My best tips for surviving the airport this summer-Alle Abroad

LET’S JUST SAY IT…SUMMER TRAVEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SH*T SHOW BUT THIS SUMMER IS A WHOLE NEW KIND OF HELL…

The best analogy I can give is the summer 2022 travel season is like the sloppy drunk friend you desperately want to send (safely) home but you can’t because you’ve volunteered to be their designated driver…

Did that make sense lol??

Anyways, in today’s post, I wanted to blast off some of my best travel tips that will help you survive the airport and get to where you need to go with as little stress as possible.

But before we get into the tips, I figure it’s probably best to explain WHY things are the way they are right now.

Summer 2022 is the time when travel returned to pre-pandemic levels - YAY!!! This is what those of us in the industry have been hoping for!!!

BUT NOT SO FAST!

Here’s the catch. While demand is certainly there, supply has not caught up. As is the case in MANY industries coming out of the pandemic the entire airline industry is facing massive shortages of pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, and just an overall airline staffing. Add in the usual summer weather hurdles and sprinkle in the MILLIONS of people flocking to the airports and you’ve got yourself a real mess.

BUT let’s not focus on the negative, instead I want to empower you with some simple steps you can take to alleviate your stress and anxiety if you’re traveling this summer.

We’ve waited too long to be able to travel again and idk about you but I’m not letting ANYTHING stop me from having a fabulous travel-filled summer.

WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOUR TRIP BEGINS

HIRE A TRAVEL ADVISOR

I recognize this tip is a little self-serving since my mom Linda is a travel advisor but I cannot stress this enough. There has never been a more important time to have an expert on your side helping you navigate these wild and crazy travel times especially if you haven’t traveled during the pandemic.

Think of a travel advisor as someone who is your right-hand person. They are there to guide you through the entire planning process and help you navigate what to do when and if things go wrong. No one wants to sit on hold for hours waiting to get through to airlines - travel advisors often have airline contacts or direct numbers to their wholesale partners that they can jump on the phone with to negotiate and advocate for your rebooking, flight credit and or refund.

Click here to get in touch with Linda today.

GET TSA PRECHECK, CLEAR AND OR GLOBAL ENTRY

I’ve been saying it for years - if you travel out of the country or travel frequently you need Global Entry or at the very least TSA PreCheck (but if you travel internationally Global Entry is more bang for your buck because it includes TSA Pre-Check). There has never been a more important time to have these expedited security services.

TSA is $85 for a five-year membership, and Clear costs $189 per year. If you travel internationally Global Entry is $100 and includes TSA PreCheck.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO APPLY

BOOK THE FIRST FLIGHT OUT

I’ve always been a fan of early morning flights (the more time I get to spend in the destination the better) but nowadays this habit is really paying off because aviation experts are saying that there’s less of a chance of your flight being disrupted by delays that could happen throughout the day. So 6 a.m. flight it is haha.

BOOK NONSTOP IF YOU CAN

Nonstops are always my preference, even if they cost more because in the long run there is less of a chance for delays, lost luggage, etc. And sometimes the money you save by connecting is not worth the pain and time of sitting there when you miss your connection or the airline doesn’t get your bag onto your second flight in time…

DO NOT BOOK TIGHT LAYOVERS!!!

If you can’t fly nonstop give yourself A BIG BUFFER (I’m talking at least 2 hours for a domestic flight and 3 for international especially if your tickets aren’t married aka you need to collect and recheck bags).

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE AIRPORT WITH AS LITTLE STRESS AS POSSIBLE

DOWNLOAD YOUR AIRLINE’S APP AND CHECK TO SEE IF THERE’S AN EXPEDITED BAG DROP

When I fly United and check in with their app, it gives me this notification that I can go to this special place to drop my bags and skip the crazy lines. Typically these offers are only shown to travelers who use the app to check in so if you haven’t done so already, download your airline app, make a frequent flier account and use the app to check in.

GET TO THE AIRPORT EARLIER THAN YOU NORMALLY WOULD

I am notorious for getting to the airport hours before I need to (it’s the 65-year-old dad in me haha). But again, this habit is paying off these days. Lines and wait times are longer then they’ve ever been and it’s best to err on the side of caution then risk missing your flight. My rule of thumb is 2 hours early for domestic flights and at least 3 hours for international.

DOWNLOAD THE MYTSA APP

This is a recent tool I’ve added to my toolkit - the Transportation Security Administration–powered app gives you a real-time look at security line wait times at airports around the country. BOOM YOU’RE WELCOME. But also you should still get TSA PreCheck…

CONSIDER UPGRADING FOR LOUNGE ACCESS

Because of all this extra time you now have, since you gave yourself enough time to check in and you have TSA PreCheck, you might want to spend it relaxing at an airport lounge where you can enjoy free drinks, snacks and free Wi-Fi.

