Airports | Stress Free Strategies

I know I am in the minority in the fact that I LOVE the airport. I don’t just tolerate it or have neutral feelings toward it, I truly enjoy being there (most of the time). I enjoy the hustle and bustle around me, I enjoy the people watching, the airplane watching, the clubs, and all the other things that kick off a day of air travel (and end it). I have always seen an airport as a safe place full of people from all over the world trying to navigate the world.

With all that said, I see the ugly and the exhausting too. I have had people tell me they enjoy travel but can’t stand the airport. Then when I look at the standard TSA line and see 987 people in it or the coffee shop line with 874 people in it, I think to myself that I would also hate this place if I had to deal with that. There are many ways to “do the airport right” and kick off your trip stress-free. Some of them cost money but most of them just require a little change in your way of thinking and maybe an app on your phone. I have spent decades mastering my process—take what you like from it. It works for me, and it’s how I travel.

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Speed Passes (PreCheck, Clear, Airline Priority)

I said some of these tips would cost—this is one of them—but it’s the only one I’ll insist on that has a cost. For most, stress at the airport is caused by time. Planes board when they board, and they do not wait. Most people get to the airport hours ahead of when they need to because they simply don’t know how long they have to wait. There are ways to better judge that and give yourself a small window.

TSA PreCheck was introduced in December of 2013 to expedite travel for what the US Department of Homeland Security refers to as Trusted Travelers. These travelers still go through security but are not required to remove things from their bags, keep their shoes on, go through a metal detector instead of a full-body scanner, and so on.

There are a few programs that provide you with a TTN (Trusted Traveler Number). The most common seems to be simply signing up for TSA PreCheck. This is arguably the most convenient—you can complete your enrollment at many locations in and out of the airport. The standard fee is $85 for five years according to their website.

Another popular program is Global Entry. Think of this as PreCheck with the added benefit of an express line through customs when entering the United States. This program requires you to have a passport and if you do, this is my recommendation. Standard pricing is $120 for five years, and that added benefit is well worth the $35 more if you are paying out of pocket. The one downfall is that sign-up locations are not as convenient.

Next is NEXUS, the program I utilize. It includes everything you just read plus privileges in Canada when crossing into the Great White North. It is also $120 USD and a no-brainer if you travel to or through Canada more than once. NEXUS, however, is even less convenient to enroll in—so if you don’t see Canada in your future, stick to Global Entry.

I hear from people that they fly out of a very small airport and lines are never long, so it’s not worth it. Well, the line may not be long on your flight out of West Palm Beach, but it will be on your way back out of JFK. Also, after you leave your shoes on and everything in your bag for the first time, you will not want to go back.

Check with your credit card company. Most offer all of the above as a perk—even non-premium credit cards. Also take a look at branded credit cards if you typically fly one airline. Sometimes even their most basic card will provide you express access at security.

Also, TSA to Waive PreCheck Fees for Gold Star Families as of 2025.

Finally, CLEAR is a great solution for those with or without PreCheck. It’s a third-party company that jumps you to the front of the line.

Parking

This one is not black and white as it will vary dramatically between airports and how far you have to travel to one, but it is worth the discussion for everyone. The prices to park at the airport can be insanely high. Terminal parking at LAX is $60 a day. Boston has a very hard-to-follow fee chart but works out to be close to the same.

So, if you are flying out of these or many like them, your first thought is to find an alternative solution—and you may be right. The tip here is to do the math and weigh it all out. Let’s say you are going away for 3 days from Boston. The fee to park in the terminal is $123—yikes.

Doing some research, you can park at the state’s park-and-ride called Logan Express. Parking there is $7 a day and $9 for a bus ticket each way. For two people with parking and the bus ticket, you are totaling $57—far better than $123. However, you have the added time of driving to the park-and-ride (assuming it’s not conveniently on your way) and the added bus boarding, riding around to each terminal, and getting your bags off.

Oftentimes it’s easy to plan on the way to the airport but the frustrations come from the way home. I’ve done the bus thing several times and I’m not against it in the future, but I hate landing and being out on the curb at 10:21 PM and the next bus is at 11:41.

