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TSA's Top Travel Tips

Kids rule the airport!

Traveling with children. Those words can strike fear in the hearts of even seasoned travelers. How does one prepare for the ‘excitement’ of bringing young travelers to the airport? We have the answer to three of the most common issues.

Strollers, car seats, breastmilk, oh my!

It can be stressful traveling with baby gear any time of year. Check out this video for tips on navigating through the security screening process with these items. And don’t forget, if you need assistance – just ask – we’re happy to help!

Refresh your memory on the liquid rules

We all know by now that a turkey sandwich is not a liquid, but it can still be confusing when you’re figuring out how to pack your liquids. Watch this video and it will all be crystal clear.

TSA PreCheck® = game changer

Who doesn’t want to get through security faster? TSA PreCheck® allows you to do just that. It’s quick and easy security screening for travelers we know more about – and have earned the esteemed title of “Trusted Traveler.” Applying is easy and once you’re a member- you’ll never want to go back.

How not to be “That Guy” at the airport checkpoint

If you’re like most travelers, you likely don’t like to hear the sound of tapping feet and heavy sighs as your fellow travelers wait for you to prepare your items for security. Want to get through security as fast as possible, while still being safe? Check out these tips for domestic travel from your friends at TSA.

Can you pack your meds in a pill case and more questions answered

One of the more popular questions we get from travelers is: “Can I travel with my medication?” The answer is yes, with some qualifiers. Here are a few tips that you might find helpful.

How to know you’ve forgotten something at the checkpoint

Ever gotten on a plane and felt like you were missing something? Here’s a list of the most common items left behind at the security checkpoint. Take note, so it doesn’t happen to you!

Taking your human on a plane: what every pet needs to know

Hey, down here! Are we going to the airport again? No big deal… we’re in this together, and that means we both have to go through security screening.

Get Ready for Game Day

Ah, fall! A time for falling leaves, cooling temperatures, and pumpkin spice flavored everything. But for sports fans, fall means the return of football. Players at all levels, from pee wee to the pros, will be taking the field once again. And if you’re traveling to see the Tide roll or the Eagles soar, we have some tips to help you avoid a penalty flag during your airport screening experience.

Travel Tips that Your Mama Will Love

Everyone knows that there’s no sweeter gift for mom than a visit from you! But if you must bring along a gift, we have a few dos and don’ts to make sure your screening experience is a smooth one.

Fashion dos and don’ts while going through the checkpoint!

Avoid a fashion faux pas by forgetting to do this on your next airport visit.

Keep the Change

Pennies, nickels and dimes don’t seem like much… just a jiggling in your pockets, right? Every day, thousands of people leave their loose change at TSA security checkpoints across America. You may think that a few pennies don’t add up to very much. Just wait until you find out how much passengers leave in those checkpoint bins!

You’ll kick yourself if you forget these travel tips!

Millions of people from all over the world are tuning in to this year’s World Cup. Summer travel season is in full swing so be sure to be ahead of the game when traveling. Shoot and score with these helpful tips that will help you dribble through security with ease.

Going GREEN while traveling through airport security!

Earth Day is every day for TSA. You can do your part to help our planet with these green-friendly travel tips.

Feel like a Superhero with these ASTONISHING travel tips!

Dust off your comic books and cosplay outfits and make room on your shelves for even more cool collectibles! The Granddaddy of annual comic conventions is HERE! Here are 4 helpful tips for all the fanboys and fangirls out there!

5 stressors every pregnant woman has at the airport

Traveling at any time can be stressful, but it can be even more challenging when you’re pregnant.

Too cool for school

The time has come for students to head back to class. If you’ll be flying off to school, we have some tips to make your back-to-school travels as stress-free as possible. After all, nothing should cause you stress other than your first exams and textbook costs!

Two Carry-on Bags in Paradise: A Love Story

If loving a safe flight is wrong, then we don’t want to be right! Valentine’s Day is almost here and many of us will be traveling with gifts for the one we love. Check out some of the most common items screened at security checkpoints nationwide during this romantic time of year.

When flying on a broom just won’t do

Hello all you ghouls and ghosts! It’s almost that bewitching time which means you’re probably itching to hop onto your brooms and fly to a Halloween adventure from your local airports. Here are the tips to make sure your trick-or-treating in the airports is just as sweet as your bucket of candy (without all of the cavities).

Summer Blockbuster -- Automated Screening Lanes coming to an airport near you

Automated Screening Lanes are a state-of-the-art checkpoint technology that enhances security efficiency while decreasing the amount of time travelers spend during the security screening process. These lanes are currently in airports in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, Miami, Houston, Newark, Seattle and Atlanta.

