No One Needs to Arrive 2 Hours Before Flight, Here's Why

 You’re running through the airport, waitingin endless security lines, dealing with your baggage, rushing yet again to the gate – ifonly you’d arrived two hours early!!! Right? Hmmm. Not necessarily. And airports know that. Along with lots of other secrets they’renot telling you… but hey, I will! 1. Airport agents might be watching you all theway from the security check to your gate. Some hubs have facial recognition scannersthat can easily track you. They're equipped with special software thatcompares passengers' faces with their IDs. 2. Airports make lounges look like somethingluxurious and unavailable for regular travelers. And so many people fall for this image. In reality, one of your credit cards is likelyto provide you with the convenience of resting in an airport lounge. Just pop in and ask – who knows, you mightfind yourself waiting for your flight in a calm place with free food and drinks! 3. Beware of airport taxis – they can chargeyou twice the actual price of the ride. If the situation allows, use online taxi appsto order a car. If you can’t, then make sure to find outthe rate in advance. By the way, if you pre-order a taxi, alwaysask about the charging policy on delays. Otherwise, you might be in for a very unpleasantsurprise. 4. Buying bottled water at the airport can easilymake you bankrupt. There's one thing every traveler should know:there is free water at most hubs. Just bring an empty water bottle through thesecurity check and find a water refill station – they’re usually near the restrooms. If you can't find one, there must be at leasta water fountain. 5. You'll find the most comfortable seats nextto the airport's shopping area, and that's for a reason. This is how retailers lure you into theirstores. Imagine sitting there, looking at shop windows. You're bound to notice something you really,really "need"! 6. You may have an opportunity to check yourcarry-on luggage for free at the gate. Be attentive and listen for messages announcingthat a full flight is expected. That usually means there will be a shortageof overhead bin space, and the airline will offer complimentary checked bags. 7. The cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays andThursdays. And if, for some reason, you want to buy themost expensive ticket, opt for a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (and no wonder, with everyone movingaround on the weekend). If you can afford flexible dates, look formidweek options. 8. If you're sneaky enough and understand theairport logistics, you can be the first to get your checked bag upon arrival. All you need to do is to check it later thanother passengers. Bags that are loaded last usually appear firston the baggage carousel. 9. Even though duty-free shops have a reputationfor being cheaper than stores in the city, it's not always true. For example, sweets, beverages, and perfumesare likely to cost more at the airport. And be careful with what you buy in a duty-freeshop if you have a connecting flight. Some airports don't allow you to carry liquidsover 3.4 oz through your layover destination, even if they're from duty-free and in sealedbags! 10. Even if your flight doesn't offer a hot mealor snacks, it might still be cheaper to eat on board than at the airport, especially ifyou have the airline's credit card. In this case, you can get up to a 25% discounton drinks and food you buy in the air. 11. Airports and airlines manipulate estimatedarrival times. When your pilot announces the total flyingtime, it often differs from the arrival time you saw when you were booking the flight. It's easy to explain: the arrival time includessome wiggle room for potential small delays, taxiing from the runway, and so on. 12. Arriving at the airport 2 hours before yourflight isn't really necessary. Of course, there are ginormous hectic transportationhubs where even 2 hours might not be enough. But in most cases, this airport recommendationis just an ingenious plan to make you spend more money on shopping, eating, and drinking. After you pass all the security checks andpassport control, you have "the golden hour" ahead. That's 60 minutes during which you're mostlikely to open your wallet to buy a coffee and sandwich, get a book to read, or evenspend a hefty sum on a new perfume. 13. A celebrity chef restaurant at the airportmight not be as good as it would be if you visited the real thing. Not chefs themselves but special restaurantcompanies are responsible for airport outlets. One of the reasons is extremely strict securitythat surrounds airport deliveries, including food. You still may have a nice meal, but it won'tbe the same. 14. A nice conversation with a security agentmight not be what it seems. It's not that they don't find you fascinating– but getting all chatty could be a special technique that checks your behavior. It's their way to make sure you aren't a suspiciouscharacter. 15. Airports could be selling your lost luggageright now! Wait, I’m not saying there's no chance foryou to get back your suitcase that's ended up in a different destination. But just as likely, you might not see it again. Then an airport has all the rights to sellyour misplaced belongings at an auction. Most hubs hold an annual lost luggage sale. After paying an entry fee, you can bid onelectronics, clothes, bags, and whatnot. Some auctions are "blind" – you pay fora bag without knowing what's inside. 16. If you have an opportunity, don't exchangecash at the airport – you'll never get a good rate there. Anyone who’s forgotten to buy some currencybeforehand can instead order it online and collect it at the airport. Some services only need a several hours' noticefor such an order. Or it might be even better to use an ATM towithdraw some cash at your final destination. 17. Some airports have shortcuts, but few peopleknow about them. It's a good idea to research the airport mapbefore your flight and look for all available routes. It'll come in handy when you're rushing tothe furthest terminal. By the way, in the biggest airports, the distancefrom check-in to departure can be more than half a mile long! 18. A medical study found out the connection betweenliving near an airport and an increased risk of heart problems. Surprisingly, it's the result of noise pollution! Apparently, if you're exposed to high noiselevels, especially at night, you're more likely to have high blood pressure. 19. Another problem with airports is bad air quality. All those road machines and heavy air trafficresult in all kinds of nasty chemicals getting into the air you breathe. For example, the air over the busiest airportsregularly breaches the limits for nitrogen dioxide pollutants. 20. If you have a long layover but are unwillingto spend it shuffling from one store to another, you could have a better option! Many airports have places for a quiet retreat,for example, yoga studios or even gyms with swimming pools. But they're typically hidden away – otherwise,they'll get packed with travelers. Look for such places away from busy terminals,where most passengers won't find them. Usually, only frequent flyers take advantageof these spots. If you're lucky, you might even find a privatebedroom at a reasonable price! Hey, if you learned something new today, thengive the video a like and share it with a friend! And here are some other videos I think you'llenjoy. Just click to the left or right, and stayon the Bright Side of life!