The airport is the place that creates the most stress for someone going for the first time, because everything happens on signboards and in a hurry. Yet the process always consists of the same five steps, and once you learn them they repeat on every other trip. Below I have written every step in order, from the entrance of Heydar Aliyev airport to boarding the plane.
When to reach the airport
On international flights being there three hours before departure is a safe measure. In the summer months and on public holidays the queues get longer, so add half an hour in that period. The check-in desk usually closes forty-five minutes before departure and that is a rule beyond discussion.
If you have checked in online and are travelling with hand luggage only, two hours is enough. In that case you do not approach the check-in desk at all and go straight to control.
Five steps at the airport
The first step is entrance control, where the suitcase goes through the belt. The second step is check-in: you hand over the passport, hand in the baggage and get the boarding pass. The third step is border control, the fourth the security check, and the fifth finding your own gate in the waiting area.
There are three numbers on the boarding pass and each one matters. The gate number shows which exit you have to go to, the boarding time tells you the hour you are let onto the plane, and the seat number your place in the cabin. The gate can change at the last moment, so glance at the board from time to time.
What happens at the security check
You put your outer clothing, belt and watch into the tray. A laptop and a tablet are taken out of the bag, and liquids are shown separately in a transparent bag. Taking your shoes off is required in some countries and not in others, so look at the sign there.
Prepare these things in advance while you stand in the queue; it protects both your time and that of the people behind you. If the metal gate beeps, do not get annoyed: a check with a hand detector is an ordinary procedure and takes a few seconds.
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What they ask at border control
On the way out usually nothing is asked; the passport is stamped and you pass through. At the border of the country you are going to there may be questions, but they are simple. How many days will you stay, where will you be living, what is the purpose of the trip.
Let the answers be short and precise; there is no need for extra explanation. Keep a printed copy of the hotel booking and the return ticket to hand, because showing them is sometimes required. Searching for a document on your phone loses time in the queue.
Small but important matters at the airport
Do not change money at the airport; the rate there is always bad, and a small amount is enough for a taxi. When you connect to the free internet, do not use your banking app. Settling the transfer in advance in the city you arrive in is particularly comfortable on flights landing at night, and ordering the transfer beforehand is a few minutes’ work.
Checking the flight schedule and prices from Baku by route in advance helps you plan what time you have to reach the airport. The official rules and the terminal map are on the Heydar Aliyev International Airport site.
A last word
The airport procedure consists of five steps and once you have learned it there is no stress left on later trips. Arrive three hours early, keep the documents to hand, glance at the gate board from time to time. To prepare the travel documents together, fill in the application form.
Note: check-in and control rules can vary by airline and country, so check before the flight.
