Whether you’ve traveled 5 times or 50 – there are always new hacks to improve your travel experience and travel smarter.
Sometimes airlines keep secrets from you hoping you’ll never find out – or perhaps you’ve traveled so many times a “certain way” and have gotten into a habit – not realizing there are creative ways to make your next trip a bit easier.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel – but before you book your next flight consider
incorporating one of these travel hacks into your itinerary.
Fly Early
While it may be painful to arrive at the airport for an early morning flight, it’s your best shot at avoiding a delay.
Typically, airline delays tend to increase throughout the day, so if you have the first flight out you have the best shot at your flight being on time.
And – should there happen to be any kind of delay with your early flight – you’ll still have plenty of opportunities throughout the day to catch the next flight out…
… as opposed to booking the last flight of the day, which if canceled, could have you spending your night sleeping at the airport.
Travel and Leisure reported: “Studies have shown that early morning flights are less likely to be delayed than those in the afternoon and evening. To avoid delays, it’s best to leave before 8 a.m., according to data compiled by FiveThirtyEight. From there, delay times just build until they reach their peak at about 6 p.m.”
You may crave your beauty sleep – but a catnap on the plane during an early morning flight is much better than sleeping on the floor of an airport due to a canceled flight at night.
Choose Your Layover Airport Depending On The Season
If it’s the middle of winter and your connecting flight is in Chicago – you have a much greater chance at a winter storm delay versus connecting in a warmer climate like Dallas.
While you can’t always choose which airport you connect at – if you can avoid the
winter-weather hubs it will minimize the likelihood of a canceled flight.
A caveat – sometimes the weather is just bad everywhere or warmer climates aren’t prepared to handle even a little bit of snow – meaning you could experience delays even in places you wouldn’t typically expect.
Wondering which airport is the worst for delays?
Newark Liberty International ranks in at the number 1 spot.
Fox Weather reported:
“Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, topped our airport list of flight delays with more than a quarter of flights being delayed. Weather and air traffic delays accounted for 20% of the delays. Spring and summer months were only slightly more delayed than the winter months.”
Stop Paying A Premium For Free Items
Most airports have a filtrated water system for drinking, so you can simply bring an empty bottle and fill it up – for free.
TSA might not let you take a full water bottle through security, but this hack avoids forcing you to pay $6 for a bottle of water at the airport gift shop.
If you prefer a hot drink instead – bring your own tea bags (or instant coffee) and simply ask a restaurant for a cup of boiling water.
Sure, you’re only saving a couple of bucks – but it really adds up if you’re a frequent traveler.
Plan To Get Robbed
Hear me out.
I’m not saying you should flaunt expensive jewelry or flash your iPhone around while walking down the street.
But I am saying you need to have a plan should you get robbed.
Make a copy of your passport and email it to yourself (and a friend) should yours get stolen.
Don’t carry all your cash in one place – and for goodness sakes don’t keep your wallet in your back pocket on the subway – or even if walking down the street.
No – you don’t need to wear a bulky fanny pack – but you can store cash in different locations.
If you’re traveling overseas, make sure you enroll in the State Department’s smart traveler enrollment program – you don’t have to give them all your personal info but an overseas U.S. embassy should at least know you’re there – especially if you’re visiting a hostile or dangerous country.
Have Fun
Most important – don’t forget to ENJOY your travel experience!
Planning and preparing is wise and will make your life easier – but sometimes the best trips come out of unexpected circumstances.
What are your top travel secrets?
Have you found any travel hacks that make your life easier?
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