4 Airport Driving Mistakes Travelers Overlook
Airport driving seems like no big deal until you are actually doing it while tired, rushed, carrying bags, and trying to read signs that are changing every 20 seconds. It might be dropping off someone, picking up the rental car, or going directly onto the highway, but small errors around airports can quickly add up to stress, tickets, and missing flights. This article presents four common airport driving errors that passengers tend to forget or overlook.
1. Misinterpreting Loop-Road & Terminal Signage
Loop roads at the airport exist purely for efficient access; they do not allow any room for error. Because the signage is often placed much earlier than a driver expects when driving into the terminal, failing to find the proper terminal makes it necessary for a driver to complete an entirely new loop of the airport.
At large airports, such as Orlando International Airport, drivers have the greatest difficulty in determining which terminal to enter.
Last-second decisions to change lanes in order to “correct” an error usually result in either accidents or traffic citations. Instead, it would be more prudent to slow down just a little bit, read ahead, and make a mental note of the missed turn.
A driver who understands that the configuration of the airport is in the form of a circular loop will have better chances of making a return into the right terminal.
2. Delaying Review Until After Basin Drop
One of the most common mistakes is driving through tolls and having cashless surprises when you get the bill from a rental operator. If you spend a few minutes before you start your drive checking toll routes and payment methods, you will save yourself from potential headaches and bills later.
3. Failing to Allow Enough Time for Rental Car Return
Errors that result from this include failing to return the car prior to when you book your flight, failing to properly refuel the car, and missing your flight. Returning a rental car from the airport is not usually as quick as you would imagine. This is because you must contend with road traffic to reach a refueling station prior to turning in the car, as well as unpack your luggage to take a shuttle bus. Many airports experience congestion related to car returns during peak traveling times, such as summer months.
To ensure minimal stress, it is important that you have a good plan for returning the car. Familiarizing yourself with the car return process will enable you to know when to proceed to the car return location, the duration that you will be there, as well as what you are supposed to do when you get there. If you are returning to Orlando Airport, check out this return car Orlando Airport guideto prepare.
4. Ignoring Environmental Conditions
Airport driving involves additional environmental conditions that most drivers fail to factor in. For example, during the early morning hours or late afternoon, sunlight reflection may prevent you from seeing anything on the roadway as they approach the airport. In Florida, you could experience pop-up storms that will cause you to lose sight of the roadway in a matter of time.
Endnote
Airport driving is not complicated; it is difficult because a driver's mental state will determine the likelihood of their trip being successful. Most of the problems associated with airport driving originate from small mistakes rather than significant errors.
Slow yourself and plan for both the exit and the return trip with the same attention to detail that you give to planning your flight.
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