Travel life Hacks: Traveling can be one of life’s greatest joys, but it also comes with its share of challenges. Whether you’re a seasoned globetrotter or a novice adventurer, having a few tricks up your sleeve can make all the difference. Travel hacks are essential because they help save time, money, and stress, ensuring that your trip is as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Let’s dive into some life-saving travel hacks that will transform your travel experience.
Finding the Perfect Seat | Travel life Hacks
- If you’re afraid of flying or don’t like turbulence, sit in the middle of the plane. These seats tend to be more stable, so you don’t feel the bumps and shakes as much. Also, flying in the morning or late evening is better as storm winds are usually calmer during these times.
- If you want to get on and off quickly, choose seats at the front of the plane. However, for good service and proximity to toilets, sit at the back.
- For nice views and rest, my personal favorite is the window seat. But it can be colder and you need to sneak past others to get to the bathroom. If this bothers you, book an aisle seat.
- Avoid the middle seat if possible. However, if traveling with someone, book the window and aisle seats. It’s unlikely someone will choose the middle seat, and if they do, it’s easy to switch with them.
- Use tools like SeatGuru.com to check the best seats on your specific plane based on legroom, USB plugs, and other criteria. If checking in late, use ExpertFlyer.com to set alerts for seat changes.
Money-Saving Tips | Travel life Hacks
- Travel light to save money. Low-cost carriers often have base fares that include just a personal item. If you need more space, book a carry-on rather than checked baggage as it’s less expensive.
- Order a special meal to get served before everyone else. Options range from vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, low sodium, to even fruit platters.
- Check in online and download all documents to your phone, especially to your wallet for quick access.
- Download your airline’s app for the most up-to-date information on your flight.
- Check your credit card perks for lounge access or mile accumulation, which can result in free flights or upgrades.
- Use the Hopper app for flight price drop alerts and SkyScanner for fare changes.
Preparing for the Airport and Packing | Travel life Hacks
- Bring an empty water bottle to refill at the airport. It’s more environmentally friendly and saves you money.
- You can bring ice through security if you freeze your water.
- Buy luggage tags with a flap to cover your sensitive information.
- Avoid wearing belts with metal buckles and put all your liquids into a transparent pouch before the airport to speed up security checks.
- Have the address of your stay handy for landing cards if required.
- Identify your luggage easily with ribbons or covers. If worried about losing your luggage, consider getting a tracker.
- Bring chargers, preferably classic USB-C ones, as many airports have charging points without requiring plugs.
- Bring your own food like trail mix, fruits, oatmeal, or ramen, as hot water is often free.
- Bring a sweater or scarf because planes get cold, especially window seats. Blankets are not always available.
- Invest in compression socks to improve circulation and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis.
- Wear sunscreen to protect against increased radiation exposure at higher altitudes.
- For better sleep on planes, consider melatonin pills, a good eye mask, and earplugs.
- Don’t wear makeup on flights if possible, but if you do, bring makeup wipes to remove it once on board.
- Consider wearing a sheet mask on long-haul flights to combat the dry air.
- Wear glasses instead of contacts as dry air can make contacts uncomfortable.
- Bring spare underwear in case of delays and ensure comfort.
- Bring noise-canceling headphones to block out plane and passenger noise.
- Use an earphone splitter to share entertainment with a travel companion.
- Bring a phone stand to watch movies or shows hands-free.
- Consider a J-hook if traveling with multiple bags to make maneuvering easier.
- Bring a respirator as many airports and airlines require them.
- Have separate pouches for documents and essential flight items like sanitizer, lip balm, hand cream, and candy.
At the Airport | Travel life Hacks
- Get there early to avoid missing your flight.
- Take a picture of your parking spot if driving to the airport.
- Drop checked luggage immediately upon arrival to avoid carrying it around.
- Use curbside check-in if available to quickly drop off luggage and get boarding passes.
- Ask for a fragile sticker if you have fragile items, ensuring your luggage is handled with care and arrives first at the carousel.
- Keep your luggage receipt or take a picture of it in case of lost luggage.
- Go to the left line at security as most people go to the right.
- Sanitize after handling security bins as they are one of the dirtiest places at the airport.
- Use toilets outside of security as they tend to be less busy.
- Sit at an empty gate if your gate is full.
- Consider visiting an airport lounge for long waits. Cheap passes are often available on Craigslist, or check credit card perks.
- Use resources like Fox Nomad’s blog for free Wi-Fi passwords and SleepingAtAirports.com for the best places to rest.
- Head to lost and found for chargers left behind after 90 days, as they may give them away for free.
- Use duty-free samples to freshen up.
- Download shows or movies from Netflix or Amazon Prime to watch offline.
- Distribute overweight baggage items into your personal item to avoid fees.
- Buy something at the airport to get a shopping bag for extra items.
Pre-Departure Tips | Travel life Hacks
- Tell your air hostess if you have a short layover so they might move you up front.
- Google a map of your layover airport to know exactly where to go.
- Use FlightAware to track your plane and get more information than gate agents.
- Set an alarm to avoid missing your flight even if you’re at the gate.
On the Plane | Travel life Hacks
- Don’t rush boarding. Boarding last allows you to see free seats and choose your preferred one, but don’t do this on very busy flights.
I hope you find these tips helpful and that they make your air travel experience much more enjoyable! Safe travels!
Also Read:
24 Lesser-Known Travel Tips and Hacks to Make Your Journey Smoother
Travel Hacks: Essential Tips for a Hassle-Free Journey
Top Travel Hacks for Your Next Adventure