The mistakes you make at airports that could cause big delays

DELAYS at airports are very common, but there are ways in which passengers can minimise their chances of getting held up.

From picking the right time to fly, and choosing certain flights, frequent flyers have worked out how to make sure they arrive at their destinations when scheduled.

The first mistake people often make is booking flights that set off later in the day.

In fact, the best time to fly statistically is the morning, because there are fewer problems that can have a knock-on effect on your journey at that time.

Aviation expert and author William McGee : “The first flight of the day is more important now than ever. You should book that 6 a.m. departure as delays tend to pile up later in the day."

That claim is backed up by research produced by travel booking site Expedia, who revealed that later flights are often the most problematic.

The research revealed that flights that depart after 3pm have the highest chance of being cancelled – a 50 per cent higher chance, on average, than those that depart earlier in the day.

Booking early wasn't McGee's only recommendation either.

He said it was always best to book non-stop flights rather than ones that require a stop off, or a layover.

While it may be a bit more expensive to fly direct, changing flights means much more can go wrong with your journey.

McGee added: “Why double your chances of a problem if you can avoid it?”

However, if the costs of the non-stop journey is too much, he recommends booking a longer layover if possible, to give yourself extra time to make your connecting trip.

Finally, passengers are often guilty of arriving later than they need to at the airport before their flights.

Advice from airline staff and aviation security services states that passengers ought to be at the airport three hours before an international journey, especially if you have checked luggage.