If you have an alternative system that works well and saves you money—absolutely go for it. My only suggestion is that you consider airport parking, especially on shorter trips. The convenience of having your car there, even in the economy lot, reduces the stress of getting to the airport and makes for a much nicer landing experience.

The best of all of them would be an Uber or taxi if that is convenient. Also, do not rule out car services. I found myself talking to people that there’s typically a sweet spot for those that live about an hour from the airport and they’re going away for a good length of time. Parking at the airport becomes way too expensive, and an Uber either won’t be willing to take you there or is way too much money—but a car service comes in usually at a very reasonable price, considering.

One of my favorites is the sleep-and-fly. Many hotels around an airport offer a sleep-and-fly program which includes a night stay and parking. More often than not, depending on the length of your trip, you will end up with a hotel night and parking for the same price as parking at the airport. I have used this many times for very early morning flights. Getting up at 6:00 AM makes a huge difference on your trip than having to get up at 3:30 AM. Again, it may be an added cost and not worth it—but if it fits into your plans anyway, it’s something to take advantage of.

Don’t Check a Bag

Whenever I have these conversations in person, they seem to end pretty quickly because I either get a “Oh, I could NEVER not check a bag” or a “I would never, don’t worry.” Well, if you are one of these people, stick with me. I would estimate that approximately 95% of the time I do not check a bag. My wife and I have a two-week trip to Australia coming up and neither of us plan to check a bag (at least on the way there). I will break down the benefits on each:

Not Checking

• Arrive to the airport much later than you would have to if you checked
• Saves money
• Provides you the ability to easily change flights should something be delayed without worrying if your bag will make it – with that said, some airlines will not even let you switch if your bag is checked or prioritize those without a checked bag
• Saves you even more time at your destination
• Less to lug around before and after the airport

Checking

• Not having to worry about what to pack (within reason)
• Not having to worry about international security regulations for carry-ons

If you check a bag now and think you can’t possibly go without doing so, do yourself a favor. On your next short trip, try a carry-on and let me know what you think.

Ordering Food/Coffee

This one surprises me a bit—that it hasn’t caught on more. Companies like Dunkin or other large coffee chains allow customers to order ahead on their app. Typically, this doesn’t change at an airport. When I traveled full-time for work, I had a routine that I would click “complete order” as I put my phone in my bag at security and into the scanner. Approximately three minutes later, I would retrieve my coffee and breakfast from the online order area while looking at a line of 200+ people.

Many airports also have in-airport ordering apps like Grab Airport which allow you to pre-order food from participating vendors.

When ordering from a vendor directly like Dunkin, they often have very a detailed description of their location.

While most liquids are banned at TSA, solid food is not. The TSA’s website on “What Can I Bring” spells it all out. Save some time and money and bring your own pre-flight/in-flight snacks.

Clubs

Airline and airport clubs offer a lot and have changed the way I travel. The large majority offer free food and drinks once inside. The “getting inside” part is where most people give up. The best way to gain access is through a credit card that offers lounge access. Yours may, and you don’t even know it. A very common network of lounges is “Priority Pass.” They offer lounges all over the world and partner with many different credit cards—even ones not co-branded with an airline. For example, US Bank offers a Visa with no annual fee and access to four Priority Pass visits a year. They also give you $100 in credits toward PreCheck or Global Entry.

Some airlines also offer day passes to their clubs for a fee. For example, United Airlines allows you to purchase a pass for $59. Yes, I know I said most of my tips didn’t cost you—but again, hang in there. This is not for everyone, every time.

I have several credits that allow me access to most lounges, with some airline-specific ones like United or American. Most of my cards have a Delta “focus.” Trust me, as much as I travel, I am not going to spend $59 each time I travel United ($118 when traveling with my wife). However, I have done it. I was traveling once and had to move my flight around after arriving at the airport in Newark. I was now four hours early and had limited access to lounges. I knew in that four hours I would rack up a bill at one of the restaurants for over $100. Even with just a few beers and a meal, it adds up.

