How to Look Inside Airports with Apple Maps on iPhone and iPad to Plan Ahead When Traveling

How to Look Inside Airports with Apple Maps on iPhone and iPad to Plan Ahead When Traveling

Airports can be hectic, and just about every traveler knows the stress of visiting an airport they have never been to before and trying to quickly navigate the maze of terminals to find their gate so that they can board a plane on time. A great trick that can ease the stress of travel and help you plan your travels better is to use Apple Maps on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, to beforehand. With Apple Maps airport exploration mode, you can explore inside airports to find terminals, boarding gates, baggage claims, check-in counters, security checkpoints, bathrooms and toilets, restaurants, shops, and more. This makes travel planning a bit easier and takes some of the stress out, particularly if youre visiting a huge airport, or one youre just unfamiliar with. All you need is an iPhone or iPad to get started. The rest is super easy. In the example screenshots here, were using an iPad to browse Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which is a large, busy, and particularly sprawling and complex airport to navigate around with its myriad shuttles, many terminals, parking garages, as well as many food and shopping options. You can use this feature anytime from an iPhone or iPad as long as you have internet access on the device, but its probably best to browse around an airport before youre actually in it, or when youre in it. Of course you could also use in-flight wi-fi service to browse through a destination airport before you land, which would certainly make the process of landing a bit easier too. If you already know where to go before you land, youll be navigating the airport like a seasoned traveler! If youre traveling with a companion but on different flights, or youre looking to meet-up with someone in an airport, a great way to use this feature is to use this in combination with either or , to share where you are, or where you want to meet up, with your travel partner, so that you can meet up with each other in the airport for a quick bite to eat, or to pair up and find your baggage together. Thats particularly great if youre flying to the same destination as someone else but youre on different flights. Oh and as a bonus tip, dont forget that you can also (its in the corner of the Maps screen), so if youre not quite sure what the weather will be upon arrival or departure, you can check that as well. Do note that not all airports are supported by this Apple Maps feature, yet anyway, but most major international airport hubs, busy US airports, and international airports are supported and can be browsed through this way. Considering that its usually the biggest and most busy airports that are the most complex, this makes some degree of sense, but dont necessarily expect a tiny airport in a rural location to be included in the Look Inside feature of Apple Maps, so if youre flying into some tiny remote destination youll have to just figure that one out on your own. Happy travels!