Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker reveals his top international travel tips

The boss of Cairns Airport has revealed what he has learnt after travelling to more than six different countries in the past six months. Read his top tips.

Cairns Airport chief executive Richard Barker has revealed his top hacks around baggage after travelling to more than six countries in the past six months.

Mr Barker has been to the United Kingdon, France, United States of America, New Zealand, Canada and Japan since about May.

He said a great way to keep track of your luggage was to use apple airtags so you always know where it is.

“One of the flights my wife’s bag hadn’t turned up but she knew it was in the terminal. It had been on the plane she had been on,” he said.

“So its really handy and certainly wise, it’s getting better. The last trip I had eight flights and my bag was there every time.”

Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker has revealed his latest tips. Picture: Brendan Radke

Mr Barker said one of his biggest tips was around saving money.

“The first thing is to shop around for airfares and consider different routes,” Mr Barker said.

“When I went to the USA, I went by New Zealand and someone else I know went by Canada and it was much cheaper than direct.

“Going by New Zealand was no longer and you could potentially save a heap of money.”

Mr Barker’s second tip was to check the requirements of whichever country you go to beforehand and have paperwork filled out ahead of time.

“For every country you go to the entry requirements are slightly different so you have to look from country to country,” he said.

“Generally it is getting easier, they each have their online form but they are all slightly different.

A Singapore Airlines passenger jet plane flies into the Cairns International Airport. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It’s a matter of applying ahead of time, I personally always print the paperwork but no one gets checked. But you don’t want to be that person who doesn’t and gets checked.”

Since international travel restarted, there have been reports of delays and problems around baggage but Mr Barker said travel was getting back to normal.

“I have had a good run, I know my wife was on a separate trip her first leg was late and she missed her connection,” he said.

“So you need to be if you’ve got something time critical – make sure your connections aren’t too tight.”

But Mr Barker said there was one way to go about travelling again.

“Get out there and explore because the world’s getting back to normal,” he said.

“When you get to the countries it’s pretty relaxed, people going about their business as normal.”

Originally published as Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker reveals his top international travel tips