A flight attendant has shared an easy trick that could save you time and energy at the airport, and all you need to do is open up one app on your phone after you’ve checked in
Travelling by plane can be a stressful experience. Not only do you have to cope with being wedged next to strangers for the entirety of your flight, but even navigating the airport before you’ve even boarded the plane can send your blood pressure skyrocketing. Going through security can leave you feeling anxious, while trying to find the correct boarding gate can sometimes feel like navigating a maze.
But thankfully, one flight attendant has claimed there’s actually a much easier way for you to find all the things you need in the airport without having to tear your hair out. What’s more, you only need one app on your phone to make the trick work.
Cher, a flight attendant from the US, explained in a video on TikTok that if you open up Apple Maps on your iPhone, you can switch on one setting that will allow you to easily navigate the airport and find your gate in minutes.
She said: “Not nearly enough people know that if you have the explore feature on your Apple Maps, you can zoom in and see your gate at the airport. You can also see all of the restaurants that are nearby at your terminal.
“Which means if you like to know exactly where you’re going, you can figure out how far your gate is from your security checkpoint, and you can see what food is available in the airport. If you want to order ahead, when you get to the airport, you can have your Starbucks coffee waiting for you in the mobile pick-up line.”
Cher also explained that the feature can be useful for those with connecting flights, too. You can use it to work out how far away the gate you land at is from the next gate you need to depart from.
She added: “We all know that gate numbers are not reliable at airports because, for some reason, some airports want to use numbers and some want to use letters.”
The Explore function on Apple Maps is the standard map feature that allows you to see places, businesses, and points of interest. While the airport might look like a big grey building when you first open your app, zooming in should bring up the individual shops within the airport, as well as gate numbers at each terminal.
This is different from Apple Maps’ driving mode, which shows traffic conditions and puts the focus on roads.
Google Maps also has a similar exploring feature for anyone with an Android phone, so you don’t have to feel stuck in the airport just because you don’t have an iPhone.
Commenters on the video were blown away by the hack, as many admitted they’d never even thought of opening their maps app at the airport before.
One person said: “This is a game changer.”
Another added: “Girl! These are the tips I NEEDED to hear!”
A third wrote: “This is exactly the type of traveler I am so THANK YOU.”