PS if you are working on your airline status buying an annual lounge pass with your airline co-branded credit card can help with milage vs getting a card with the lounge pass included (although those have high annual fees where the lounge pass is usually included and the annual fee is like $100 less than the cost of the lounge pass).

OR you can get a Chase Sapphire Reserve card that comes with a Priority Pass membership.

I like to refer to the Points Guy for all these tips because they are WAY more well-versed than me. But I’ve gotta say, the lounge is worth the price tag simply for the free snacks, wine & stress-free experience.

HOW TO HANDLE LUGGAGE

AIRLINE STATUS IS YOUR NEW BFF AND IF YOU DON’T HAVE STATUS IT’S TIME TO WORK ON THAT

If you’ve never been in a committed relationship with an airline…it’s time. (I’m United loyal and it’s really worked to my advantage recently - aka not paying for overweight luggage on 3 trips now is one example)

TSA PreCheck and Clear can help with security lines, but they cannot help you when it comes to skipping the line to check your bags. BUTTTTTT if you have elite status with an airline you get to go in the fancy elite line that is MUCH shorter and drop your bags and be on your way.

TRAVEL CARRY ON ONLY IF YOU CAN (Wow I don’t think I’ve ever given that advice and I won’t be taking my own advice but you totally should if you want to haha).

Listen, I’m never going to be a carry on only gal but I understand the appeal. And if you don’t want to deal with the potential risk of your luggage not making it to your destination with you (especially if you have a connecting flight) this might be the time to test out carry on only.

If I were to travel carry on only I would use the Away Bigger Carry-On (but only domestically cause they are usually too big on some smaller international carriers) and if you want $20 off any Away luggage CLICK HERE - I’m a HUGE Away fan and have an entire 3 piece set.

IF YOU ARE CHECKING A BAG HAVE 1 - 2 DAYS OF CLOTHES WITH YOU

For all my checked bag or die friends (hiiiiii it’s me) be sure to pack at least a day or two of clothes and other essentials in your carry on in case you do draw the short end of the stick and get separated from your beloved checked bag.

AND IF YOU’RE NOT FING AROUND YOU CAN JUST SHIP THAT SH*T

I’m honestly considering this for my trip to Greece in October… here are some deets on baggage shipping services.

**WHEN SH*T HITS THE FAN**

CALL THAT AMAZING TRAVEL ADVISOR YOU HIRED ;)

This is when you can lean on that expert you hired to help you navigate this situation. Recently Linda helped one of her clients traveling to Greece reunite with her lost luggage and leaned on our INCREDIBLE partners in Greece to track down and deliver the luggage so her client didn’t have to wait at the airport.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

So this is the hard truth part…Airlines are not required to compensate passengers when flights are delayed or canceled because of problems that are beyond their control, aka bad weather. They also aren’t required to provide a refund when the passenger initiates the cancellation or flight change.

BUT BUT BUT it is required by US law that you get a refund if an airline cancels, delays or alters a flight or if you’re bumped from an oversold flight due to issues with the airline.

GET AHEAD OF THE PROBLEM

If you see a bunch of delays or cancellations it’s time to start coming up with plan B, C and D. First start with the airline that your ticket is booked with but also with their partner airlines, especially if you are flying internationally. I like to use Google Flights for my flight research.

GET THOSE MILES HUNNAY

First, make sure you’re signed up for your airline’s loyalty program. And then if the airline rebooks you onto a different flight after a flight was canceled, it can (but not all do this unprompted) offer you miles for inconveniencing you. Airlines should be offering your compensation, or hotel stays but in these situations try to see if you can tack on the miles on top. It never hurts to try (and ask nicely)

KEEP YOUR COOL BOO

I learned in one of my favorite books - "Never Split the Difference” that the WORST thing you can do is yell or get angry with the gate agent - that’s only going to make them less likely to help you and they hold all the power. Plus you look like a total idiot in the process.

Just remember their airline employees are probably just as stressed as you but they’re not off to some tropical vacay…they’re just trying to do their job the best they can. And if you find that you’re speaking to someone who isn’t being helpful, politely asking to speak with a superior can be a game-changer (sometimes).

MOST IMPORTANTLY PLEASE BE KIND

If you’re traveling for leisure, don’t forget to enjoy wherever it is you are going. And along the way, please be kind and compassionate to all the airline employees who are helping you get to where you need to go despite all of these insane hurdles. Travel is an incredible privilege and after 2 years of being grounded, let’s not make the return to the skies any harder than it already is for everyone involved.