I’m a travel expert – the mistake passengers make with passports when boarding

A TRAVEL expert has revealed the one thing that makes her blood boil when travelling.

Boarding a flight can be very stressful – and slowing down the queue is unlikely to win you any fans.

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Frequent traveller Jane Frawley says she hates when people don’t know where their passport is by the time they get to the gate.

She offered her own advice on how to avoid this

She wrote on Escape: “While you’re in transit, there are only three places your passport should be – in your hand; in the hands of an airline or customs official; or in a safe, easily accessible place in your luggage or clothes.

“Mentally underline and highlight the last point.

“Too many times I’ve seen people frantically patting their body down as if doing a deranged Macarena because they don’t know if their passport is in the side/top/middle/secret spot in their carry-on or the back/front/inside/hidden pocket of their jacket or pants.

“Choose one place and stick to it.”

Another annoying thing people do at the boarding gate is “gate-licing”.

Bonnie Tsai, founder of the etiquette consultancy company Beyond Etiquette, this just creates a bigger line and slows the whole process down.

She told the Washington Post: “You should steer clear of standing in line at the gate before your boarding group.

“It may also cause other travellers and the gate agents to become frustrated.

“Lining up before your boarding group is called won’t get you to your destination any sooner. Be considerate, and you’ll all get where you’re going.”

You should actually try and avoid being the first to get on the plane.

Travel TV host Samantha Brown said in an interview with CNN Travel to never use the pre-boarding option when taking flights with kids.

She says to instead wait in line with your regular boarding group, so kids won’t have to sit in their seat for as long.

It also gives some hyperactive children a bit of extra time to burn off energy in the boarding gate before being sat still for the duration of the flight.

Another travel expert has revealed how to speed up your boarding process.

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