With the recent holiday, I thought it would be nice to describe a trip by air from "door to door."

Starting at home, you may take a taxi, bus, or airport shuttle to the airport. In Shenzhen, bus number 330 operates as an "Airport Express."

Arriving at the airport, it's important to know which terminal you're leaving from. Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport has two, called simply "A" and "B"; smaller regional airports may have only one. You should go to the "Departure Area" (usually on upper floors of the terminal).

Inside the terminal, you check the notice board to see which window or windows you should go to for check-in. The notice board will list your flight number, time, destination, and check-in time and window. It will also tell you of any delay or cancellation of your flight.

Next, go to the appropriate check-in window. Be sure to go to the right window for your class: Economy or First Class. Also, note that some windows may be designated "No Baggage," meaning they're for passengers who have carry-on luggage only.

When you check in, show your passport or ID and ticket. You may want to request a window seat or an aisle seat (these may not always be available). You'll be given a boarding pass, which tells you your boarding gate and seat number on the plane. It may also tell you the boarding time, and will have other details such as your name and the flight number. It will probably also tell you this is a "No smoking" flight - a little useless, since there are no smoking flights!

If you have a special meal request (vegetarian, diabetic, etc.) in most airports in China you should now go to the supervisor's window (somewhere near the check-in window) and make the request. They will radio to the caterers to make sure your meal is loaded on board.

Now it's time to go to the security check. First your documents will be checked: have your passport/ID, ticket, and boarding pass ready. Then your bags will be x-rayed; you may be asked to remove your PC from its bag.

You should empty your pockets of anything metal (including your mobile phone). Some people just put all these things in their carry-on luggage ahead of time to speed up the security check. Others wait until they approach the x-ray machine, then empty their pockets into one of the trays provided. This slows things down a bit.

More about security restrictions, and the rest of your flight, next time.