Flying for the first time can be an overwhelming experience, but once you get used to the process of going through an airport and what you need to do, it becomes second nature.

When you book a flight, you will be given a flight itinerary. This tells you what your baggage restrictions and limits are, what airport terminal you need to be at (for airports with multiple terminals) and what your scheduled departure time(s) are, among other things.

Here’s what you need to do, step by step:

1. Check in at the airline counter

Every airline will have their own counter or kiosk that passengers use to check in for their flights. This is where you get your boarding pass and hand over any luggage that needs to be stored in the plane cargohold (i.e. any luggage that you can’t keep with you due to size/weight limits).

Many airlines allow passengers to ‘check-in’ online and get a digital boarding pass that you can save onto your phone (but if you can, print it off too, just to be on the safe side).

If you are able to check-in online, you are usually allowed to do so up to 24 hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. Most airlines will email passengers when online check-in has opened. Some low-cost airlines like Ryanair may only offer you the option to check-in online and may charge you a fee if you choose to ‘check-in’ at the counter or get a printed boarding pass this way.

For low-cost airlines like this, they usually don’t include ‘checked-in luggage’ (i.e. luggage that needs to be stored in the plane cargohold) unless you pay extra. With many low-cost airlines, they usually require you to check-in online, print off your own boarding pass and use an automated check-in kiosk at the airport to check-in your own luggage, if your ticket includes it.

2. Go through airport security

Once you’ve checked-in and got your boarding pass, you don’t need to go through security right away, but you can if you want to. Just make sure you give yourself enough time because there can be lengthy queues at the security gates without warning.

When you go through security, they will ask you to place your backpack, keys, worn jewellery and outer garments like a coat into a tray to be passed through a scanner. You are usually asked to remove any laptops, iPads and other electronic devices so they are visible in a separate tray. You may also be asked to take off your shoes and belt. If you ever unsure about what you need to do or have questions, you can always ask the staff member who is processing you through security. Remember, they are there to keep us safe, not to judge us or make us feel uncomfortable.

There are restrictions as to what items you can take in your hand lugggage. You should do some research to understand what restrictions are in place for the country you are flying to and from.

For example, countries in the EU (including the United Kingdom) require passengers taking food and drink products in their hand luggage to store them in a single, transparent, resealable plastic bag which holds no more than 1 litre and measures approximately 20cm x 20cm. And any single container, bottle or tube that contains liquids, creams, pastes, etc cannot exceed 100ml in capacity.

This information is subject to change at any time, so you should always check for up to date hand luggage restrictions for the country or countries you are flying to and from.

For example, did you know you are not allowed to bring chewing gum into Singapore?

Once you’ve passed through security, the only thing left to do is to make your way to the departure lounge and wait for your boarding gate to be announced.

If you’ve got enough time before your flight, why not relax and get a coffee, read a book, or maybe find a cafe or diner where you can sit down and grab some food or use your laptop while you wait?

Don’t worry, you don’t need to make your way to the departure lounge until about 1 hour before your flight departs.

3. Go to the departure lounge

All passengers embark on an aircraft via a boarding gate. Don’t worry if your boarding pass doesn’t show what gate number you need to be at – it’s normal for the boarding gate not to be announced by the airline until 30 minutes to one hour before the departure time.

Most airlines don’t actually announce the boarding gate on a loudspeaker, but instead display this information on departure screens visible throughout the departure lounge. Just check the departure screens regularly.

If your boarding pass shows what gate number you need to be at, you should still check the departure screens to make sure it hasn’t been changed. Often, an airline won’t show what gate number you need to be at until as late as 30 minutes before the departure time.

And remember, if you have any questions or need directions at any time, find the nearest customer service helpdesk – airlines often have their own helpdesks within the airport departure lounges. Worst case scenario, you can always ask the nearest airport staff member or concierge.

4. Get to the departure gate

For some flights – especially international or long-haul flights – passengers will be called to embark in separate groups. Usually, economy passengers are the last group. You should check your boarding pass to see if you are assigned to a passenger group.

Airline staff usually verbally call passenger groups to start boarding over a loudspeaker or just by shouting out loud. Promptly make your way forward when your group number is called.

If you are hard of hearing, you should make this known to the airline staff at the departure gate. You may be able to ask them to come up or signal to you when it’s your turn to board.

In the event you don’t see group number information on your boarding pass, it’s usually because the airline either lets all passengers board at once or instead groups passengers by the fare type each person paid for – i.e. economy, premium economy, business or first class.

You can always ask airline staff at the departure gate if you’re not sure.

