The Step-by-Step Pre-Trip Planning Guide

This guide breaks pre-trip planning into a timeline, working backward from your travel date. Each stage lists the specific things worth arranging in advance, so travel day itself involves as few new decisions as possible.

3–4 weeks before

• Check the airport's accessibility page. Look up your departure and arrival airports in our airport directory and open the linked source page — accommodations and booking windows vary by airport.
• Book special assistance if the airport requires advance notice. Some airports and airlines ask for 48 hours' notice; others want it at booking. Confirm the airport's specific requirement rather than assuming.
• Order a Sunflower lanyard, or add the digital pass to the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower app, if you plan to use one. See our Sunflower program page for how it works.

1–2 weeks before

• Look for a social story or visual guide. Several airports publish PDF walkthroughs of the security and boarding process with real photos of their own terminal — these are listed on individual airport pages in our directory when available.
• Plan carry-on items, including anything for your sensory kit. Check security rules for any items you're unsure about (liquids, medical devices, specific sensory tools) so nothing is confiscated at the gate.
• Confirm seating requests with the airline if seat location matters to you (aisle access, avoiding the very back near the galley, extra legroom for stimming space).

2–3 days before

• Write the itinerary. A short, ordered list of what happens between leaving home and boarding reduces in-the-moment decision load. See our trip anxiety guide for a template.
• Check the current security wait times for your specific airport and terminal if the airport publishes them, and decide on an arrival time with some buffer built in — rushing tends to amplify sensory and emotional load.
• Pack the night before, not the morning of.

Day of travel

• Build in more time than you think you need. A slower, less rushed pace through the terminal is usually worth leaving home earlier for.
• Locate the quiet room or sensory room early, if the airport has one, rather than only seeking it out once you're already overwhelmed.
• Use the Sunflower lanyard or verbally flag your needs to the first staff member you interact with if you anticipate needing extra time or a quieter route.

A condensed checklist

• [ ] Airport accessibility page checked
• [ ] Special assistance booked (if required)
• [ ] Sunflower lanyard ordered or app downloaded
• [ ] Social story / visual guide reviewed
• [ ] Sensory kit packed
• [ ] Seating request confirmed
• [ ] Written itinerary saved somewhere accessible
• [ ] Buffer time built into the day-of schedule

Print or copy this list into your notes app and check items off as you go — having a visible record of what's already handled can itself reduce anxiety in the final days before a trip.