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(photo by: Chris Cochran)
Everybody loves a good top 10 list so I decided, for my first article, to pass along some useful tips that I have learned over the years when I fly. I have also posted a top 10 list for international air travel as well. There will be a lot of the same information from these two lists but there are a few things that need to be said for international travel so I made a separate list for that. Now enjoy:
1. I wish there was a number higher than one because this would be it. I can’t stress this enough, the number one tip that I always tell everybody I know who flies is to always pack an entire change of comfortable clothes in their carry-on bag. It doesn’t always happen, but every now and again my bags will get lost. There is nothing worse than to be stuck in a strange place wearing the same smelly clothes for a couple days while the airline searches for your bags that somehow ended up in Hawaii.
2. Pack light, and by this I mean only pack half your suitcase. I have seen it many times standing in line at the airport, people would stuff their bags full of souvenirs and then end up having to pay extra because they went over their weight limit, or worse they would have to pay for an extra bag. Be smart, you know you are going to buy stuff to bring back so why not just leave room in your bag. If you really bought a lot then do the next best thing which is to go ahead and ship it back home via FedEx, UPS, or USPS. This latter option is usually a lot cheaper than paying the airline fees and safer too.
3. Dress comfortably. Seriously, this isn’t church or Sears on a Sunday. This is a simple plane ride. You are the customer and you paid good money for your ticket so why shouldn’t you be comfortable? Air travel is very unpredictable, you never know if your two hour flight could turn into an all day affair. Just last week 47 passengers got stuck on a plane in Rochester, Minnesota. Don’t show up in your pajamas, but wear shorts/skirt and some comfortable shoes and you will be well ahead of the game.
4. Leave the little things behind. What do you really need to bring with you? Be honest. For the most part you really only need to bring some clothes to wear and your electronic gear. Everything else is just fluff. Unless you have some specific type of shampoo or soap that you just have to have, everything you need can be bought in small quantities at your destination or will be provided for you by the hotel you are staying at. I can’t recall a time when I have never been able to procure something that I needed or left at home.
5. Don’t keep all your cash and ID’s in the same place. It may sound silly, but having two wallets can mean the difference in getting back home on time or not. Luckily, knock on wood, I have never been held up but the fact of the matter is that it does happen. You should have a wallet with just a little bit of cash and a credit card in it to give to a mugger just in case. Think of it more like a decoy wallet. Being thorough is not the intent of the mugger but getting a wallet with some money in it is. Once they have a wallet usually they will let you go.
6. Let someone know when and where you will be traveling to and for how long. Close friends and family are ideal for this task. You never know what might happen and it is a good thing to have someone to check up on you if you have not returned home on time.
7. Allow for delays. Airlines are notorious for delays so go in there with the expectations of getting delayed. On the plus side of this, depending on how much time you have, you can even get a couple free tickets out of this. A lot of airlines oversell their seats, if you are willing to give up your seat(s) for one or two flights then they usually reward you with some pretty cool stuff like free airline tickets and sometimes upgrades to first class on the next flight out. FYI, SeatGuru is a great tool to help you locate that perfect seat on a plane.
8. Shop around for the best deal. Okay, I know a lot of you are saying, “I do.” But have you really? Have you tried to bundle up on your flights and hotel and car rentals? There are a lot of sites out there that have good deals like Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, and Southwest Airlines. Here are some of the lesser known sites that offer great deals as well: LowFares, Bookingbuddy, and Airgorilla.
9. This one may sound really stupid but I have seen the outcome and it isn’t pretty. Don’t upset the TSA Agents. While you’re at it, don’t upset the Gate agents or the airline crew. Lots of really bad things can happen to you. Everything from getting really lousy seats to missing your flight and in the extreme cases, getting arrested. It’s like that old saying, “never make a cop angry, they can find a reason to arrest you.” Today, more than ever, the TSA and airline crews have a lot more authority and aren’t afraid to use it.
10. Have fun! Seriously, have fun on your trip. You are getting away for a little while so take advantage of it. Don’t plan every second of your trip. You will be surprised at how often things work out for the better when you just go with the flow and let things happen.
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