Don’t forget to pack your hiking shoes this holiday season because you’ll need them more than ever.

It’s a long walk through the airport – a very long walk.

Dave Dzurick spent nearly an hour roaming Seattle’s terminals when he arrived from Canada recently. First there was a long walk to customs, then another hike to the TSA screening area, then another walk to her connecting gate.

“It was a nightmare,” says Dzurick, a retired broadcast engineer from Tucson, Arizona.

His problem is becoming more and more common. Just look at the new airport terminals opening in Dubai, New York or Los Angeles, and you’ll see that almost no effort has been made to shorten the journey to the gate. On the contrary, it takes longer to get to the plane.

But they’re not the worst offenders when it comes to walking times from check-in to your gate. A recent survey by Kuru Footwear found that DFW International Airport had the longest commutes among major domestic airports (2.16 miles), followed by Washington, D.C. (1.62 miles) and Houston (1.52 miles).

“Many major airports across the country continue to expand and build new terminals,” notes Victoria Schmid, a spokesperson for Kuru.

But does it really take longer to get to the door, or is it your imagination? And how will these distances affect your next trip? As someone who practically lives in an airport terminal, I have the answer to all of these questions. Plus, I’ll tell you how to survive your next airport adventure.

Does it move away from the airport gate?

I haven’t found any recent scientific studies on how far passengers have to walk, or whether they have to walk further now than before. But it certainly is. In fairness, some major airports have added new trains that significantly reduce walking time. A spokesperson for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport said the airport has one of the smallest footprints of a major airport and its new international arrivals facilities allow for more efficient operation.

The problem may be worse abroad. Claire Ramsdell recently connected at Istanbul Airport, which has a gleaming new terminal that spans more than 77 million square feet, and thought she wouldn’t make it.

“When I got off the plane, I ran full speed to the other gate,” recalls Ramsell, a photographer and frequent traveler. “I had to stop to go through security halfway. I ran down a long, endless hallway, passed security, took an elevator down one floor, ran down a long hallway again, then ran up some stairs, across that floor , then I went down another flight of stairs.

She boarded her flight after finding a faster security line specifically designed for international-to-domestic transfers.

I had the same problem in Istanbul: a ridiculously long walk between gates and this sinking feeling that I wouldn’t make it to my next flight. But somehow, I always did.

Why this could affect your next flight

I’ve been traveling almost non-stop for eight years, but for the past few years I’ve been carefully tracking my steps on my Google Watch. On a travel day, I always worry about not getting enough exercise. (I try to take at least 20,000 steps a day.)

But lately, when I fly, I always take a lot of steps. Huge airports like Doha, Frankfurt and London always give me enough opportunities to walk whether I want to or not.

For someone like me who wants to stretch their legs, the long walk isn’t really a problem. But a few years ago, after fracturing my pelvis in a skiing accident, those long walks seemed an insurmountable obstacle as I slowly hobbled along with crutches and luggage.

I have readers who are in the same situation. They love to travel, but the journey to the door is almost too long. It seems that the architects who built these terminals did not think about the 12 percent of Americans have limited mobility.

Elliott’s Tips for Surviving a Long Walk to the Airport Gate

This holiday season, you may have to endure a forced march to the door. But there are ways to make things easier.

• Go light. The worst thing you can do is carry a heavy backpack or overloaded carry-on bag. Pack light to ensure a stress-free walk to your door.
• Take a pair of comfortable shoes. “Wear comfortable shoes,” advises Kuru spokesperson Schmid. “Large airports require a lot of walking and standing, and it’s important for your foot health and overall health to make sure you have supportive, well-fitting shoes.”
• Get informed. Signage at the airport can be confusing, and in the heat of the moment you can easily turn around and head in the wrong direction. Most major airports have an app or website with a terminal map. (Oh, I know, your family will call you a nerd for downloading it, but they’ll also thank you when you get to the door on time.)
• Give yourself time. Before you prepare for your trek through the terminal, make sure the weather is on your side. If you’re flying from Dallas or one of the major airports in the Kuru survey, give yourself at least an hour to get to your gate.
• Get help. If you walk slowly or suffer from an injury or disability, do not hesitate to ask your airline or the airport for help. They have disability services that offer transportation to help you avoid a long walk. Note: You may need to contact your airline in advance to reserve a wheelchair.

But the best advice I’ve ever heard is to avoid the walk altogether. Book a nonstop flight to avoid transiting through Dallas or Denver. This way, you’ll only have to worry about hiking to and from your arrival and departure gates once each.

If you need to book a connecting flight, make sure you have enough time to get to your next boarding gate without running. And this is especially important during the winter travel season in the northern hemisphere, when everyone is weighed down by heavy winter clothing. It’s just not worth it.

Maybe we should embrace the hike

Ultimately, walking long distances is part of the journey, and perhaps these sprawling airport terminals are doing many of us a favor. I mean, what else are we going to do, stay home and watch reruns of our favorite travel show? No. Better to get out and exercise

“We consider hiking to the gate a good exercise on a day of travel,” says Laurel Barton, a frequent traveler and guidebook author from Forest Grove, Oregon.

It often passes through London’s huge Heathrow Airport, and there is a tunnel leading to Terminal 5’s C gates which takes around 20 minutes to walk.

“We avoid treadmills and happily sabotage,” she says. “But then we write hiking guides.”

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate and journalist. He founded Plea Elliott, a non-profit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidentiala newsletter on travel and Elliott Reporta customer service news site. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can contact him here or send him an email to [email protected].