will either board the aircraft directly at the end of the gate or you will be guided outside and taken to the aircraft where you will board via a stairway. If there are numerous aircraft around keep an eye on your fellow passengers airline/airport staff are on hand to assist (safety regulations insist that passengers are accompanied to the aircraft if you have to board in this way). Once on board look for your seat. Aircraft seating is standard across the world. The rows of seats are designated with a number the highest number being at the back of the aircraft. The seats on each row are lettered depending on the number of seats on each row (usually 2 or 3 each side of the centre isle running the length of the aircraft) seat A is the port (left as you look down to the front of the aircraft) with b being next to it and the highest letter being the opposite window seat. The seat numbers are easily identifiable and are clearly marked above each row of seats (eg A-C12) window seat. Above each row of seats at both sides of the centre isle is a pull down locker usually covering the length of 2 rows of seats. Any large items of hand luggage should be placed in here including your coat if you have one etc. small items of luggage are allowed next to you if placed on the floor under the seat in front of you during take off and landing. Your seat belt is an adjustable lap type affair where the clasp slots into the narrow end of the buckle section. Pulling the sprung loaded buckle section upward releases the belt. You must wear the belt during take off and landing and usually it is advised you wear it during the flight unless you need to get up and move around (go to the toilet – usually at the rear of the cabin, retrieve a piece of luggage in the overhead locker). How to use the belt and when to wear it is all described by the cabin staff during their demonstration of safety procedures prior to take off. Their job requires them to ensure that all passengers are buckled up prior to take off and landing. Location of toilets are also pointed out to you before takeoff.

On arriving at the destination airport remember any luggage you took on board. The larger stuff you need to collect at the baggage reclaim area of the airport. After leaving the aircraft and entering the terminal building simply look for the well-marked signs pointing you in the direction of baggage reclaim. Where you wait for your heavy luggage to arrive via a conveyor belt affair. The tag on the item of luggage will match the id on the baggage details card issued when you first checked in. In the highly rare event that your luggage does not appear look for the baggage reclaims office near the conveyor belt and report the problem. Lost luggage does happen but is rare and recovery by the airline is usually swift with it being couriered to your specified destination as soon as possible. If you have traveled to a foreign country you will pass through emigration and passport control desks before entering the main airport building. Taxi cab ranks are clearly signposted as are care hire desks, rail links if applicable, courteous bus ranks if applicable etc

Hope this reduces any anguish.