I decided to spend the money and head into the United Club. I am far more familiar with Delta’s lounges but was very impressed with United’s. Like most of them, everything was free unless I wanted premium wine or a high-end liquor. While I do not like or advise getting drunk at airports, I do enjoy a few local beers, some wine, or a nice cocktail or two. I spent the majority of the time at the bar, watching sports on TV and chatting with the bartenders and those around me. I popped up to the constantly refreshed and extremely large buffet a few times. After about three hours, I left, well fed with no bill—other than the $59 I paid to get in. I did leave a $10 tip, so the entire thing cost me $69. I felt like I saved and had a much more enjoyable experience over that lengthy amount of time.

Have a Plan B

Most people tell me that their airport stress is caused by the fact they might miss the flight. I’ve always had it in my head that “there’s always another one.” Now, that may not always be true or a good solution, but in most cases, it’s not a terrible worst case. For example, Delta alone operates about 10 flights a day from NYC to DC. I am not suggesting treating your upcoming flight like the subway—all I am saying is: don’t panic. You’ll get there.

Here is where the Plan B comes in. The morning of or the day before your flight, take a moment and head over to Google Flights and do a one-way search for your route tomorrow. Note a few options that make sense. Prioritize a few on your airline but note a few good options on another airline. This will first help you de-stress knowing you have options should your plans get changed, but it also will save you a lot of time when talking to a ticket agent.

A few years back I was visiting my brother in San Francisco and I received a text from Delta saying my flight tomorrow (Sunday) was canceled—but not to worry, I was re-booked on Wednesday. That was the first time Delta had ever canceled my flight ahead of time. Okay, it happens, but Wednesday didn’t work for me. I knew United operates that route more often than Delta. I chatted with Delta and asked for a better option. They offered me something Sunday but leaving much too early. Seeing this was 100% their fault (not weather, air traffic delay, etc.), I chatted back and said, “please put me on United flight 1372 leaving Sunday at 1 PM.” Before the agent even wrote back, I had a notification from United welcoming me to flight 1372.

Now, I fly Delta a lot and I want those miles with them. After the flight home, I emailed Delta asking for the miles I should have received, and they gave them to me.

I had another situation where my flight was delayed at the airport to a point where I would miss my connection. I had done a little research because I knew the weather would be bad, so I very politely approached the desk, told them I would miss my flight, and asked if I could please be rebooked on the itinerary I had researched. Done.

I’m not suggesting that every time you fly you should have a list in your back pocket of every other way you can get to your destination. However, when it looks like your travel might be interrupted, it is well worth spending a few minutes looking at your other options—because you’ll want that information quickly when you need it.

The last thing I’ll say is that if you are close enough to drive home, reserve the car as soon as possible. Booking directly through the car company often allows you to book a car and cancel at the last minute without any fees. I had a situation once where I was approximately three hours from my destination after we diverted due to weather. The moment we were on the ground and I could connect to cell service, I booked a rental car assuming that we were not going to take off again quickly. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the pilot announced we would be sitting here for several hours and he recommended we get off and make alternative plans. Had I not booked it ahead of time, perhaps cars would have been sold out—or it would have been a race to Enterprise!

In Summary

The airport experience is not for everyone, but it can be far less stressful if you follow some easy strategies. Yes, a few of them cost a few dollars, but you have to weigh out the dollars versus the potential stress and/or additional time. I’m paying the extra $50.00 to park at the airport for a quick weekend trip because I know it could be the difference between enjoying my weekend or not. However, I’m not paying $700.00 just so I have a car close by after a 2-week trip.

🛂 TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR are highly recommended to reduce stress and time spent in airport security lines.

🚗 Airport parking tips include comparing costs with off-site options, ride-shares, car services, and “Sleep & Fly” hotel packages.

🎒 Avoid checking a bag to save time, money, and flexibility—especially helpful when flights are delayed or plans change.

☕ Order food and coffee in advance using apps like Dunkin’ or Grab Airport to skip long lines and save time.

🛋️ Airport lounges (accessible via credit cards or day passes) offer free food, drinks, and a relaxing environment during layovers.

🧠 Always have a backup plan by researching alternate flights or transportation options in advance in case your itinerary is disrupted.

💡 A little planning and the right tools can make airport experiences significantly more enjoyable and efficient.