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16 Air Travel Tips To Know Before Your Flight
16 Air Travel Tips To Know Before Your Flight
com/advice/travel/air-travel-tips
By Juliana LaBianca
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Don't get discouraged over a cancelled flight just yet. The best way to handle an
off-schedule flight is to call the airline as you wait on line at the ticket desk.
There's a good chance you'll reach a phone agent first. Equally as important, you
won't have to negotiate with the same frazzled agent who's dealt with dozens of
similarly disgruntled fliers. These are the things airlines won't tell you (but every
flier should know).
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Larger crowds lead to more chaotic parking and drop-off situations and longer
wait times at security checkpoints. Plan accordingly. In general, airports are most
crowded on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons, as these days bear the brunt
of business travel. Expect Fridays to get even busier in the summer months as
recreational travel peaks. You'll find the biggest crowds of the year on
Thanksgiving Eve as well as the Sunday after it. And unsurprisingly, the busiest
week to fly is the one that falls between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day; the
Department of Transportation found that the number of long-distance travelers
during this period rises by 23 percent.
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If your flight is overbooked, don’t accept the first voucher that comes your way.
Airlines typically increase their offer until there are enough volunteers willing to
give up their seats. If the airline bumps you involuntarily, insist on cash
compensation instead of a voucher.
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For infrequent flyers, it’s hard to justify the several-hundred dollar annual fees
that are associated with airline lounges. But if you’ve got a long layover, it might
be worth it purchase a daily pass. One-day passes are available for Admirals Club,
Sky Club, and United Club, all for $60 or less. Amenities include everything from
complimentary snacks and drinks to Wi-Fi and shower suites.
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Along with saving you valuable time at the airport, checking in to your flight ahead
of time can earn you bonus miles and help you score a better seat.
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While a last-minute upgrade might seem like a good idea—especially if you often
find yourself falling ill on flights—the seats in the middle of the plane are best for
those with motion sickness. "A plane is like a seesaw. If you're in the middle, you
don't move as much," Patrick Smith, pilot and author of Cockpit Confidential told
Reader's Digest as one of the secrets your airplane pilot won't tell you. More
worried about safety than nausea? This is how to survive a plane crash.
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Make security checkpoints a breeze by packing liquids (which are all 3.4 ounces or
smaller and zipped into a 1-quart Ziploc bag, of course!) into an outside pocket of
your carry-on. Laptops and tablets fall into the same category. Check out the TSA's
website for a full list of items on the no-fly list as well as tips for getting through
security quickly.
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You'll need a pen to fill out immigration forms on board. And your flight attendant
will appreciate not having to supply the entire flight with extra ink.
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Although most airlines will allow you to fly with an infant on your lap for free, it's
extremely dangerous. "If there's any impact or deceleration, there's a good chance
you're going to lose hold of your kid, and he becomes a projectile," the pilot
Patrick Smith told Reader's Digest. "But the government's logic is that if we made
you buy an expensive seat for your baby, you'd just drive, and you're more likely to
be injured driving than flying." The safest place for a baby to fly is in an FAA-
approved car seat. More on that here.
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If your checked bags get lost or delayed, it's important to have your essentials
packed into your carry-on. Start with prescription medications and medical
supplies, a cell phone charger, a change of clothes, and the necessary paperwork to
get you through security and into your hotel. Don't overpack: These are items
you'll almost always regret packing.
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Flying the friendly skies isn't so good for your skin. One study found that pilots
flying for an hour at 30,000 feet get the same amount of radiation as if they had
spent 20 minutes in a tanning bed. Another study found that they were 10 times
more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma. The fix? Load up on
sunblock. This is how to care for your skin on an airplane.
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A poorly timed pre-takeoff bathroom break could hold up the entire flight.
"There's a sequence to taxiing and getting in line for takeoff," Sara Keagle, a
veteran flight attendant and blogger at TheFlyingPinto.com, told Woman's Day.
"If somebody gets up to use the restroom, we have to tell the cockpit, and they
have to stop the plane and wait until the person is back in his or her seat and
buckled up. During that time we could lose our spot in line."
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Better to pick up a coffee, tea, or water bottle at the terminal—the stuff on board
can be downright dirty. For one Wall Street Journal piece, reporters packed
samples of water from the galley and lavatory taps of 14 different flights and tested
them for quality. "The results of our water-quality snapshot: a long list of
microscopic life you don’t want to drink, from salmonella and staphylococcus to
tiny insect eggs. Worse, contamination was the rule, not the exception: Almost all
of the bacteria levels were tens, sometimes hundreds, of times above U.S.
government limits," they wrote. Eek.
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Airlines are able to pay up to $3,400 on lost bags and their contents. In order to
receive a full payout, report lost luggage as soon as possible—many airlines have
tight deadlines for filing claims. Submit your report before you leave the airport
and keep all receipts related to unexpected expenses caused by the loss. You might
be able to get a refund on those, too.
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