Check List – Prestwick Airport Car Parking from SkyParkSecure

Prestwick Airport Check List

Before you get to Prestwick Airport

  • Confirm flight reservations.
  • Double check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office site for up to date issues relating to the country you're travelling to.
  • Get all your vaccinations up-to-date (if applicable).
  • Make sure you have your passports (and any necessary visas).
  • Make sure you have your tickets and money in your hand luggage.
  • If packing medicines, ensure that they are in their original packaging as this will avoid delays or confiscations at customs.
  • Do not gift wrap presents as they may have to be unwrapped by security staff or customs.
  • Dress comfortably and wear loose-fitting shoes as sitting on board an aircraft can sometimes be uncomfortable.
  • Get some extra sleep before the trip to reduce jetlag.

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Hand luggage—what NOT to pack

  • You should always check the exact hand luggage allowance with your airline before packing.
  • A general guide is that hand baggage should be:
  • a maximum weight of 5 to 7 kilos, and
  • a maximum volume of height 450mm x width 350mm x depth 200mm.
  • Most airlines have a hand baggage measurement gauge at check-in.

    Take only one piece of hand luggage and make sure that your hand luggage does not contain:
  • Scissors
  • Razor blades
  • Tweezers
  • Household cutlery
  • Knitting needles
  • Toy or replica guns
  • Knives of ANY length
  • Catapults
  • Sporting bats
  • Darts
  • Billiard, pool or snooker cues
  • Syringes (unless you can prove they are needed for diabetes or other medical reasons. You should phone the airline in advance to find out what they require as proof.)
  • The above items should be packed in your checked luggage.
  • If you have any of these in your hand luggage and they will be confiscated at security control. You will not get them back and you will not be compensated.

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Hand luggage—what to pack

  • Passports and visas
  • Tickets
  • Money
  • Credit cards
  • Traveller’s cheques
  • Foreign currency if needed
  • E111 Form (make a link to go down to E111 below)
  • Glasses and/or contact lenses
  • Medication and medical documents if needed
  • Travel insurance documents
  • Driving license (if applicable)

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All luggage—what NOT to pack

  • Some items may not be taken on board an aircraft at all, either as hand luggage or in the hold.
  • Do not pack the following anywhere in your carry on or check in luggage under any circumstances:
  • Flammable liquids and solids
  • Organic peroxides
  • Oxidisers
  • Wet car cell batteries
  • Infectious substances
  • Instruments containing magnets or mercury
  • Magnetrons
  • Non-safety matches, fire lighters, lighter fuel
  • Poisons: arsenic, cyanide, weedkiller, etc.
  • Gas cylinders
  • Fireworks
  • Paint or paint thinner
  • Anything radioactive
  • Creosote, quicklime, oiled paper
  • Acids, corrosives, alkalis, caustic soda

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All luggage—what to pack

  • Photocopies of all important documents (passport, insurance and visas) packed separately from the originals
  • Adapters / plugs
  • Suntan lotion
  • First aid kit
  • Insect repellent
  • Guidebook
  • Phrasebook
  • Design your own list

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Getting to Prestwick Airport

  • More airport security means that checking in can take longer than it used to. You should arrive in plenty of time:
  • International flights - check in 2 hours prior to departure
  • European flights - check in 2 hours prior to departure
  • Domestic flights - check in 1 hour prior to departure
  • Plan your mode of transport and, if necessary, the route you will be taking to the airport.
  • If you are driving to the airport, ensure that you have booked airport parking in advance.
  • If you are being driven by a friend who wants to see you off in the airport, ensure that he/she knows where the short stay parking is located.
  • If taking a taxi, ensure that the firm you intend to use has taxis available for the time you wish to travel, ask them how long they expect the journey to take at that time of day.
  • If taking a train or coach, ensure that you have the necessary tickets.
  • Check there are no major engineering or road works that could lengthen your journey.

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When you get to Prestwick airport

  • Make sure you keep your baggage with you at all times.
  • Alert airport staff if you see any unattended package or luggage.
  • Never look after baggage belonging to other people or carry anything onto the aircraft for someone else.
  • Keep a close eye on the display boards announcing which gate flights depart from as your gate may change.

