Travel can be very stressful. There are many things to consider long before you arrive at the airport, and other scenarios that you must be prepared for at the airport. Gone are the days when you could walk into an airport, pay for a ticket at the counter, stroll to the gate with your family to say goodbyes, and board a plane. Flying today has become more regulated and hectic. Preparing yourself in advance will take away some surprises and anxiety, so that you can smoothly flow through the lines and checkpoints and board the flight with calm and excitement.

The first consideration, of course, is finding the flights you want. This will take some research and time, but will pay off when you are assured that you have found the best value for your hard-earned cash. One place to start your research is an online discount travel site. These sites have search engines which access many airlines to find the flights that match your request. They will return multiple options for you to compare and get a good overview of the airlines with flights to your destination, and prices. You can compare price and schedule, the days before or after your requested dates, which sometimes have more favourable fares, and number of connections and wait times between connections. You can then narrow down the flights to those that suit your budget and time.

Packing is another activity that must be planned beforehand. Security at airports in North America does not allow passengers to have liquids or gels over 4 ounces in their carry-on bags. That means that if you want to take that bottle of special shampoo, or tube of toothpaste, or gift bottle of local wine, you will have to check your bag. However, most airlines now add a fee for checked bags, so take that into consideration when you are deciding what to pack.

Most airlines such as air transat airlines allow on-line check-in up to twenty-four hours before your flight. This will save you time in a line-up at the airport when you arrive. Most times, you can print a boarding pass right from your computer when you check in. Seat selection has become an option that some airlines charge extra, while others simply assign a seat or give you the option of choosing with no cost. Check your flight to find if you can choose your own seat.

Leave yourself time for security checks. As you are planning your trip, take a look at the airports you will be departing from. Those sites will let you know how soon before your flight you should arrive at the airport. Depending on how many passengers travel from that airport, security lines can take as long as an hour to clear you through. Airlines such as air transat airlines have also tightened up the time you must be at the gate to be allowed to board; some as early as thirty minutes before the flight. If you miss that cut-off, you may be denied boarding the flight. When you adequately prepare for your flight, you will have a great flight experience.

Lisa Stienway blogs at Flightnetwork.com. Flightnetwork.com based in Oakville, Ontario and spcieializes in offering Canada flights for various airlines at www.flightnetwork.com/airlines/airtransat.

Lisa Stienway blogs at http://Flightnetwork.com. http://Flightnetwork.com based in Oakville, Ontario and spcieializes in offering Canada flights for various airlines at http://www.flightnetwork.com/airlines/airtransat.

Author Bio: Lisa Stienway blogs at Flightnetwork.com. Flightnetwork.com based in Oakville, Ontario and spcieializes in offering Canada flights for various airlines at www.flightnetwork.com/airlines/airtransat.

Category: Travel
Keywords: Canada flights, Flightnetwork, Air Transat, airlines, deals