5. Board the plane

Your boarding pass will show you what seat number was assigned to you. Seat numbers are usually displayed just below the overhead luggage compartments. If you’re not sure, you can always ask one of the cabin crew.

As with all flights, you’ll be briefed on the safety features of the plane before takeoff. Make sure you keep your seatbelt on during takeoff and landing and at all other times as required (e.g. when the seatbelt sign is turned on).

Don’t be alarmed by the noise and elevation of aeroplanes during takeoff. And remember, no matter how nervous you may feel, you should know that aeroplanes have many different mechanical and safety features to keep passengers safe and comfortable; and the pre-flight checks that airlines perform before every flight is extensive and thorough.

Tips on booking flights

Flights to some destinatons are often only possible through connecting flights. This means you need to take two or more flights between multiple airports to reach your destination.

In these situations, it is best to book directly with airlines, because a connecting flight is often with a different airline altogether. For example, if you booked a flight from Glasglow to Brisbane, your first flight might be with British Airways to get to London, and then with Qantas or Singapore Airlines to get from London to Brisbane.

If you booked separate tickets yourself – first to get from Glasgow to London, and then from London to Brisbane – you become responsible if you miss your connecting flight to Australia.

Many airlines have ‘codeshare’ agreements with other airlines that allow both parties to offer the same flight to their respective customers, even though only one of the airlines is actually administering that flight.

For example, you may find yourself taking a domestic flight in the UK with British Airways to get to London Heathrow, and then taking an international flight with Qantas or Singapore Airlines to get to Australia or New Zealand.

By booking such a flight directly with an airline, instead of going through a travel agent or third party booking site, the entire itinerary will be protected against delays caused by either one of the airlines in the codeshare. If there were any delays, you would be able to ask the airline you bought the ticket from to give you an alternative flight, at their expense, to get you to your destination.

Always arrive early

For international flights, you should arrive at the airport at least three hours before your scheduled departure time.

For domestic flights, you should arrive at the airport at least two hours before the scheduled departure time.

Long-haul and transit flights

Many airlines offer stopover or transit options for long-haul flights. This allows you to temporarily stop over in another country to get some rest before you continue on with a flight to your destination country.

For flights like these, you sometimes need a transit visa to stopover in certain countries. You will need to do your own research to determine whether this applies to you, and any rules that you need to comply with as a transit passenger.

Many countries require passengers to remain in the transit area of the airport and for the onward flight to be within 24 hours.

Some airports, like at Singapore Changi, have “transit hotels” which allow you to split up long flights into shorter, more manageable journeys, allowing you to get some rest in between long flights. Many airlines offer flight options with 8 to 12 hour stopovers for this purpose.

If your flight itinerary includes one or more connecting flights (even if they are with other airlines – as long as it’s a single booking), you can ask for your luggage to be checked-in all the way through to your destination airport so you don’t need to repeatedly reclaim and check-in your luggage in each airport you are transiting through.

When you are checking-in your luggage for your first flight, you just need to ask the staff member that serves you to tag your luggage to go to your destination airport.

Baggage reclaim area

When you are at your destination airport, you’ll need to make your way to the baggage reclaim area to collect your luggage.

Some countries, such as Australia, don’t allow luggage to be transferred beyond the first airport in that country for passengers that arrive from an international airport.

For example, if you arrived in Sydney on an international flight with an onward domestic flight to Brisbane, your luggage will not be transferred to Brisbane for you. You will need to collect your luggage from the reclaim area and check it in again, ideally as early as possible.

Protecting your suitcase

It’s best if you protect your suitcase with a PIN padlock to reduce the likelihood of someone stealing something out of your suitcase when it’s not with you.

You may prefer to use a “TSA-friendly” padlock so airport security staff don’t need to potentially damage your suitcase if they need to inspect the contents without being able to ask you to unlock your suitcase beforehand.

Changes in air pressure

A lot of people don’t like flying because of the discomfort experienced during takeoff and landing due to changes in air pressure in the inner ear.

However, there are some products on the market that can help with this, such as EarPlanes. I used this particular brand during my last international flight and they actually worked. No pain and no deafness during takeoff or landing – I was amazed. Obviously I can’t guarantee this product will work for you as well – I can only share my own experience.

Unfortunately, you will need to buy multiple packs of these if you have more than one flight or a return journey, as you should only use them once per flight. If you use the same pack for multiple flights there is a risk they will stop working due to wear-and-tear.

While I found them pretty uncomfortable to wear, you don’t actually need to wear them for the entire flight: just one hour during takeoff and one hour before landing until the cabin doors are opened.