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When you are flying

  • Relax and sleep if you can.
  • Move your feet around.
  • Get up and walk around regularly.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Don’t drink too much alcohol or caffeine as these can be dehydrating on flights.
  • Don't eat too heavily before or during a long flight as this will help you avoid indigestion and hypertension.
  • To reduce jetlag, get some sleep during the flight and try to synchronise mealtimes with the time it is at your destination.
  • Wearing flight socks, taking a low dose of aspirin or moving about every so often during the flight can help prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis.

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Travelling with Children

  • Phone the airline about kids' packs and meals.
  • Phone the airline to pre-book seats (if possible) and request early boarding at check-in.
  • Put all passports in parent's hand luggage.
  • Dress children in loose, comfortable clothing.
  • Take non-sugary snacks and drinks to avoid hyper-activity.
  • Books, colouring books, crayons, soft toys and other quiet toys. Do not take toys with small, detachable parts on the flight.
  • Pack children’s medication, a change(s) of clothes, diapers, spit up clothes, wet wipes and tissues
  • Make a list of everything you will need. Some things (bottles, food) cannot be packed in advance so divide the list into "advance pack" and "last minute".
  • Take one or two large, sturdy carry on bags with multiple sections rather than using lots of small bags. This will allow you to focus on keeping your children safe and happy without having to worry about lost luggage.

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Travellers with disabilities

  • Travelling is commonplace nowadays for people with disabilities and there is no reason why this should pose serious problems if good preparations are made. Adapting to unexpected situations is a part of the challenge of travelling but advance knowledge of facilities available, during travel and at your destination, can be very important.
  • Airlines at Prestwick Airport will offer assistance and special facilities on aircraft if advised in advance.
  • When selecting accommodation check good lifts are available. Check the condition of staircases and bathroom equipment. Ask in advance if special food requirements are necessary.
  • Make sure that you have comprehensive health insurance with no important exclusion clauses which affect disability.
  • Visit the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) website. They have answers to questions on holidays and transport or you can ring RADAR on 0207 250 3222
  • Check out the Guardian Special Report on travellers with disabilities
  • Contact the Royal National Institute for the Blind 0845 766 9999.
  • Consult the Royal National Institute for Deaf People +44 (0)207 387 8033.
  • Phone Tripscope on 0845 758 5641.
  • Ring Holiday Care Services on 01293 774535.

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Health and safety advice for going abroad

