Losing the Stress of Air Travel Works for Me!
Posted in Historical Adventures and tagged with Lists, Travel on March 11, 2008
I’m traveling this weekend, so I thought I would share a few tips I have for air travel. I usually fly 4 or 5 times a year ever since I’ve lived in North Carolina, so I thought I’d share!
1. Pack your carry-on bag light. I usually take a backpack and my purse, as these both easily slip under the seat in front of me. By not having to wrestle with the overhead bind I have everything at my fingertips and can make a quick escape to catch my connecting flight. This bag is what you’ll be lugging around the airport, so keep it as light and manageable as you can. I usually include a magazine or two, a (light) book or two, my camera, a small snack, my Bible, and my journal.
2. Even though I said to keep your carry-on bag light, pack at least a fresh pair of underwear and another shirt. I haven’t always done this and have gotten burned, especially when I attempted to fly home for Christmas. It wasn’t pleasant having to wear the same set of clothes for 48 hours, for me or anyone around me! I don’t bother bringing any toiletries, however, since they’ll have those wherever I’m going.
3. Always bring a jacket with you on the plane. They can be cold, and the stranger sitting next to you might not be as willing to cuddle as you are.
4. Before they start calling for boarding, have everything put away in your bag except for one book/magazine, any food or drink you’re eating at the moment, and your boarding pass. If I have time, I like to go to the bathroom 35 minutes out from take off to make sure that I’m back at the gate with enough time to board. I also might have in my pocket my mp3 player if I anticipate needing it early in the flight. This allows me to move into my seat quickly and stow away my other belongings fast so that others can sneak by me as necessary.
5. Whenever possible, don’t bring any liquids in your carry-on. This allows you to go through security more quickly and easily.
6. Wear slip-on, comfortable shoes. Makes security and all the walking more bearable.
7. If you anticipate having to bring back more than you are taking or vice versa, opt for traveling with one empty bag (either checked by itself or inside your other bag) rather than trying to split up your belongings between the two bags. If your belongings aren’t packed tightly, then you risk having them tossed around a lot.
8. Put away your driver’s license or other ID as soon as you get through security. Don’t risk losing it…you’ll need it on the return trip!
9. Check-in at home (up to 24 hours before your flight). I find this is helpful, even if I still have to use the kiosk to check my bag. By checking in at home, I can double check my seat assignment and possibly get a better seat assignment, as well. If you think you might lose your boarding pass, print two copies and stow away one copy in your carry-on.
This is by no means an exhaustive list…but it’s what works for me! What other travel tips do you have?
Visit Rocks in My Dryer for more tips, or see more of mine:
Related posts:
- Five Question Friday Friday blog reading should always be light, and in an...
- World Travel I spend a lot of time pondering. There’s a lot...
- The Travel Season and a Question In 6 months, I’ve spent one night away from my...
- Updated: I Have an Explanation, Really Stopped even before I had started Didn’t expect to hear...
- Day 9: Traveling Home Today’s our long day traveling home, as we’ll be getting...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
While I agree with most of your tips, I find that if I pack my carry-on bag as full as I can get it, I can usually eliminate the need to check luggage. I have had too many suitcases lost in the shuffle of connecting flights and weather delays to have to worry about not having clothes to wear! Sometimes I will check it on the way back, only because I have other clothes that I can wear after I get home in the event that my suitcase gets lost.
I’m much less stressed knowing that I have my clothing with me at all times!
Great tips about having things you KNOW you are going to need be accessible as soon as you board. And 35mins prior to departure is a perfect time to make a pit stop!
March 11th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
GREAT tips! Especially the one about putting away your driver’s license right away.
At Christmastime, as I went through security on our return trip, I realized that I had lost my driver’s license. (The last time I remember having it was at the airport at the beginning of our trip.) This of course meant that I was a terrorist. (Even the pic on my VISA check card wouldn’t count.) I got the whole enchilada – I was patted down, they went through my purse with a fine-tooth comb, and they strip-searched me and sent me through the x-ray machine. (Okay, I’m kidding on that last one. But it felt like it.) I felt REALLY stupid because we bought some extra snacks for the plane which included some Capri-Sun pouches, which of course had to be thrown away. (DUH!) Then when I got to the gate and the guy got ready to scan my ticket, he said that I had to go through the whole security bit again because they had failed to punch my ticket. (I was ready to punch more than a ticket by this point.) Thankfully, someone in security remembered me so I didn’t have to go through it all over again. (Hey, aren’t you the idiot terrorist lady who tried to bring a bunch of explosives disguised as drinks on the plane?)
March 12th, 2008 at 6:17 am
Christy:
I’ve had my luggage lost a couple of times too, but I almost always am traveling somewhere (to friends of family) where I can get by without things for a little while. I thought about just having a carryon for my trip this weekend, but I have tight connections on small planes. I don’t want to risk having to stand around and wait for them to bring the planeside luggage around when I only have a few minutes to catch my connection. Besides, I’m not sure how to get my hair product (I use a particular brand of mousse) in a 3 oz container along with all my other toiletries in a small ziploc bag! To me, it’s just worth it not to have to lug that thing (that I usually have several books in!), especially if I have tight connections and have to hurry off the plane and/or run in the airport.
AAM:
That’s exactly why I gave that tip. I’m actually surprised that you were able to get through at all.
When I was traveling home at Christmas, we got rerouted through Atlanta and ended up staying the night there. They had given us bottles of water as we sat on the runway in Arkansas (where we got diverted) waiting to go back to Atlanta, and I had put the remainder of mine in my backpack in case I wanted it later. Not remembering it was still there, I was joking around with the security guy: “Yeah, I wish that I had liquids, then I wouldn’t have had to make due without deoderant” etc. When one of the other security guards asked (after my bag had gone through x-ray): “Ma’am, is this your bag?” and pulled out that bottle of water. I was so embarrassed! I’m just glad that they didn’t make a big deal out of it. Friends of mine that I traveled with internationally just after the new liquid restrictions were added got excoriated because they had accidently packed their full-sized toiletries in their carryon.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:49 am
I totally agree with everything on your list..being prepared really does make a difference! Especially when flying international. :-)
March 12th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I always make sure to bring some snacks with me as well- that way I don’t spend millions of dollars at snacks when I’m starving at the airport or on the flight!
March 12th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Awesome tips!
Here’s a story for ya: I was in an airport once and overheard a very upset man who was talking to an airline representative. He was so upset because the airline had lost his luggage. But the worst part of it all was that he had packed his wallet, cell phone, and car keys IN THE BAG! Can you believe that?