Love the safety of air travel? Someone else is handling the transportation while you just sit back and relax. Or maybe flying fills you with dread. Sure, you understand the physics of flight, but when you’re taxiing at takeoff, Newton’s Third Law seems awfully flimsy. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you’ve got to acknowledge that there are some really weird situations you can encounter when flying. From making your reservations to landing safely, you want the whole process to go smoothly. And it usually does.

There are surprising hacks that’ll make flying easier before you even set foot on the plane. You know you should book in advance, but 47 days before your flight is the optimum time to get the best seats at the best price. Did you know that some airlines board their plans by check-in times? Don’t be dead last, or you’ll be searching every single overhead compartment for room to fit your bag.

And speaking of bags… Check out the infographic below to learn about the best ways to get through security and more!

An Infographic by stsintelli.com.