Text 4.   tips for plane tourists

 

When preparing to fly,

You are advised to arrive at the airport with time to spare and check in as early as possible. As a general guide, you should allow:

• Three hours before scheduled departure for long-haul and El Al flights.

• Two hours before scheduled departure for European flights

* Ninety minutes before scheduled departure for flights within the UK and Ireland.

You should check the instructions on your ticket and from your travel agent or booking website. If you are still unsure please check with your airline directly.

 

At check-in

It is necessary to register the tickets, get a seat assignment, and weigh and check the luggage. At the check-in counter, your ticket is looked at, your things are weighed and labeled with their destination. Each passenger more than 2 years old gets a free luggage allowance. Generally this weight limit is 20 kg of checked baggage for economy class passengers and 30 kg for first class passengers. If you check excess luggage you'll have to pay a fee calculated by the number of extra pieces and the extra weight. Every passenger is also allowed one small carry-on bag, for instance a laptop computer or small suitcase. To save_; time, have your tickets and passport ready, and ensure your hand luggage contains only valuables and items you will need during the journey.

Once your hold luggage is checked in, you can proceed to security control.

It pays to clear security control early and leave yourself time to relax before your flight, enjoy the shops, bars and cafes in the departure lounge, and get to your gate in plenty of time.

Please be aware that there are limits on the number and size of bags and on the quantity of liquid items which can be carried through security control. For most destinations anything you buy after security control can be taken on to the aircraft- store staff will be able to advise you.

Self-service check-in

Self-service check-in offers a quick, easy and safe alternative to traditional check-in desks. Simply use the computer terminal to choose your, seat and print your boarding card, then take your baggage to the bag-drop facility.

Please keep your bags close by and take care of credit.cards, passports and other important documents when using the kiosks Airline staff will be on hand if you need assistance.

Some passengers and flight destinations are not eligible for self-service check-in. Please confirm whether this service is available to you at the time of booking or visit the airline website to find out about service limitations.

The next formality is filling in the immigration form and going through passport control. Remember to have a black or blue pen with you because the immigration form has to be filled in block letters. You write your name, nationality, permanent address and the purpose of your trip. In most countries there is also a security check when your carry-on-luggage is inspected. This is an anti-terrorism measure, and anything in your luggage that might be dangerous or disturbing to other passengers must be handed over to one of the crew and will only be returned to the owner after the plane has reached its destination.

There are two queues at passport control - one for European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA)*, British and Swiss nationals, and a second for all other nationalities.

 

At the passport desk a UK Border Agency officer will ask to see your passport or travel document and any supporting documentation necessary for your visit. Please remember that your passport must not expire during your visit to the United¹ Kingdom. With tougher checks now in place at the border, you may have to wait a little longer to get into the United Kingdom, especially at peak times.