Although, for right now, the long lines at airports due to TSA workers not being paid are over, getting to your flight on time can still be a challenge.
Recently, I went to Chicopee, Mass., for my grandson’s graduation from Elms College.
Busy with two projects, I didn’t start packing until the day before I left, a mistake.
When talking over my trip with my daughter, who I was going to meet at the Boston Logan International Airport, I told her I planned to leave at 9 a.m. for the 11 a.m. flight. She reminded me you need to be at the airport two hours in advance, not one.
My daughter suggested I leave at 7:30 a.m. to allow extra time to get to the parking lot and enough time to get from the parking lot to the airport.
What happened was there was a lot of traffic and people to wait for before the shuttle could leave the parking lot.
However, the biggest time waster was trying to find TSA Precheck.
It wasn’t right next to the general TSA screening where it usually is located. I asked for directions. I was told to go back out to where ticketing is located and turn right. I walked halfway across SeaTac International Airport and couldn’t find it.
I walked back and asked for directions again. This time, I was told to look for station No. 5, at another TSA checkpoint, in the opposite direction. I finally found it.
I didn’t stop to look at my cellphone for the time or stop at the vegetarian food place. I rushed as fast as I could to the gate.
Fortunately, I got to the gate in time, about 15 minutes before boarding began.
It was very stressful. Normally, if you miss your plane, you just go on the next one. However, I was meeting my daughter and we were going to go together to get the rental car then spend a couple of days in Boston. Since I’d signed up for the rental car, it would have been a problem if I had missed my plane.
My advice? Start packing early. Allow a lot of extra time to get to the airport and get around the airport. Things are not normal at airports these days, like it is with a lot of other governmental services.
