Submitted 3 weeks ago by broughtheheatback@reddthat.com to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
Not really some can be pretty big, but it’s usually pretty clearly marked, and and there’s lots of ads of staff around that help with our if needed.
Some things to be aware of: in large international airports some times you need to move between terminals. And this CAN make it seem like you are leaving the airport. Trust the signage.
Source: Over hundred international flights over the past couple of years.
Which airports are you flying via?
I’ve been to MUC a lot. It’s big, but fairly easy to navigate. You’ll be fine. I don’t remember the terminal names, but you’ll probably be arriving and departing at different terminals.
Also, looking up airport maps in advance is always helpful: www.munich-airport.com/airport-map-261352
It’s not complicated, they know there is first time and non frequent flyers who get lost easily. Here is a form of routine.
Do as much as possible in advance if you can self-check-in online and just go to the bag drop, do-it
Try to drop your bag and clear security as quickly as possible, you’ll get some “peace of mind” once done, as these are the parts where you can loose a lot of time. To do so check information panel at the airport entrance.
Before clearing security, remove shoes, belt, put laptop/phone on the tray bins. While it’s not requested, remove your jewels/piercing they might trigger a metal detector.
Another pro-tip for security, while in theory it changes nothing, but dress properly, give the image of someone who travels internationally and can afford business class.
You fly business, so you most likely have access to lounge, it’s way better than the standard waiting room, so enjoy. If you’re a bit stress a glass of wine in the lounge way help you to relax and sleep better during the long flight
roughly 30 minutes before departure, try to be at your gate, usually, I try to locate the gate before the rest.
You have a connection, when dropping the bag, ask whether it comes directly to your final destination. I expect that you’ll clear custom in München (assuming you fly from the EU), this is not a big deal
remove shoes, belt, put laptop/phone on the tray bins
Some airports are removing this requirement now, but there are usually signs
To the last point, I wouldn’t trust anyone at your departing airport who tells you your bag will go to the destination. Almost lost a bag that way. Thankfully, my uncertainty made me ask again at the layover airport “just in case”…lol
Airports are designed to be easy to navigate. Although they look very overwhelming, it’s really not that hard! There are a lot of signs and people everywhere who’s job it is to help travelers. Remember that you’re not the only one who’ve never flew! There are lots of people who are insecure or anxious at airports.
Just be there in time and follow the instructions. You should be fine :)
Enjoy the journey!! You got this.
They're designed to be easy to navigate, and to funnel you through as many duty free stores as they can!
As long as you can read English, you can navigate almost any airport. Almost all airports have English on their navigation signs.
You will likely be interviewed both in Europe and in South Korea when you fly. This is routine for all passengers. You should have your return ticket information, otherwise you are going to get flagged as a human trafficking risk.
Download the airline’s app before flying; it will help get updates from the airline and will update your ticket if there is a change in gate.
Bring an external battery for your phone with you to keep your phone charged. Also, have an idea how you are going to have phone data in Korea; airport WiFi may be spotty.
If recommend getting an e sim I’m you have a newer phone through a service like saily or revolut for internet purposes. Having data in Korea is going to save you a lot of hassle.
Everyone’s given good airport advice, so I’ll offer some personal travel advice if you’re not a frequent traveler.
Keep your personal travel documents in a place you’ll remember in a bag close to you, under the seat in front of you. Same for any medications. Purse, tote, backpack, whatever, and make sure it’s in a place where it’s zipped up and won’t fall out of the bag when set down. This means your passport and any other ID, and even your bank cards and the like. This bag will not and can not be checked luggage. Make sure it conforms to carry on bag restrictions for the airline.
Do not carry important items in a disorganized jumble at the bottom of a bag. You don’t need that panic desperately digging for a passport, checking pockets, jackets, whatever, while freaking out that the item may be lost. Keep organized. You’re going long way and are going to be wiped out physically and mentally. Save yourself the stress.
