How to recognize a frequent flyer passenger (and things you can copy from them)

You can recognize frequent flyer passengers by the way they behave in the security check. All seems to be smooth and planned. Do you know why?

There is a simple way to recognize frequent flyer passengers in the security control: they don’t stress at the security check and get through it incredibly smoothly.

And there are many things you can do to ease the experience for yourself as they do. Let’s check just a very general handful of them.

If you have to fly frequently, especially for business reasons, flying becomes a procedure for you. Therefore if you are going to do it often, you want to become extremely efficient on packing.

First of all, the more you fly, the less you carry. You want everything to be super portable and, ideally, multipurpose.

Second, you create lists of what you will carry and try to standardise as much as possible the things you package every time, so every time you spend less and less time doing it.

Third, try to carry so few that you don’t need to check in your suitcase. This way you:

• Avoid having to arrive so much in advance at the airport
• You can go to the security check. There is no need to queue twice, as you never know if the airport will be crowded or there will be any bottleneck in the whole flow
• Avoid having to wait for your luggage at your destination
• Have control over your luggage. You want it to be neither broken nor lost for two days.

Fourth and perhaps the most crucial, prepare all your suitcase in a way that is convenient for the security check. The security check can be by far the most stressful part of your trip if you don’t get ready for it.

People waiting after you, you can’t find where the Kindle is, your grooming stuff is at the bottom of your backpack, you are wearing so many clothes layers that you need four trays … all that can become messy. Trust me.

Instead, as much as possible, try to put at the bottom all the things you will not need to touch until you arrive. Everything you need to take out, such as electronics, grooming stuff and so on, should be super accessible: remember you are not classifying things together as you pack, but rather making it easier for your future self.

You want it in a way you can put all the necessary out, knowing exactly where it is, and put it all again inside afterwards without struggling with multiple trays, pulling an open trolly through the terminal or having to ask for support.