Tips at the Arrival Gate

Call for help. If you’ve missed a connection, don’t stand in line to rebook with a gate agent. Instead, use your cell phone to call the airline’s customer-service number. You may speak to someone faster, giving you a better shot at a seat on the next flight.

Utilize cell-phone lots. These free-parking areas, where drivers can wait for a phone call saying that the person is there for 30 minutes or longer, have sprung up at more than 50 airports in the last few years. For a complete list of these lots, visit the Airports Council International website at www.aci-na.org.

Get fed fast It’s late. You’ve just landed, and you’re starving. To have dinner waiting in your hotel room when you arrive, call and order room service from the road.

On the Plane Bring a car seat for your child. Car seats aren’t just safer for children, they also help kids stay calmer since they’re used to being in them. Invest in a car seat–stroller combination. The seat slides right out of the stroller part and you can check that at the gate.

Get your in-flight necessities ready for the flight Blocking the aisle during boarding while you dig for gum, a book, or a snack can delay the entire plane.