Everything you need to know before making an air journey, from booking a flight to airport check-in with hand baggage requirements, a complete guide to travel by plane from departure to arrival at the destination airport.
Useful air travel information
The procedure for making an air journey also of the low cost type, begins with the booking of the flight and the consequent purchase of the air ticket after having examined all the offers and prices relating to the desired air travel.
Booking air travel is an operation that takes place today to a large extent via the internet through an easy “do it yourself” procedure available to travelers and with real-time response and this allows travelers to observe how different the offers for the same flights can be with refer to different days and times and to choose low cost airline tickets.
To explain these fluctuations, it must be said that there are two large IT systems worldwide that allow you to immediately block a sold airspace to prevent it from being sold twice in another corner of the planet.
These computer networks include the flights of all the airlines present in the world.
With the spread of the internet, the use of the electronic air ticket has become widespread to book a trip by plane from the comfort of your home, consisting of a simple sheet printed on your PC with the necessary information to be presented at check-in directly at the airport.
At the check-in counter at the airport, the printed sheet with the PC or the electronic ticket in your possession is presented and then the luggage to be loaded on the plane together with the passports to finally receive the boarding pass.
Checked baggage
For luggage destined for the hold of the plane, it is recommended to use sturdy suitcases equipped with a padlock to prevent any damage and theft.
In all the airports there are corners where you can pack every air travel suitcase with the appropriate plastic material, to prevent damage as a result of clumsy maneuvers of the porters or other personnel in charge of unloading and loading the suitcases onto the planes.
It is also very important that each bag has a label bearing its name, address and mobile phone number.
Hand baggage on the plane
As for hand baggage, it must be ensured that it does not contain particular objects such as matches, knives, scissors, flammable gas spray cans, weapons, ammunition, oxygen cylinders, explosives, fireworks and other items required by international anti-terrorism standards. .
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Since November 2006, moreover, it is only possible to bring liquids in minimum quantities (maximum limit 100 ml) and only if necessary by inserting them in advance in a transparent plastic bag with a maximum capacity not exceeding one liter.
Hand baggage dimensions: the dimensions of the hand baggage must be within precise limits of overall dimensions and maximum weight, precisely the total size must not exceed 125 cm, intended as the sum of width, length and height and the weight not exceeding 8 kilos.
Airport check-in
In order to check-in, in most cases it is necessary to arrive between 1 and 1-2 hours before the scheduled departure time, however time communicated by the travel agency from which the ticket for the flight was purchased.
In the airports there are separate areas intended for arriving and departing passengers, so we can go and sit comfortably to deceive the wait.
With the help of special electronic scoreboards suspended in the boarding area, we will be able to understand all flights departing in the next few hours, marked by special letters of letters, identifying the airline, and numbers, indicating the flight.
The flight number and departure time are indicated on the ticket in our possession which allow us to find other data on the scoreboard, including any expected delay.
Especially in large airports it must be considered that it can take several minutes to reach the gate or boarding gate even if in many cases very comfortable shuttle trains and treadmills are available.
At the gate there is a waiting room near the boarding counter where airline employees will check the boarding pass when it is time to board the plane.
Airplane boarding
The plane is reached according to the case through a mobile tunnel that connects the boarding area with the plane door, by means of special buses or on foot on the runways in limited cases.
Remember to turn off your mobile phone as it could interfere with the aircraft's equipment.The staff welcomes passengers and helps them find the assigned seats indicated on the boarding pass.
For security reasons, hand baggage must be placed in the special compartments at the top above the seats or under your seat.
Various light signals at the top above the seats indicate that you are not smoking and when seat belts must be fastened.
Flight attendants have the task of verifying that each passenger is placed in the most appropriate way before take-off and landing, times when seat belts must be fastened, the backrest must be in a vertical position, the folding table closed, the luggage securely fastened, laptops and digital cameras off.
Upon disembarking at the destination, we will have to go and collect the baggage in special rooms equipped with a conveyor belt waiting for the arrival of their suitcases.
In case of lost baggage, the event must be immediately reported to the appropriate counter by presenting the label delivered to us at check-in corresponding to the missing baggage.
An address for the shipment of the found baggage must be issued, where the baggage can be delivered in case of discovery.
