Using airport departure screens can make you miss your flight – what you should use instead
WE’VE all been there – standing around a board in an airport waiting for the information to be updated so we can get to the right gate in time.
But things have moved on, and so should you, because hanging about there will likely get you held up even longer.
People assume it’s the first thing to get updated, which I can understand, but it’s actually last and you’ll find that you can get information much quicker elsewhere.
In this week’s blog for Sun Online Travel, I’ll explain exactly where you should go to get your information and why it could save you from missing your flight.
I’ve been a flight attendant for almost a decade now and a week doesn’t go by without passengers making a mad dash to the plane, just getting on board in the nick of time.
Not all of them are quite that lucky, with the doors closing before some of them get to their seats.
A lot of the time, this is just because those passengers were late to the airport, but occasionally we’ll have a gate change or something that will throw people off.
And waiting for the information to be updated on the board cuts into precious time that you might not have in the airport, when it’s important to get to your gate as soon as you can.
That information is coming from the airlines, but it’s not coming as quickly as it could.
What I always do instead is Google the flight number and prefix – there are several websites that provide up-to-date information long before it appears on the departures board.
Flightradar is the most popular, but it’s not the only one, and these sites can give you vital time in the airport, particularly if there’s been a last minute change and you suddenly have far to travel in the airport.
If there’s any more problems or delays, that information will be available at your departure gate, but just make sure you get there as soon as you can.
I have seen people miss their flights because they were waiting around at the board for their information, when it had already been made available online.
So I would recommend embracing technology and not crowing around the screens.
It will pay off for in the long run and means you’re spending less time huddled with strangers before you’re doing just that on the plane.
If there’s no info, just keep refreshing your browser until it comes through.
It’s never steered me wrong yet, while I’ve seen people left behind after waiting for the board.
It’s a mistake that I can understand people making – and one that airports really should sort out.
But you all have the technology now, so I’d recommend making the most of it and getting ahead of the game.
Meanwhile, this passenger nearly missed their flight because of a simple airport mistake.
And there’s also an easy plane ticket mistake that could end up costing you money.