FORGET gate lice – it’s now gate campers causing fury at airports.
For years, passengers have slammed fellow travellers who hang around the boarding gate before their group is called.
But a new trend is causing just as many problems, which is people arriving too early for their flights.
Currently, the common advice is to arrive two hours before a short haul flight, or three hours before a long haul flight.
Yet with chaos in recent years of long immigration queues and passport gates going down, nervous travellers are now arriving much earlier than asked.
One traveller told USA Today: “I’m afraid there will be delays at the screening area – I don’t want to miss my flight.”
This has now resulted in gate campers, which is people heading to the airport hours before the airlines advise.
AirHelp‘s Eric Napoli said it was “no surprise” it was happening, also citing confusing carry on luggage rules as reasons for people wanting to arrive early.
Not only that, but it means terminals are often a lot busier with people taking up lots of seats for hours on end.
Most airports urge passengers not to arrive too early, as check in desks may not even be open.
Even hand luggage only travellers are warned against it as it can cause more congestion at the airport.
There are other reasons for passengers arriving earlier than ever as well.
Many airports are becoming tourist destinations themselves, and not just because of the duty free shopping.
For example, Changi Airport is home to everything from the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, to swimming pools and cinemas inside.
Dubai Airport has a number of spas and gardens as well as cinemas, while Incheon in South Korea has ice skating rinks and a museum.
As the Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor, I myself have become a gate camper.
Despite never checking luggage in at the airport, you can often find me going through security at least an hour before the recommended time.
But having often been left stranded by delayed trains, or stuck in long, non-moving airport queues, I would now much rather arrive way too early.
I also love having enough time to shop, be it picking up some new sunglasses or browsing for perfume.
So if you need me, you’ll find me with a coffee and a book in the terminal with two hours to kill.
Here’s everything you need to know about gate lice.
Or one man revealed the opposite and why he was always last to board the flight.
