Travelling abroad can be a stressful experience, with strict schedules and security checks adding to the tension. However, a little-known hack offered by some airlines could significantly reduce your stress on the day of your flight.
For those in the know, this genius time-saving trick allows you to breeze through the airport without a worry. Selected airlines offer a twilight bag drop service, which means you can arrive at the airport the night before your flight and check in your bulky bags.
This leaves you unburdened and stress-free the following morning.
With your bags already checked in, all you need to do is check in for the flight online the night before, then breeze through security on the morning of your flight. Not all airlines offer this service, so here’s a list of those that do, and where they offer it, reports the Mirror.
Ryanair
Ryanair offers this service for flights departing before 8am from Manchester or Edinburgh airports. The twilight bag drop is open from 7pm to 10pm the night before.
If you want to use this service across any of these airlines, make sure you arrive at the airport not only with your bags but also with your boarding pass and passports. This will ensure you have everything you need to check your bags in.
easyJet
If you’re jetting off with easyJet from London City, Bristol, Berlin, Manchester, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Glasgow or Belfast, the twilight bag drop service is available between 4pm and 9pm. However, do verify the exact timings at your specific departure airport.
This service is exclusively for passengers with flights departing before noon, although some airports only offer this service for flights departing before 8am.
TUI
TUI provides a twilight bag drop service from Gatwick’s north terminal and Birmingham airport for flights departing before 12pm. If your flight has a TOM number, you can drop your bags at the terminal between 2pm and 9pm the day prior to your flight, ensuring a stress-free morning departure.
British Airways
British Airways also offers this service for flights departing before 10am from London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London City Airports.
At Heathrow, the service is open from 4pm to 6pm for those with flights before 10am the following day. At Gatwick and London City, it’s available from 4pm to 8.30pm for those with flights before 1pm.
The service is also accessible at Edinburgh Airport from 4pm to 8pm.
Jet2
If you’re jetting off with Jet2 before midday, you can conveniently drop your bags at Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow International, London Stansted, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester or Newcastle Airports. Travelling in a group?
One person can check in six people’s luggage, saving you the hassle of dragging the whole family to the airport twice.