I've been away for the past week or so in Atlanta, visiting my family for the first time in over a year! It was the first time I had flown/been in an airport in over a year, too, and it got me thinking... the hardest part of air travel involves the airport, not the airplane. So here are some of my top tips for getting to and through the airport without ruining your health or aggravating a chronic condition.
At the end of this post, I also have specific tips for working the system at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International airport, one of the busiest in the US.
Navigating the airport when you are chronically ill:
1. Fly at non-peak times to reduce your waiting time in security and check-in lines. Midmorning and early afternoon are less busy than "rush hour" flights. Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays are often busier than weekdays. If you fly at a non-peak time, you may get more personalized (and helpful) assistance from security guards, check-in attendants, baggage porters, etc. These non-peak flights are usually cheaper, too!
2. Consider upgrading to business/first class, especially if you will be on a lengthy flight. Airlines love business/first class passengers, and reward them with a special check-in line, access to lounges (sometimes), ample beverages before and during your flight, larger seats with more legroom, better food, early boarding and deplaning, etc. All of which can make your travel experience a little easier.
3. If driving makes you really tired, take a cab, airport shuttle, or hotel shuttle to the airport. That way, you aren't running on empty before you even get to the check-in counter.
4. Check as much of your luggage as you can (don't cart a busting-at-the-seams, heavy carry-on bag through a giant airport... you will be exhausted before you ever reach your gate).
5. However, do keep critical meds and aids in your carry-on. Airlines lose lots of checked luggage. You don't want your expensive meds to disappear!
6. Use online check-in, if it's available. Many airlines allow you to go online 24 hours before your flight and "check in". You tell the computer what your flight is, how many bags you plan to check, and receive a barcode/boarding pass that you print out. Bring the barcode/boarding pass thing to the airport with you, and look for special check-in lines for people who used online check-in. These lines usually are manned with self-service kiosks... scan the barcode thing, put your luggage on the scale, and you are done. These lines are often much less busy than standard check-in lines.
7. Consider using curbside check-in. For a small tip ($1-2 per checked bag in the USA), you can get rid of your luggage at the first possible opportunity. And curbside check-in lines are often shorter than general check-in lines. Curbside check-in works for anyone, regardless of whether you have already "checked in" online or are just starting the check-in process.
8. Consider requesting a wheelchair, if walking through an airport or standing in long lines will be too much for you. Call your airline well before your flight to make the request. Beyond giving you a lift to your departure gate, wheelchair porters/handlers can often get you to the front of security screening lines.
9. Use smarte cartes and baggage porters. Many airports offer baggage carts (like the Smarte Cartes shown at this URL: http://www.smartecarte.com/carts/index.html) for a small fee. Push your luggage... your back may thank you. Baggage porters are often waiting by baggage claim areas, and for a small tip, will lift your bag off the carousel and carry your luggage to your vehicle.
10. Understand current security screening regulations and dress/pack to meet them. In the USA, wear slip-on shoes (so you can take them off), no jacket (or pack it inside your carry-on bag), and have your 3-1-1 compliant zip-top bag in an outer pocket of your carry-on bag (so you can easily pull it out and place it on the x-ray machine).
11. Ask whether there is a "special needs" security screening line. Wait times will be shorter and staff will probably be more helpful and discreet.
12. Buy a snack to bring on the plane with you. We've all heard about planes that get to the runway, then sit there for hours without taking off (because of weather, etc.). You want to be one of the lucky ones who has something to eat in this kind of scenario. Because, honestly, you need it more than the average person.
Helpful Resources:
ButYouDontLookSick.com has a great article on Tips for Traveling with a Chronic Illness. The article is focused on road travel, but much of the advice is relevant to any kind of travel.
The TSA website's air travel section has an entire page of info. for passengers with disabilities and other special needs. TSA has been attacked for being most unhelpful to disabled/ill air travel passengers, and TSA is working hard to turn that criticism on its head. See Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions.
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Getting through security at Atlanta airport:
Step 1: Use the first class/business class/special needs entry to the security line in the main terminal.
The main terminal's security line is a nightmare... it can easily take 60 minutes to get your ID checked and then get through the metal detector and have your bags x-rayed. But there is a special side entrance to the security area for special needs passengers (you get in the snobby, shorter line for business class and first-class passengers). This gets you to the ID checkpoint in a relative hurry. I was wearing a medical brace, so no one asked any questions. If your main reason for using the line is fatigue, you may want to have a doctor's note with you, in case someone asks.
Step 2: Use the Special Needs x-ray/metal detector screening lines (lines 12 and 13).
After you get past the ID checkpoint, you move into the screening lines. There are approximately 25 of them in the main terminal. 25! However, in the center of the mess, in between lines 12 and 13, is a roped-off area for Special Needs passengers. Someone will be manning the rope line and will let you into the Special Needs area if you ask. (Again, a doc note may be helpful if your special need isn't visible to the naked eye.) The Special Needs area is basically two wheelchair screening lines. It is the place where guards hand-search wheelchair passengers and anyone else with medical metal on or inside them. The guards will ask how they can help you. Say you need to go through security screening, waving your doc's note if they are looking confused about why you are in their area. They will show you to the side... you can jump into the metal detector/x-ray line closest to you. Healthy passengers in these lines don't seem to mind that you are allowed to get in line in front of them.
One other vital Atlanta airport tip:
Consider the T gates. The T gates are a short- to medium-length walk from the main terminal. They have a few (2-4) security lines dedicated to their terminal. These lines often move more quickly than the main terminal's security lines, especially when the main terminal is overloaded (around Christmas, Thanksgiving, rush hour, after a major weather-related delay, etc.).
