Airport shuttles are convenient to have as an alternative to driving to and from an airport. You don't have to worry about handling traffic yourself, you don't have to think about where you'll park your car while you're gone, and you don't have to deal with security issues for your car, either. But taking shuttles can have its issues if you don't prepare correctly. Here's how you can make your airport shuttle ride as smooth as possible.
Ship Oddly Shaped Packages Instead of Taking Them as Baggage
This should not even have to be mentioned, but if you are taking any oddly shaped packages with you, such as weird gifts, sports equipment, and more, try to ship them. You'd think people would do this anyway, but many want to save as much money as possible and so try to check them with other baggage. However, lugging those items onto an airport shuttle makes for delays (as the driver tries to fit them in the shuttle) and annoyed passengers (who might get poked by the oddly shaped items as the shuttle navigates traffic). Ship the odd shapes and take only plain luggage with you. That's faster loading and unloading of the shuttle right there.
Allow Time
Calculate how much time you think you'll need to get to the airport, and then increase it. The shuttle may have to pick up other passengers after you, and you never know what's going to happen with traffic. Accidents, construction, police actions—all of these can happen without warning. Allow lots of time for the shuttle ride, especially if you're going to an airport in a nearby city, rather than the one closest to your home. Also be aware that there could be long security lines at the airport, or that a problem with another plane flight being cancelled could make check-in lines long. While these aren't related to shuttle rides—you'd have to account for them even if you were driving yourself to the airport—they are issues to consider when planning when to arrange for shuttle pickup.
Have Payments and Tips Already Separated From Your Other Cash
If you're going to pay the shuttle driver in cash, have the cash ready to go. Count it out before you leave and place the amount of the shuttle ride fee, and the tip, in an envelope. Counting out cash doesn't take that long, but if you're itching to get to the gate, being able to simply hand over the amount immediately will make you feel so much better and less harried.
Your shuttle company's customer service should be able to help you plan the trip, as well as calculate the fee and tip. Contact them now to start arranging for your shuttle ride.
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