  • Be prepared! Remember that if you fall ill or have an accident when abroad, it could prove dangerous, even fatal. Getting treatment can seem complicated to UK residents used to the National Health Service. Unless you are properly prepared, it could turn out to be extremely expensive.
  • Get advice about planning ahead for a trip abroad: what to take, insurance advice, getting a consultation with a doctor or dentist, and preparations for your return to the UK.
  • Get the latest worldwide health updates and advice about staying safe whilst travelling.
  • Get general health advice about about eating and drinking precautions, staying safe outdoors, major diseases and recommended vaccinations. Gastro-enteritis is very common due to a significant change in diet or perhaps poor hygiene during food preparation / storage.
  • The UK has reciprocal healthcare agreements with some countries outside the EEA, enabling travellers to receive free or low cost emergency care. Get advice on getting treatment in these countries.
  • Inside the European Economic Area (EEA), free or reduced-cost emergency treatment is available to UK patients on production of an E111 form. Available from Here.
  • Get advice on getting treatment in countries inside the EEA.
  • In most non-EEA countries, no safety net is in place and travellers are strongly advised to take out comprehensive health insurance. Get advice on g etting treatment in countries with no health care agreements with the UK.
  • Before you travel, arrange health insurance with your insurance company, bank or travel agent. People from Britain tend to forget that they may have to pay thousands of pounds in medical costs if they fall ill or have an accident outside the UK. This is true even in countries with which the UK has mutual health care agreements – because, even in such cases, the arrangements may not cover all the expenses you can incur. And the cost of bringing a person back to the UK, in the event of illness or death, is never covered, even under the reciprocal arrangements.
  • If you have a pre-existing condition, tell your insurer or you may not be covered by the policy you buy.
  • Some credit and charge cards provide health insurance for travellers. Check that it is adequate for your needs. If not, take out extra cover.
  • If you are travelling on business, your company will probably already have insurance which covers you. But check whether the cover is adequate. If it is not, take out additional insurance.
  • If you are driving in any country outside the UK and you have an accident, you may not be covered for medical or hospital expenses. Consult your insurance company or a motoring organisation before leaving the UK to make sure that you are fully insured.
  • If you were given any medicines in another country, it may not be legal to bring them back into the UK. If in doubt, declare them at Customs when you return.
  • If you were taking anti-malaria tablets on your journey, remember to continue taking them for a month after you return.
  • If you developed diarrhoea when away or shortly afterwards, and your work involves handling food, tell your employer as soon as possible.
  • If you become ill on your return, do not forget to tell your doctor that you have been out of the UK, and what countries you have visited or travelled through.
  • If you have been bitten by an animal or risked catching a sexually transmitted disease, always consult your UK doctor;
  • If you are a blood donor, always tell the blood transfusion staff if you have travelled outside Europe or if you have had medical treatment in any country outside the UK.
  • If you had medical treatment abroad, claim on your insurance as soon as possible when you return. Holders of Form E111 should put in a claim for a refund before returning. If you did not have time, please see the instructions in the 'Claiming refunds' section on the following page.
  • Four places where injuries are most likely:
  • Roads. Injuries sustained can result in simple cuts and bruises, severe head or body injuries or even death.
  • The Beach. The dangers here include drowning, jet ski accidents (becoming more common and with an increasing number of fatalities) parascending accidents, head and neck injuries, injuries due to heavy surf, and diving accidents. Occurrences of severe sunburn and dehydration are very common, especially due to alcohol.
  • Hotels. The biggest dangers are balcony falls (often in the early hours of the morning as a result of lack of care or alcohol consumption), swimming pool accidents (slipping on wet tiles and diving in shallow water) which can result in paralysis due to a fractured neck.
  • Remote locations. Increased travel to far-off places has resulted in a higher chance of contracting tropical diseases.
  • You can also get advice from your GP or a travel clinic. 
  • Check other sources of information about healthy travel and particular risks in other countries:
  • Traveller’s Health
    ed. Richard Darwood
    (Oxford University Press)
  • ABC of Healthy Travel
    E. Walker, G. Williams, F. Raeside (BMJ)
  • The Back Packers Handbook
    Chris Townsend ( Oxford Illustrated Press)
  • Expedition Medicine
    ed. B. Juel-Jensen (Expedition Advisory Centre, Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR)
  • The Tropical Traveller
    John Hatt (Penguin) 
  • Travel With Children
    Maureen Wheeler (Lonely Planet Publications)
  • Travel Safe
    (Department of Health)
    – Advice for travellers on avoiding the risks of HIV.
  • Health Literature Hotline
    Publications produced by the Department of Health and the Health Promotion England on specific aspects of health and travel may be obtained by calling 0800 555 777, free of charge.
  • Hospital for Tropical Diseases Travel Clinic Healthline  
    09061 337733. (Calls charged at 50p a minute at all times)
  • Malaria Healthline
    09065 508908 (Calls charged at £1 a minute at all times)
  • Foreign & Commonwealth Office Advice to travellers line
    020 7008 0232. (For information about political risks in other countries.) Information is also available on BBC2 Ceefax page 470 onwards.
  • National AIDS Helpline
    0800 567123. Detailed information and guidance on HIV/AIDS from a trained advisor. All calls are free and completely confidential.

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Health advice for overseas visitors coming to the UK

  • Hospital treatment is free to people who ordinarily live in the United Kingdom (UK). If you do not normally live here then you may be required to pay for any treatment you might need. This is regardless of whether you are a British citizen or have lived or worked here in the past.
  • Get advice on visiting the UK from abroad.

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Before you go to Prestwick Airport be sure to book your airport parking.

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