Knowing hacks and tips can be life-saving if you are a frequent traveler. You can also save your hard-earned money.
A user asked the forum, “Frequent flyers: what are your airport life hacks?” Here are the top responses.
SCREENSHOT YOUR BOARDING PASS
“Screenshot your boarding pass and keep your ID (Identification Card) in your front pocket; makes security as simple as possible. Everything goes in your bag before you even get in line (wallet, keys, belt, shoes).”
CARRY YOUR ESSENTIALS IN THE NECK PILLOW BAGS
“I carry one of those neck pillows in its neck pillow bag clipped onto my carry-on. I put everything I wanted quick access to on the flight. My tablet, headphones, cables, and a pen are flying international. That way, I don’t have to get up and try digging through my carry-on after I’m already seated.”
TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR PASSPORT
“Take a picture of your passport. Keep a copy on your phone and a hard copy in your luggage.”
TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR LUGGAGE
“Take a picture of your luggage. If it is lost, showing the picture to the lost luggage person helps a lot.”
LINE UP WITH BUSINESS TRAVELERS
“There’s a clip in the film ‘Up In The Air’ where George Clooney profiles the respective people in the security line. Watch it; everything he touches on is correct. Then choose your line accordingly to line up with business travelers.”
BOOK DIRECT WITH THE AIRLINE
“Book directly with the airline you want to fly. Research your destination on however many travel websites you like and record the flight details. Then, find that same flight on Whateverairline.com.
The price will almost always be close to the discounter, and the discounter’s policies do not bind you because they own your ticket. Trust me, it’s worth it.”
IT ISN’T A RACE
“When exiting the plane, it isn’t a race from the back of the plane through the people sitting in front of you. You’ll get a chance to exit, I promise. Just wait and allow those in front of you to exit first. Have your bags as ready to go as possible, but if they are out of reach, just wait.”
SIGN UP FOR AIRLINE REWARD MEMBERSHIPS
A user added, “Sign up for your airline travel rewards membership and an online/mobile account. Being a member will allow you access to their lounges in airports and help you from time to time with real-time updates on your flight. This is based on my experience with Southwest, Delta, & Japan Airlines.’
Another added, “If you fly a lot, get a rewards credit card with that airline. After flying frequently for work for a few years, I now have platinum memberships with different airlines. It means I get free checked bags, priority boarding, access to the airport lounge with free food and drinks, and best of all, free first-class upgrades if there are open seats.”
DRINK A TON OF WATER
“I learned the hard way my first time flying overseas: drink a ton of water while you’re waiting on your layover. Bring an empty canteen or aluminum water bottle to fill up at fountains.
I know you don’t want to get up to pee all the time, but on a long-haul flight, you’ll get sick, bloated, headachy, and dried out if you don’t hydrate. Drink up. You’ll thank me later.”
BOOK YOURSELF INTO THE LOUNGE
“If you’ve got a long layover, especially if you’re alone, book yourself into the lounge. The time flies by, there are drinks and food, and you can chill out on the Wi-Fi in a comfortable seat.”
BRING EARPLUGS
“Bring earplugs if sleeping or spending a night is possible. Airport personal assistants are constant and loud, and they seem doubly loud late at night without the background noise of crowds.”
BUY A LITTLE PORTABLE WI-FI
“Hotel tip. Buy a little portable Wi-Fi router. Most Televisions are fed content via an Ethernet cable. Unplug it from the Television, plug your pre-configured router in, and connect the Television to the router. Enjoy high speed, free internet.”
KNOW WHAT EACH AIRPORT HAS TO OFFER
“After traveling to the same cities multiple times, I know what each airport offers if I have extra time there. For instance, Portland has a little free theater with local short films. Many airports have massage places. Midway has a free-use yoga studio. Sitting around being bored is for jerks.”
PACK LIGHTER
“Never check a bag. Packing a lighter is almost always possible. Choose clothes that can be mixed/matched to give more combinations for a longer trip.”
GET GLOBAL ENTRY
“Getting Global Entry was worth it! I would have missed a flight waiting in line for over two hours after returning to the United States, but instead, I waited not even 5 minutes, scanned my passport, and looked into a camera. Not to mention, I now have a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) pre-check for five years!”
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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.