Find the best seat before you book
Let’s be honest, sitting in a good seat or a bad seat can be the difference between a great flight or a nightmare. A good seat can leave you relaxed and comfortable as you arrive at your new destination. A bad seat resulting in a nightmare of a flight can leave you tired and grumpy.
Take the guesswork out of this and give yourself the best possible chance of a great flying experience. Avoid the nightmare of the middle seat by visiting seatguru.com. This review site will help you choose the optimum seat for your particular needs.
Check flight status in real time
Avoid the nightmare of rushing to the airport only to discover that your flight hasn’t even left its previous destination. Most airlines will let you do that online or through their app.
There are also third-party apps that let you do that. Track your flight using App in the air. It makes tracking your flight a breeze and you can even set it to inform you if there is a delay.
Check in online
Similar to above, it is always best to check in online especially if you are not checking any luggage. Why wait in long queues when you don’t need too? Check in early also means that the airline has a more accurate idea about the numbers expected for the flight so there is less chance of them overbooking it resulting in you getting bumped to the next flight.
Download maps offline
If you are heading to a completely new destination, especially to a country that has an unfamiliar language, a highly recommended tip is to download a map offline that gives to access regardless of phone reception.
The fact is that your phone may not work on arrival and it may cost you a pretty penny in data to download a map. Avoid the hassle and cost by downloading a map before to travel. Both Maps.me and Google maps both offer this ability.
Bring an empty water container
Modern airport rules mean that you are not allowed to bring liquid and bottles over a certain size. This means that you may have to buy refreshments on the other side and on the aircraft. This can prove to be very expensive.
A simple hack is to carry an empty bottle through security and fill it with water on the other side. The fact you have an empty bottle is not likely to be questioned or removed from you.
Bring your own snacks
Airports are expensive…as are airlines. With very little effort, you can bring snacks and food that you actually want to eat, without having to remortgage your home. Any experienced traveller always brings their own snacks.
Layer up for your flight
There are a few good reasons why you should layer up for your flight. The obvious reason is the miserly luggage allowance that you get these days. Instead of trying to fit a heavy coat in your luggage, put it on…you can take it off obviously at any point but it won’t be questioned.
This is obviously more valuable if you are travelling with carry on luggage only. You get to take more with you without having to consider checking in your luggage.
Another reason to layer up for your flight is the temperature of the aircraft. They can run hot or cold. That is just the way it is. Layering up means that you can remove layers should it get to warm. It also has the advantage of allowing you to make a makeshift pillow.
Put heavy items in your pockets
If you have relatively heavy things in your luggage that are quite compact in size, consider putting them in your pockets. It is not likely to be questioned at security and gives you more luggage weight to play with.
Bring your portable charger
Finding somewhere to charge your electronics is not a pleasant task in an airport. Trust me when I say that you won’t be the only person on that particular hunt.
Take the stress and trouble out of it by taking a power bank with you. It means that your valuables are not vulnerable while charging and you can charge them while you go about your business.
Take a picture of your packed luggage
This airport hack will become invaluable should your luggage get lost in transit. This happens more frequently than you would imagine. Make it easy for you and the airline by having a picture ready. This increases the chances of you getting your luggage back quickly.
Make your luggage easily identifiable
Let’s face it…most luggage looks the same…a black box. This means that when it comes to luggage reclaim, chances are that other people are also picking up your luggage and throwing it back. Instead of it being a quick smooth process, it can become quite stressful.
You can stop all this with a simple hack…tie a unique ribbon around it and your luggage will instantly become identifiable to you.
Luggage reclaim is a risk and it is where most luggage thefts happen. Thieves can simply claim that they picked up the wrong bag. Remove this risk by making your luggage instantly identifiable. You can read more about this here.
Go left at security
Humans have a tendency to go right at airport security. Go against your urges and turn left. The queues tend to be shorter, so save time and go left.
Get ready before your security check
It’s incredibly frustrating watching other people go through airport security when they have made no preparations. They empty their pockets slowly, they remove their metal items slowly…everything is slow.
Don’t be that person, plan ahead. You know what is coming and what you need to do. Make the process quick for you and everybody else. Plan ahead, empty your pockets and remove any items in the queue.
Have your electronics and laptop ready
You may be asked to turn your electronic items on for security checks. Whether you agree or disagree with this, it happens. Save time by leaving your items in sleep mode. It speeds up the process for all concerned.
Take pictures of your parking spot
Finally, take a picture of your parking pot surroundings which it easy to identify. It’s amazing how many people ‘lose’ their vehicles in these massive car parks.
When you arrive back, you may be tired which means that you may not be thinking straight. Alleviate the time and hassle by taking a few seconds to take some pictures.
Since you are here…can i ask a favor?
It would be really nice of you if you could share this image on your social media…it’s just a couple of clicks for you but it means the world to me.
Thank you!