Turkey trot on your way through the airport

Thanksgiving is a time for joy, a time for family, and of course a time for glorious, sumptuous, food! Traveling with these mouth-watering dishes, can sometimes be tricky, so find out what you can pack and what you should leave behind at home.

The Spirit of the Season

Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa all begin in December. No matter the religious holiday, TSA has tips for items that you may be traveling with in celebration of the season.

Fly Like Rudolph for the Holiday Season

Deck the moving walkways with your jolly selves as you venture off to your cozy destinations this holiday season! Since traveling with festive fare can sometimes be tricky, check out our tips below to make sure you and your fellow elves make it through the security checkpoint in a mistletoe minute.

Protect Your Trip »

27 things you should always pack in your carry-on bag.

Create your packing list of essentials and new in-flight finds.

What to Pack in a Carry-on Bag

Packing your carry-on bag for a flight is exciting – but it can also be overwhelming. With a little planning and a concise list of airport and in-flight essentials, you can maximize space and be prepared for your journey.

To help you decide what to pack in your carry-on bag, our team compiled this list of must-have items. Download the packing list here to use while you prep for your next trip, then read on to learn more about what to pack.

Carry-on packing list

Travel wallet, passport holder, toiletry bag, tsa-approved liquids bag and compliant containers, prescription medications, glasses case, travel pillow, packing cubes, tech organizer, luggage tracker, zippered pouches and reusable silicone bags, mini clip bag, hand sanitizer, bluetooth wireless adapter, wired earbuds or headphones, e-reader or a great book, travel adapter/converter, travel first-aid kit, reusable water bottle, activities or games, light jacket, change of clothing.

Protect your credit cards and cash with an RFID wallet like the Travelon RFID Blocking Single Zip Wallet , which prevents scammers from wirelessly stealing your personal information. This travel wallet is especially useful since it can also hold most smartphones.

If you're traveling internationally, an option like the TIGARI Passport Holder can protect your travel document and make it easy to locate in your carry-on bag. You'll need access to your passport at airport security, when you board the plane and when you're filling out entry forms, so keep the passport holder as well as a pen within reach. Once you arrive at your destination, put the passport wallet somewhere safe at your lodging or – if you feel inclined to keep it with you – stow it in your travel purse, belt bag or backpack to ensure it's safe while you explore.

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Pack your toiletry bag in your carry-on so you can easily freshen up and so that you'll have essentials like toothpaste and deodorant in the event your checked luggage is lost in transit. Also consider packing toiletries that are useful for travel (particularly the dry air on planes), even if they're not part of your daily routine at home.

U.S. News senior travel editor Marisa Méndez recommends including a facial moisturizer and a body lotion in your toiletry bag. "My skin always dries out on flights and it's nice to have something to soothe my skin," she says.

"I always love having facial spray to freshen up after the flight," says Elizabeth Von Tersch , also a senior travel editor at U.S. News. She always keeps one in her purse. " Mario Badescu and Evian are great." These facial sprays help to moisturize your skin after the drying environment on a plane or give you a little midday pick-me-up.

When packing your carry-on bag for a flight, you'll want to have a clear quart-sized bag that meets Transportation Security Administration guidelines for liquids and gels. Some Dopp kits or toiletry bags include a removable bag for travel-size liquids, or you can buy this reusable TSA-approved clear bag on Amazon . Put any liquids or gels you're traveling with in this bag, including shampoo, lotion, liquid makeup items and hand sanitizer.

Keep in mind that all liquids and gels must be in travel-size bottles or containers measuring 3.4 ounces or less. Remember: You'll need to remove this clear quart-sized bag from your carry-on bag at security, so consider packing it in an external pocket or an easy-to-find spot in your carry-on suitcase. To learn more about TSA regulations, consult our article about what is allowed in a carry-on .

Never stow prescription medications in checked baggage : If luggage is lost or delayed, replacing these medications while traveling can be extremely challenging or even impossible. If you take multiple medications, consider a travel pill sorter like the EZY Dose Pill Organizer , available for about $5 on Amazon.

Whether you wear glasses for vision correction or you're packing your favorite pair of sunglasses, keeping them protected while stowed in your carry-on is essential. If you're bringing multiple pairs, a case like the foldable Dagne Dover Remi Glasses Case can hold up to three pairs, or the Lug Eyeglass Holder & Mini Pill Case works well for eyeglasses and contacts.

Courtesy of Cabeau

Resting throughout your journey can help you feel refreshed when you reach your destination and make the time pass a little quicker. But nothing can (literally) cramp your style like a stiff neck from sleeping wrong. Choose a comfortable neck pillow for travel like the top-rated Cabeau Evolution S3 or the MLVOC Travel Pillow (less than $30 on Amazon). For a travel pillow that doubles as a packing cube, consider the Tube pillow , which holds up to three days' worth of clothing.

