We’ve all been there: running through an airport with a bag in hand, racing against our plane’s departure time seemingly against all odds.

Whether you’re urging the Uber driver to step on the gas or trying to wiggle your way to the front of a serpentine TSA line, running late for travel is never fun. But it happens. Sometimes, a relative is having emergency surgery. Other times, it’s a last-minute business trip — as in you just found out about it 30 minutes ago. And occasionally, none of your three alarms go off, which is hardly last-minute travel when you booked the backpacking trip six months ago.

Fortunately, there are several proactive tools, hacks and services available to help you make up time when a gate agent is issuing a final boarding call but you’re still searching for a spot in the airport parking deck. These include Allianz Global Assistance’s resources, from travel insurance plans to its convenient Allyz® TravelSmart app .

Here is a closer look…

Gain an Ounce of Prevention with Allyz® TravelSmart

Benjamin Franklin famously said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

He said this in 1736, before plane, trains or automobiles were invented. But it applies to modern travel planning nonetheless.

Downloading Allianz Global Assistance’s Allyz TravelSmart app takes just a minute. Yet that single act — even when done the night before a big trip or in the car en route to the airport — can help prevent travel confusion and even chaos when time is fleeting.

Take for example, the scenario in which you’re deciding at the very last minute whether or not to cancel a trip (a decision you don’t want to make hastily). You can access your plan at the touch of a button via TravelSmart to see if your travel insurance plan has a trip cancellation benefit, and if your unique circumstances qualify as a covered event. And if you need to follow up by speaking with a live representative, expert live help just another screen tap away thanks to the Allyz TravelSmart Hotline’s 24-hour assistance.

You can even keep dibs on your flight status and track the progress of claims that you’ve made at a glance, making sure you don’t lose a moment if you’re trying to get from Gate A to Gate ZZ in a matter of minutes.

When you’re braving last-minute travel or your trip is simply more rushed than you’d like, Allyz TravelSmart is an intuitive, responsive app that comes in handy. It helps you stay safe and organized on the go — even when your travel companions are yelling “Go, go, go!”¹

Make Proactive Upgrades to Fast-Track Your Flying

You may have Allyz TravelSmart downloaded to your smartphone, your airline app with digital ticket ready to be scanned, and your belongings snugly packed in a single carry-on bag.

But sometimes the most time-consuming obstacle between your front door and the plane’s is the TSA checkpoint. If you’re a frequent flyer or someone who’s a planner, you have options avoiding that long, meandering line. But take note, some of these options require action well before the day of departure.

•  Clear membership: Available to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents 18 and older with a valid photo ID, Clear is a private identity-verification service that uses biometrics. If you’re already enrolled, you just scan your boarding pass at the airport kiosk, scan your fingerprint or iris, and move along to the screening part of the security check. If you’re not already a member, you can sign up on the spot for a $179 membership fee (or $15/month). A Clear membership helps you leapfrog through security faster. Adding an additional family member costs $50, and kids are free. But know that Clear is not in every airport; in fact, it’s in about 60 airports, stadiums and other venues in the United States. Look for your airport(s) here.²
•  TSA PreCheck: Unlike Clear, which you can sign up for on site at a participating airport, you’ll need to be a bit more proactive to sign up for TSA PreCheck before your next trip. Also called TSA Pre, or just pre-check, this program allows approved, low-risk travelers to zip through security by using a special lane. TSA PreCheck members are allowed to leave on their shoes, belts, and jackets, and they can skip taking laptops and liquids out for scanning. It’s a lot cheaper than Clear — just $85 for five years — and operates in more than 200 airports. After you apply, it takes a few weeks to find out if you’re approved. You then get a Known Traveler Number, which you must use when booking travel.³
  
  Are you really, really in a hurry? You can use PreCheck in conjunction with Clear to get through both the ID check and the bag-screening lines faster. However, the TSA doesn’t guarantee PreCheck lines will be open, or that members will always be able to clear security more quickly.
• Ticket upgrades: Some airlines offer programs that help you pass through security faster, although the rules and prices vary. The most accessible is JetBlue’s Even More Speed: when you check in, you can pay extra to use a dedicated screening line or priority line (at specific airports). This perk is included with the Even More Space option and is available in 60-plus cities.⁴

Your Last Resort

If your trip hits a speedbump, and you didn’t make any proactive moves to streamline the airport’s TSA gauntlet, you still have an option: talking your way to the front of the line.

While you should remember that TSA agents may be overworked and overstressed, pleading your case to expedite your way through the crowd is worth a try. Remember to be polite and professional. And under no circumstances should you shout, make threats or do anything that might qualify as a disruption to the screening process, or you could find yourself hit with civil penalties. The best approach is to be friendly, disarming and civil. Even then, well, good luck.⁵

Building a travel toolbox to help you fly through the airport when you’re on the clock is a smart idea — as long as you know that while some resources can be downloaded in a minute, others require you to take action weeks or even months before your departure date. Savvy resources including the Allyz TravelSmart app and TSA PreCheck are among your best travel companions when it comes to beating the clock to get to the gate on time.

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