Do NOT put anything in the seat back pocket. After hours and hours of stress of travel and fatigue you will be far, far more likely to forget you put something there. Phone, backup battery, itinerary, or heaven forbid a passport. I travel for a living and probably just over once every couple months the cabin crew find a passport or phone in a seat back or a passenger comes running back to the plane panicked looking for an important item.
Customs - make sure you don’t bring anything you’re not supposed to into another country. Some innocuous over the counter medications like decongestants based on stimulants are illegal and treated like illegal drugs to bring in to some countries. Check Korea’s laws for travelers before you depart.
Give yourself time to get through airports that are unfamiliar. This includes time to clear customs and security. This will also help reduce stress and give you time to recover from any missteps like showing up at the wrong terminal.
Good luck, enjoy the ride!
The absolute worst airports to navigate are all in the US. Fort Worth, Atlanta, just to shame two.
Most other airports are easy to navigate, even on your first trip. It’s basically walking to a door with a number following huge signs with arrows and numbers. If you need help, you just ask staff working there. The Lufthansa people will be delighted to take a biz class passenger by the hand. Make sure your suitcase gets sent to Korea directly, pick a seat you like (aisle is better if you ask me), and don’t forget your passport. You’ll be fine!
A lot of good advice here! One thing I would add is that large international flights typically board early. So your long-haul flight to Seoul may board 45 minutes or more in advance. And since you are in Business Class, you will board earlier than most.
My advice would be that once you arrive in Munich, check your phone (or look at the departure acreens) to find out what gate your Seoul flight is leaving from, then go there right away. No rush, but don’t hit the gift shop just yet. Once you get there, the screens at the gate should tell you when the boarding time is (or you can ask the gate staff.). Once you confirm that, you can leave for the restroom or to grab a quick snack.
You shouldn’t have to worry about a full meal because they normally feed you well in business class. (Free booze, also, if that is your thing.)
Stay calm and read the signs. There are signs everywhere in most airports. Even in South Korea I believe they should have signs in English.
You can also ask for help from airline/airport staff, tell them your situation and they should be very willing to help. Also, visit the airport websites and see the maps, directions in advance.
Make sure your phone has roaming enabled so you can call for help. Use ChatGPT or Google Translate when needed.
I fly quite a lot (but only to South Korea once a long time ago). Please let me know if you have specific questions and I will try to answer.
2h layover is plenty of time. When you get off the flight at Munchen, ask the flight attendants for the gate number. As long as you go to the correct gate with the boarding pass, there is very little that can go wrong.
Read the rules on what you are allowed/prohibited to carry with you.
Well maybe consider looking into what South Korean customs are like.
Entering any country to “meet a boyfriend/girlfriend” will set off alarm bells. Mostly that they’re worried you will stay illegally with them permanently.
Don’t pack too much. Have return tickets already (very important to show you intend to leave), be able to show you still have a life/ties to your home country.
I realize no one has asked this bluntly. You have a return ticket, right?
A lot of airports have detailed, and sometimes even interactive, maps online. If I’m hitting an airport I haven’t been to yet, I’ll always take a look at the map to see where I’ll be coming into the airport and where I’ll departing.
As others have touched on, having the flight ticket and photo ID immediately available to hand to airport security / Customs is going to help get through the process faster.
Almost all airport security has a little bit of a different layout, but the process is mostly the same. Queue up and wait your turn for an available Security or Customs agent. Sometimes staff are directing people which agent to go. Most times the agents will be yelling out for the next person. Be ready to hand them the ticket and/or photo ID. Customs will ask some basic questions like “Where are you headed?” “Business or Pleasure?” or they’ll ask if you’re bringing anything with you to declare (mostly talking about sealed food/drink items).
Next usually comes the metal detectors and luggage search. You’ll place your stuff in bins. Use as many bins as you need for your electronics, shoes, things in your pockets, carry-on, etc. Follow directions to queue up. Once you’ve been scanned, Security may ask you to step to the side and they’ll run a wand around your body. This is pretty rare and usually doesn’t happen.
