Life is too short to be stuck in one place. These are the words globetrotters live by all in the pursuit of happiness and learning. Unfortunately, globetrotting is not as easy as it sounds. To have a successful trip, there are different things that you need to keep in mind starting with air travel. Here are some air travel hacks that you can use:
Search for flights in “incognito” mode
Seasoned travelers already know that flight price tends to increase after searching for it many times in your web browser. This is because airline websites use “cookies” to remember your search history. Remembering the search history is convenient but when you check every now and then, you will notice that the prices are not the same. The websites are just trying to scare you into booking the flight quickly before it gets higher.
The trick here is to always search for flights in “incognito” mode. This is also called private browsing mode. The good news is that “incognito” mode is easy to enable. For Google Chrome and Safari users, “incognito” is enabled by pressing Command + Shift + N. For Firefox and Explorer users, it is enabled by pressing Command + Shift + P. You will be directed to a new browser window where the information is not recorded or tracked.
Utilise more than one flight search engine
You have to use more than one flight search engine to compare the prices. Before starting, you should be aware that all search engines have inflated flight price. There is nothing that you can do about search engines taking a cut from the airlines thereby the inflation. However, you can compare the prices and make a decision from there. The trick here is identifying which search engines offer higher inflated price.
Be flexible on your travel dates
The prices of tickets fluctuate based on the day of the week you travel. If you are flexible on your arrival and departure date, you have better chances of finding cheaper tickets. The good news is that most airline websites and flight search engines feature a calendar that can give you an idea of the ticket prices for the whole month. This is how you can quickly compare and identify cheap tickets.
Set price alerts
If you are not yet ready to book a ticket, you should at least set a price alert. This will notify you when the price increases or decreases. It will be helpful especially knowing that the prices of tickets fluctuate.
Opt for budget airlines
The surge of budget airlines made traveling affordable. Budget airlines offer cheaper tickets but you have to be ready with compromises like not enough legroom and no free food/drink. When booking for budget airlines, you have to consider three things – the airport location, luggage allowance, and the fine print.
Book a connecting flight
If you are traveling that involves a transfer, it may be cheaper to book the flights or legs separately. When you do this, do not book layovers that are many hours apart. To do this, you should first do your research.
Choose a luggage with an unusual color
After booking the flight, your next concern is packing. Packing is overwhelming when you think about it but if you know what things to consider, packing is a no-brainer. Since it is your first-time, you should choose a luggage with an unusual color so you can identify it easily. There are people who use bows and ribbons. This is not a wise choice because these things tend to be torn off in the process of transporting.
Bring your own blanket and pillow
It makes you happy when flight attendants start to give out blankets and pillows. While it is helpful, you should keep in mind that these things are only washed when they look dirty. It is always best to bring your own blanket and pillow.
Pack electronics in a single layer
Things tend to jumble together when tossed for many times. The same goes for your bag with electronics. When your electronic are jumbled together, the security will spend more time determining what they are. If they couldn’t determine it, they will require manual bag checks. When this happens, you have to open your bag and it will be inconvenient on your part. To avoid these things, you should pack electronics in a tidy manner.
Know the airport code
If you have to go through multiple airports, you have to remember the airport code especially if you have luggage. Luggage tags are easily mixed up during check-in and if you have to go through multiple airports and airlines, things can get out of hand. The best thing to do is to learn the three-letter airport code for your destination and make sure that the labels are done properly.
Take the car seat for your kid
If you are bringing your kid, you should at least take the car seat. Car seats are not just safe but it is also comfortable. Things can easily get out of hand when kids fly but if they are tucked in car seats, they are used to the feeling thereby calming them. The car seat slides right out of a stroller, which you can check at the gate.
Put your in-flight necessities in another bag
It is inconvenient if you block the aisle during boarding because you forgot something and you keep on digging your bag for it. You think that this is insignificant but it can delay the entire plane. To avoid this, pack all in-flight necessities from books to gums in another bag. You can just toss this bag to your seat while you stow the other bag above.
Stow your bag near your seat
It is definitely tempting to toss your luggage into the empty space you see. However, you have to know that this will slow down the deplaning. If you have a small bag, you should stow it near your seat or under it for convenient and fast deplaning.
These things can help you on your first journey. With these, trotting around the globe will be your greatest adventure. You will learn more valuable lessons and tips as you go along.
