A seasoned traveler shares 6 things she never does at the airport

I prefer to print my boarding pass before I head to the airport. If I don’t have time to do that, I use my airline’s phone app or the kiosks, which helps me avoid long lines. Being prepared with my boarding pass ahead of time has helped me make several flights while running late.

On weekend or week-long trips, I don’t check my bag and instead pack my things into a carry-on. According to SITA, an air transport IT company, 5.73 bags per thousand passengers went missing in 2016.

Because of the risk of losing my luggage, I prefer to pack my things into a hard-case rolling bag that will fit easily in the overhead bin. Having a roller is also easier on my back when walking long distances to the terminal.

I never go to the airport without a jacket, even when traveling to tropical destinations. If my flight is delayed and the AC in the airport is on full blast, it’s going to be an uncomfortable wait.

I like to bring a hooded jacket to the airport so I can curl up on a chair and rest at the gate with my hood up and sunglasses on so no one bothers me. Also, I use the chest pockets of my jacket to hold my phone so I will hear or feel my alarm, which keeps me from oversleeping and missing my flight.

I never walk barefoot while in the security line to avoid any germs that could be in the floors or on the shoe prints inside the full-body scanner. If I wear sandals to the airport, I typically pack compact socks inside my purse to put on until I leave the security line.

I never purchase Wi-Fi at the airport, but instead use the 20 or 30 free minutes of internet that most airports offer. I try to get as much work done as possible within that window, then screenshot the pages I need when the time runs out. Some airport cafés have free Wi-Fi, so buying a cup of coffee may be cheaper than paying for the airport’s Wi-Fi.