* The check-in Line

Now you've arrived, next step's check-in. Usually, there's multiple lines you can choose from. Which looks quickest ? Maybe the longest line is quickest ? Here's a couple tips. If you see lots of families and children in a line, avoid it. By the time they've found all their tickets, and sorted their luggage jumble, they've taken twice the time of a couple or single person.

Look for a short check-in line that's not easy to see. Look at each end of the check-in aisles, and maybe there's a valid check-in hidden by a pillar, that few people see. Happened to me just recently, and cut a half hour off my check-in time - a half hour I spent relaxing in the bar.

* How long to walk from lounge to gate ?

Maybe I should publish a guide to 'walk-time' at different airports ! I've walked anything from 2 minutes to 20 minutes after a call to Gate.

Ask at check-in. It's an important question. When that screen flashes 'Go to Gate', it's much less stressful if you know how long you'll take to walk there. All your good work of stress-reduction goes down the tubes if you walk 5 minutes and then realize your gate is way the other side of the airport terminal.

Sometimes you even have to go through more security, or another passport check, and find a line waiting there. I once travelled out of Spain, and this exact same thing happened. A long passport control line stood between me and my gate, where departure was scheduled just 15 minutes later. Luckily myself and 5 others decided to go right to the front and explain the situation - no one objected to us going thro first.

But try to avoid this un-necessary stress by checking in advance.

* Invest in the Executive Lounge

If you travel often you might get free entry to an airport executive lounge. If not, you can often pay a small amount to use it. The ideal low-stress airport experience begins in the executive lounge. Away from all the airport hustle & bustle, relax with free drinks and nibbles. Read a newspaper or magazine and you're soon in just the right, relaxed frame of mind for your journey.