Seven travel tips for speeding through airport security, from portable battery standards to avoiding yogurt
No one likes queuing for airport security and when you’re in a rush it can be downright inconvenient. Make things easier for yourself – and your fellow passengers – with our handy guide to streamlining the process
Eight of the 20 busiest airports in the world are in Asia, according to aviation information service International Airport Review, which can mean lots of frustrating queuing to get through security in this part of the world. But are there ways that travellers can get through airport security faster?
How airlines decide who gets upgraded and what you can do to make it more likely to happen
Waiting times at security checkpoints depend on what airport you are at, whether you are arriving, exiting or in transit, and whether you are a local or a foreigner.
“I can land in Hong Kong and get from the door of the aircraft to my apartment door in Mid-levels in an hour, which is frankly pretty impressive compared to a lot of other airports at major cities,” says Jeffrey Lowe, managing director of Asian Sky Group and a frequent traveller. “I’m a Hong Kong resident so I can quickly pass through immigration’s e-channel, I don’t check luggage, and I use the Airport Express [train] to Central.”
To speed through airports around the globe it pays to know some quirks of the system. Here are a few:
Check in luggage
In a lot of ways, travelling light is great: you can save money on budget flights, you never lose your luggage, and you don’t have to wait at roundabouts after your flight. However, taking everything you need for a trip in a carry-on through security can slow things down. If everyone got on the plane with just a smartphone and checked in all of their luggage, security lines would go faster.
