How To Be A Better Traveler
Traveling across that vast, blue sky is no-longer the cake walk that it once was. Now to make it in the cut-throat world of air travel, you have to be smart. You have to be an expert suitcase packer, a fast walker, a quick thinker, and an all around airport extraordinaire to get to your flight on time…
The best place to start is with your ticket. When is the best time for you to fly out? If you’re flying out for a scheduled vacation, or an event such as a wedding, you’ll want to leave in the days before, and not the day of, the event. Delays do happen, regardless of the weather. Why not give yourself an extra day of vacation and just set your departure day a few days ahead of time.
While you’re considering tickets, you might want to try to fly in the morning or really late at night. Flying at times when other people don’t want to fly may guarantee you a cheaper ticket. This also means that you’ll avoid the big crowds and the chaos of standing in the security line.
When you’re ordering your ticket, you may be presented with the option to buy a non-stop ticket, or a flight that has different stops. It’s always best to buy a non-stop flight. Non-stop flights mean that you only deal with two airports, so you reduce the risk of losing your luggage, of experiencing other thing that might go wrong in multiple airports.
While you might not think that where you sit on a plane matters – it does. If you tend to go to the bathroom frequently, don’t like being in the window seat, or know you’ll be needing access to your carry-on, choose a seat on the aisle. If you have to be next to the window and just want to sleep, pick a window-seat. Plus, when you check the seating plan, you’ll ensure that you aren’t too close to the bathroom.
Know that large or small, both types of airports have their advantages and disadvantages. Smaller airports are much easier to navigate, but there are often longer lines and their flights can be on the more expensive side. Larger airports often offer cheaper flights and more flight variety, but they are a lot more crowded, and harder to navigate than a small airport. It’s just really a matter of personal preference when it comes to which one you choose.
Have you ever heard of frequent flyer miles? Good! Wrack them up and use them! If you’re flying a lot, stick with the same airline, or maybe even two. You’ll earn inexpensive (And even free!) trips, upgrades and other exciting perks.
Lastly, one of the most important things to remember is that things do happen. Your flight might get delayed, the weather might be bad, you might spill your tiny airline beverage, you might hit some turbulence, and the flight attendant might not be in the best mood. Just fly on!
