L4 S U N DAY , N OVE M B ER 19 , 2 017
C O M /T R AV E L
SANER JOURNEY
Travel can be challenging and exhausting even in the best of times. Multiply that by hundreds of thousands
of people trying to get somewhere all at the same time, and it becomes an endurance contest. Following
are tips for survival, from Times Travel staff writers, other travel experts and, with thanks, Travel readers.
By plane
Give yourself time
About 28.5 million passengers
are expected to fly during the
Thanksgiving travel period, ac-
cording to the trade association
Airlines for America. With that
crush, it takes only one person or
accident to slow you down. You
don’t want to be rushed, since
that’s when stress levels rise, tem-
pers flare and patience wanes.
— John DiScala
founder, JohnnyJet.com
Is there another way?
Many airports have more than
one security checkpoint. Ask an
employee if there’s another check-
point that has shorter lines.
— J.D.S
Security may take longer
No matter how you go through
security, it may take longer, thanks
to new rules about electronics. The
TSA asks you to remove all elec-
tronics larger than a 4- by 6-inch
cellphone from your carry-on lug-
gage.
That includes your iPad, your
e-reader and your DSLR camera.
If you have TSA Precheck, you
do not have to take this step unless
the PreCheck lines aren’t in opera-
tion, and then you do.
— Catharine Hamm,
Times staff writer
What can you take
in your carry-on?
You can take a turkey in your
carry-on bag (make sure your air-
line doesn’t have a weight restric-
tion for on-board luggage), but you
cannot take more than 3.4 ounces
of gravy on board with you, so un-
less you have the tiniest turkey
ever, you’ll need to pack that gravy
in your checked luggage.
To find out whether you can
take your pie or pudding or any-
thing else, go to the TSA website
(lat.ms/TSACanITake) or down-
load the app.
— C.H.
Fighting congestion
(the head cold kind)
If you’re the least bit congested
or sometimes get congested dur-
ing flight, take decongestants with
you. Also for the children.
Take the decongestant an hour
to 90 minutes before landing for
best results. Check with your doc-
tor for specifics on decongestants.
–Linda Schaefer,
reader and American Airlines
flight attendant, Tarzana
A different way to fly
Book a seat on a private charter
plane, and you can show up 15 min-
utes before your flight takes off —
without having to face security
checkpoint lines.
Jet Suite, for example, flies be-
tween Burbank and Oakland for
fares starting at $129 each way.
Fares will show up on Kayak.com
flight comparisons.
— Mary Forgione,
Times Travel contributor
Airport parking
If you’re parking in a private lot
at LAX, make a reservation to en-
sure getting a space. There’s noth-
ing to be done about a car you can’t
park and can’t abandon.
— C.H.
Go, but maybe not
at peak times
Family pressuring you to fly
home for the holidays? Don’t give
in; fares may be lower and crowds
smaller if you travel after the big
day(s).
Consider flying between
Christmas and New Year’s — or
even later than that. Many schools
don’t resume until Jan. 8.
— Anne Harnagel,
Times staff writer
By car
Leave early or late
But don’t leave at the same
time as everyone else. Best time:
4 a.m. Wednesday, Google Trends
says.
— Christopher Reynolds,
Times staff writer
Give yourself a
psychological break
If you’re heading to San Diego
for the holidays on Interstate 5,
you’ll probably find it slow going.
We often go inland instead,
switching to Interstate 15. It may
take longer, but somehow going
faster feels better.
— C.R.
Make it fun
A holiday road trip can be fun
when it’s well planned. Because
the days are shorter, we usually
don’t travel more than six hours
TO GET a seat on Amtrak’s popular Pacific Surfliner, consider upgrading to business class.
BEFORE FLYING , brush up on alternate security checkpoint sites and new rules on electronics.
Catharine Hamm Los Angeles Times
HEADING TO LAX? The FlyAway bus is one
of best deals around for transport to airport.
per day, which gives us time to ar-
rive at the hotels before dark and
enjoy the amenities, such as the
restaurant or an indoor pool.
— Angie McCaffery,
reader, Los Angeles
A different kind of car trip
Tesloop (tesloop.com) is a nifty
service that picks you up in a Tesla
Model S or Model X and drives you
between L.A. and San Diego, Palm
Springs or Orange County. (Other
routes include travel between the
O.C. and San Diego and Palm
Springs.)
You get snacks, free Wi-Fi and
device chargers, and noise-cancel-
ing headphones.
Tickets cost $29 to $79 each way
depending on destination.
— M.F.
Check those tires
Before a road trip, check the
tires. The proper air pressure usu-
ally can be found on a decal inside
the driver’s door or in the owner’s
manual. Be sure your spare is
properly inflated too.
— Chris Erskine,
Times staff writer
By train
Reserve
Amtrak’s popular Pacific
Surfliner service between San Di-
ego and San Luis Obispo requires
reservations for travel from Nov. 22
to Nov. 26.
Remember: Having a reserva-
tion means you can get on, but
it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
get a seat during busy holiday trav-
el.
— M.F.
To ensure a seat
To get a seat on the train, con-
sider upgrading to business class.
You’ll also have a little more
space.
— M.F.
MEET your ride-share driver at the Terminal 7
pickup at LAX. It’ll save a long wait in traffic.
Take a turkey and
check your bags
Feel free to bring the turkey on
the train. You are allowed two
checked bags and two carry-ons
(up to a combined total of 150
pounds) for free. Don’t forget a val-
id photo ID.
