Hey, guys!
In the last video, we talked about security checkpoint.
You remember that I mentioned that we can get long lines at check-in,
and, mainly, at the security checkpoint?
And then I gave you the following piece of advice:
Arrive at least three hours prior to your departure.
If you don't want to take any risks, this is by far the best thing to do.
But, well... if you're lucky,
you'll go through the whole process quickly,
which will give you some extra time for that last-minute shopping spree!
And if you want to go for that, let me tell you,
there are very nice shopping options at the international boarding area,
and they're usually duty-free.
Do you know why certain stores are called duty-free?
Because in them you buy things to take abroad,
therefore, you are free from your obligation to pay local taxes.
Which means you're free from any duties!
That's why products at the duty-free shops are usually cheaper.
Tempting, isn't it?
But let's not get carried away, first things first.
And the first thing you have to make sure of is your flight information.
And for that, we should check the departure board.
Let's take a look at the information you'll find there:
I know, guys. There's a lot of information.
And American airports can be huge,
which means that the bigger the airport, the more information it has.
But the good news is that, in the United States,
flights are usually arranged alphabetically by destination.
And that's why that is the first piece of information you'll find!
Then you'll see the airline company and the flight number.
After that, you should see the terminal and the gate.
This is very important information, guys.
American airports may have four, five, six or up to nine boarding terminals,
which are sorted by letter.
For example:
"A28" means terminal A, Gate 28.
"B52", Terminal B, Gate 52.
Well, after that you'll see the scheduled time.
And lastly, you'll see your flight status.
But what are the possible flight statuses?
Well, if everything is right with your flight,
you'll see the following sequence of information concerning flight status:
Now, if there's a problem, you'll read:
Or, worst case scenario:
In such case, guys,
you'll have to go to the airline counter to reschedule your flight.
You may have to ask the following questions:
Fortunately, flights are not cancelled very often.
Actually, delays happen more often, especially if the weather is bad.
And, in that case, your gate is likely to change.
Well, as a matter of fact,
your gate might change even if your flight isn't delayed.
If your gate changes, you'll hear something like this announcement:
It's important to check the terminal and the gate on the departure board,
because this is where your flight information will be updated.
So, if the gate and terminal information
on your boarding pass differs from that on the departure board,
go to the gate specified on the departure board,
because it's the correct one.
There'll probably be an information desk in the boarding area,
and you can ask for help.
And then you get to your boarding terminal, now what?
What can you do while waiting for your flight?
Wow! A lot!
There are plenty of options
at the international boarding area of every American airport.
And yes, in general, it's the latter,
the duty-free shop, the travelers' favorite shop!
This is where you're likely to find better prices,
since you don't have to pay local taxes.
And you'll find almost anything you want in a duty-free shop.
If you're in a shop, the salesperson may approach you like this:
But if you're the one who approaches the salesperson,
then you'll say:
Now, if you want to learn more about the products or deals,
you can ask:
To learn more about useful sentences when shopping,
I highly recommend that you watch this shopping module.
But perhaps you don't want to shop,
you've already bought too much and you don't want to spend any more money.
That's fair enough.
But you'll most certainly get a bit hungry, right?
In such case, just look for some restaurant in the boarding area,
you'll find big food courts there.
And there'll be options for you to choose, for example:
You can order like this:
But guys don't forget that if the restaurant or the cafe has a server,
a waiter or a waitress, you'll need to tip.
Tipping in American restaurants ranges from 15% to 20%
on top of the final price.
And well, this is it! This is the end of our tour of the airport!
But you still have some follow-up activities to do, don't you?
I hope you've enjoyed these videos as much as I have!
Have a good trip and I'll see you at some airport out there!
Take care!