Flying in GetTransfer

Keep your passport and boarding pass in the same pocket — you'll need both within a few minutes of landing, and the name on both has to match exactly or you'll be pulled aside at check-in. A little local cash covers tips at curbside pickup even when the ride itself is already paid for online.

Long immigration queues and terminal transfers are why comfortable shoes matter more here than the flight itself. Cabin temperatures run cooler than most departure cities, and you may land somewhere with a completely different climate.

Your phone is how you'll show a pickup confirmation, translate a sign, or pull up your hotel address if the airport wifi is unreliable — a charger and a power bank keep it from dying at the exact moment you need it.

Immigration and baggage claim both mean touching a lot of surfaces plenty of other people have touched first. Keep prescription medication in your carry-on, not checked luggage — bags get delayed, and some medications can't wait for the next flight to arrive.

Security screening moves faster when your liquids are already sorted into 100ml (3.4oz) containers inside a single clear bag and your laptop is easy to pull out — fumbling for it at the belt is what creates the line behind you. A photo or paper copy of your passport, kept separate from the original, is worth having if the original goes missing. Save your driver's phone number before you land — wifi and data don't always connect the instant you're standing in an unfamiliar arrivals hall, and luggage tags with your own contact details help too, since airline tags tear off more often than you'd expect.