— M.F.
By bus
Leave the driving to them
Whether Megabus, BoltBus or
Greyhound, bus travel is one of the
cheapest ways to travel.
Round-trip on Greyhound be-
tween L.A. and Las Vegas leaving
Nov. 22 and returning Nov. 26 goes
for as little as $78, and you get free
Wi-Fi and power outlets on board.
Megabus and BoltBus have com-
parable fares and amenities.
Info: MegaBus, us.megabus
.com; BoltBus, boltbus.com;
Greyhound, greyhound.com.
— M.F.
Your hotel
The concierge:
your new BFF
Introduce yourself to the man-
ager-concierge-doorman of your
hotel. They can provide helpful in-
sider tips, including ideas on local
holiday shopping. Ask too about
areas to avoid.
When you go shopping, remem-
ber to ask yourself where you’re go-
ing to wear it or put it.
— Andrea Bernholtz,
reader, Calabasas
So is the hotel fridge
Stay at hotels that offer a mini-
fridge and microwave as part of
the amenities. This will allow you
to take restaurant leftovers to the
room and enjoy them the next day.
— A.M.
Germs be gone
Winter is cold and flu season, so
Catharine Hamm Los Angeles Times
Bob Riha Jr. Getty Images
Catharine Hamm Los Angeles Times
I take a small can of Lysol and
spray phones, door knobs — really,
anything I touch. I use disinfecting
wipes on the airplane, and wipe
everything I touch or put my head
on — this includes the remotes and
tray tables.
— A.B.
Getting to your
departure point
Schedule it
If you’re taking Uber or Lyft to
the airport or train station, sched-
ule early. Both have scheduling
functions. And just in case, have a
backup plan, maybe a friend who
owes you a big, big favor.
— C.H.
FlyAway bus
The LAX FlyAway bus is one of
the best deals around for trans-
portation to the airport. Nonstop
buses serve Hollywood, Long
Beach, the Orange Line in the San
Fernando Valley, Union Station in
downtown L.A., Van Nuys and
Westwood.
It costs $8 to $10 each way, de-
pending on which location you
choose. You also can pay using a
Metro TAP card and EZ Transit
Pass, if you have stored value on
the card or pass.
Check out schedules, pickup
and drop-off locations and hours
of operations at LAX FlyAway:
lat.ms/flyaway.
— M.F.
Summon ride share faster
at LAX
Getting through the traffic cir-
cle at LAX can take your driver
awhile, especially during peak hol-
iday times. To avoid some of this
traffic, head to the Terminal 7 loca-
tion and request your ride share
from there.
Your driver will be able to by-
pass the airport traffic by taking
the East Way shortcut straight to
L AT I M E S.
Terminal 7.
You might have to walk a little,
but it’ll save you wait time, allow-
ing you to get home faster.
— Ernest Shahbazian,
founder, TripAstute.com
Electronics
Charge it
No matter if you are flying or
driving, take your charger and two
charging cords (one for your
phone and one for the backup bat-
tery you should take).
— C.H.
Packing
Ship it
Consider shipping your bulky
winter coat, heavy boots and
other cold-weather gear to your
destination instead of wearing
them on the cramped plane or
cramming them into your suit-
case.
— A.H.
Ship your presents, so you
won’t incur excess baggage
charges for all those hefty gift
books or worry about that expen-
sive bottle of olive oil leaking.
— A.H.
Make a pact
My husband and I have made a
“packing pact.” We take one suit-
case each that we can manage
ourselves. Checking a bag is espe-
cially inconvenient at the holidays
when airports are really busy. If
you are driving, how many bags do
you want to load and unload from
a car?
— Ina Massler Levin,
reader, Long Beach
Try it out
Pack a week early, then edit
your choices down. Consider what
you’ll be doing and what article of
clothing can double for something
else. On one trip, I used a one-
piece bathing suit as a top for
jeans. For a party look, the same
suit with a skirt was festive. Ac-
cessories, jewelry, a pocket square
can be your “pop.”
— I.M.L.
Keep warm
Having traveled (and still trav-
eling) to very cold climates fre-
quently, my two essentials are
lined leather gloves (waterproof)
and silk long underwear, available
in a variety of weights. Both items
weigh almost nothing and are
easy to pack.
— Michele L. Bennett,
reader, Manhattan Beach
Taking care
of yourself
Be entertained
Delays are common. Be pre-
pared with snacks, food and a
good book. Also download movies
or TV shows in advance.
— L.S.
Apps
Need some stress reduction?
The 10% Happier app, for iOS and
the web, uses humor, videos
and meditation maestros to
help you meditate. Free seven-day
trial; $79.99 for a year.
— Terry Gardner,
Times Travel contributor
Calm for iOS and Android
offers timed breath exercises
and a variety of meditation
programs for stress reduction
and relaxation. It’s free for a lim-
ited number of meditations; un-
limited meditations are available
with a paid subscription of $60 a
year.
— T.G.
If you need a laugh, ElfYourself
by Office Depot for iOS and
Android. It lets you turn yourself
and others into dancing elves.
Shoot a fresh photo or use one
from your device library to add an
elf face to an elf video. One video is
free, then 99 cents per video or all
for $6.99.
— T.G.
And finally …
Good will toward all
Be patient and kind to other
travelers. We’re all in this to-
gether.
— A.B
latimes.com
/travel
More wisdom
Go online for many more tips on
snow chains, train schedules and
mini-chargers for cellphones and
much more, plus videos.