After that, wait for your bins to come down the conveyer and you’ve passed imo the most stressful part of flying.
The most interesting Arrivals security I had to go through was in Mexico. They have everybody press a button in big room. If the light turns green, you’re good to go without being checked. If the light turns red, you’re in for a quick security check lol
I prefer to find my gate first before wandering around to look for food or go to the bathroom. I’m usually 45-60 minutes early for my first boarding time just to make sure I know where things are at, then I grab a little food if I’m hungry.
Depending on the size of the airports, it may feel a little overwhelming. Each gate has a desk staffed by the airline. Feel free to ask them any questions or ask any of them for directions. One thing I’ve found is that the airline’s app is usually more up-to-date with information than the screens or, sometimes, even staff. Once, I was able to notify the desk staff of a gate change before even they knew about it (very rare). Another time, I got a notification of delay just a few minutes before the screens updated the flight status.
If you give yourself enough time, everything will go smoothly.
I’ve not been to Bucharest airport so I don’t know how big it is or how it is laid out. However, usually you will go to check-in and baggage drop for Lufthansa - they will have an area which is labelled up, you might need to walk around a bit but the check-in areas should all be next to each other - and they will give you a boarding pass. You then need to follow the signs to the gates. That will take you through security and usually to an area with duty-free shopping. You’ll see some boards there which will tell you which gate you need (look for your destination and the flight time or number). Sometimes they don’t announce it until the last minute. You’ll then need to follow the signs to that gate, it can be a bit of a trek if it’s a big airport (allow plenty of time to get there). When you are at the gate, wait until they call you for boarding. If it’s a big plane you’ll walk down a tunnel directly onto it, otherwise you’ll be sent outside and have to climb up the steps.
Airports can be a bit daunting but they tend to be very well signposted and lots of staff around to ask if you get lost.
Enjoy your trip!
(Also don’t get used to business class - he’s been generous there, you’re very lucky)
Just give yourself plenty of time (arrive 3 hours before departure or earlier). Review your flight number and look at the screens every half hour to reassure yourself you’re at the correct gate.
It can be overwhelming, yes. But it’s not difficult. A bunch of dumb people go through it every day and they get to their destination just fine. =)
Don’t worry about anxiety, once you get there just focus on the next thing that needs to be done at any given moment and you’ll be ok. You’ll find that the brain gets into a problem-solving state and you’ll be landing in Korea before you even notice.
A lot of airports are designed in a hub and spoke configuration where each spoke is lettered. You may have the A spoke, B spoke, and C spoke. Gates on these spokes are numbered sequentially starting at the hub. Gate A1 is right next to the hub and Gate A40 is near the end. Usually, there are two TV screens between most gates. One for arrivals, one for departures. Flights are listed by destination and time. Figure out where you are, figure out where you need to be. Find the correct spoke and then find the correct gate. There are shops and restaurants everywhere in case you need anything, but everything is super expensive (captive audience). Stay hydrated.
You will not struggle in the Bucharest airport (I assume you fly from Otopeni) as it’s small and the terminal layout for departures is just a long hallway. It’s also well marked.
München might be the best possible airport for a layover when you fly out of Romania. It is much bigger, but as others have already told you it is easy to navigate.
Because of the autistic community, there are a wealth of information on airports and what happens.
So I’m pretty confident that you can look up your specific airports and find out everything about them.
The layover is a good thing. It is incredibly unlikely you miss the connection when you have two hours. So you’ll be fine, but look up videos on the airports to reassure yourself.
FistingEnthusiast@lemmynsfw.com 3 weeks ago
They’re clearly marked with where to go, and full of people who are there specifically to help you
You may also bump into seasoned travellers going the same way as you who will offer you guidance
Relax and enjoy the adventure!
benni@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Yeah, what the fisting enthusiast said. It’ll be fine.
FistingEnthusiast@lemmynsfw.com 3 weeks ago
I’ve done a lot of travelling and a lot of fisting
Everyone needs a hobby or two