Travel expert shares how to get out of airports faster

Travel

By Adriana Diaz

This is how to stick the landing.

A frequent traveler from Texas is revealing her “secret” to getting out of airports faster.

Lindsay Mukaddam, who often travels solo, shares her travel hacks on her TikTok page @onegirlwandering.

In a viral video from July, Mukaddam, 37, noted her simple tip for leaving the airport as quickly as possible.

“Come to the departures level if the arrival level is completely slammed with cars,” she said in the 14-second clip that has landed more than 1.1 million views.

“Because then the person who’s picking you up can get up here with no issues, and they don’t have to wait in line.”

She captioned the video: “At least I don’t have to wait a moment longer to get home.”

Mukaddam told Newsweek last month: “I found out about this hack because the Austin airport actually has signs during busy travel times encouraging travelers to use both levels for pickups and drop-offs. Not everyone pays attention to this, but those who do listen to this advice have a shorter wait time.”

She did acknowledge to the outlet that “this trick isn’t going to work at all airports” because some don’t have separate areas for departures and arrivals.

Mukaddam’s tips may help weary travelers get through the airport — and one former FBI agent’s tricks may help at the hotel.

Former FBI special agent and CIA officer Tracy Walder, 44, recommends staying in a room between the third and sixth floors.

She reasons that these rooms are low enough to the main floor for emergency access, but far enough from intruders who enter on the ground floor.

“When it comes to floor level, there’s two things — first is entering. Typically, someone who’s trying to do harm is going to go the easiest way that they can and that would be entering through the first floor as it is most accessible,” Walder explained.

“With getting out, if you’re too high on the 20th floor or 21st floor — it’s going to be really difficult for you to get out quickly.”

Once she’s in her room, Walder is always sure to lock and bolt the door and put a doorstopper down for an “extra level of security.”

“My husband, Ben, 44, teases me about it, and while it’s unlikely someone will break in, the reality is that hotel staff have a keycard to get into your room,” she said.

“My hope was to give people all different variations of security control and encourage them to use things they can control or already have — without having to buy anything,” Walder said of sharing her tips.