Packing cubes aren't just for organizing clothing and shoes. Maximize space in your carry-on bag with these handy travel compartments . While Eagle Creek's PACK-IT line features the top-rated compression packing cubes on the market, many travelers also swear by the Veken Packing Cubes , which are usually available for $20 or less on Amazon. To maximize space even more, consider Lug's compression packing cubes .

If you're planning to travel with jewelry, watches or items that would be difficult to replace, be sure to put these in your carry-on bag, as checked items run the risk of being misplaced. For jewelry, a compact case that is easy to spot like the Lug Mini Swizzle is ideal for rings, cufflinks or earrings.

It's easy to let your charging cords get lost at the bottom of your bag or get your headphones tangled somewhere in your tote. A handy tech organizer such as the CALPAK Tech Organizer or the BAGSMART Tech Organizer , with zippered compartments and sections for specific cords, can help reduce tangled messes (and the need for you to search for your essentials in a tight airplane cabin).

Even though you'll have your carry-on bag with you, it's still a good idea to have a luggage tracker like an Apple AirTag or a Tile Pro securely attached to your bag. In the event you and your bag get separated, you'll be able to track down where you parted ways (because when you're jet-lagged it's easy to be a bit absent-minded).

Smaller than packing cubes, zippered pouches and silicone bags like the Stasher Silicone Reusable Storage Bags are perfect for storing everything from snacks to scrunchies. If traveling with family, consider different colored pouches for each traveler's items so you can easily tell them apart without removing everything from the bag.

Get a handy little bag with a carabiner clip, such as the CALPAK Luka Key Pouch , to securely attach to the outside of your bag for quick-grab items like gum, hand sanitizer or individual travel wipes . Once you're at your destination, you can clip it on a belt loop or use the elastic band to slide it on your wrist for your room key, lip gloss and other small essentials.

Tips on Trips and Expert Picks

Travel tips, vacation ideas and more to make your next vacation stellar.

Let's face it – traveling can introduce your body to a host of unwanted germs. Carrying a bottle of travel hand sanitizer will keep your hands clean on the go, even if there's not a bathroom nearby. To disinfect surfaces like airplane tray tables, arm rests or tables, consider having a pack of disinfecting wipes at your disposal as well.

During a flight, the low humidity and high altitude can have a drying effect on your skin and lips. To combat the dry air, consider packing a hydrating lip balm like this new stick option by Aquaphor . What's more, if you choose a balm over a liquid moisturizer, you won't need to store this product in your clear TSA-approved liquids bag.

In-flight entertainment can help your travel day go faster, but being tethered to the seatback with wired headphones can feel a bit constricting. Plus, you may have to unplug to let your seat mates in or out. Avoid those troubles and connect your wireless headphones to the in-flight system with Twelve South's AirFly ($35 or less on Amazon), which wirelessly transmits audio via Bluetooth.

If you'd prefer to connect directly to the in-flight entertainment to watch a movie (or maybe just tune out your seatmates), buy some inexpensive wired earbuds like this well-rated set by Jogteg . You can keep them in your carry-on so you're always ready, even on flights where they don't pass out complimentary headsets.

Having a book or magazine in your carry-on bag is always a good idea. Whether you encounter a delayed flight, a long layover or a plane with less than stellar in-flight entertainment, a good book will help pass the time.

On everything from red-eye flights to international jaunts, a good eye mask can block out light from overhead, the seatback screens and plane windows. The Nodpod Sleep Mask is especially relaxing since it's weighted.

"Even if you plan to grab a bite at the airport or on the plane (if that's an option), pack some snacks," says Amanda Norcross , content and SEO strategist for travel at U.S. News. "Flying is unpredictable and stressful for many travelers, and 'hanger' only makes things worse." Trail mix, granola bars, crackers, pretzels, dried fruit and popcorn are some good snack options you may want to throw in your carry-on. Also put chewing gum in your carry-on to freshen breath and help with ear popping.

It's not always easy to find a charging station at the airport, and there are restrictions when it comes to packing batteries in your carry-on baggage for any flight. One option that meets Federal Aviation Administration guidelines is the Anker 537 Power Bank (PowerCore 26K for Laptop) . This device can charge a laptop, smartphone or tablet quickly, to keep your devices running even on a long flight.

For international travel – since different countries use different plug shapes – packing a universal adapter or converter will enable you to charge your devices and other electronics. Before purchasing, consider what your needs will be, especially regarding the shape of the wall outlet plugs and the voltage of the countries you'll be visiting.

A travel adapter such as the EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter on Amazon makes plugs from the U.S. fit into electrical outlets around the world, whereas a travel converter like the ALLWEI International Travel Adapter converts the electricity voltage. If you're traveling overseas from the U.S., you'll need both of these devices to use electronics like laptops, curling irons and hair straighteners (unless your device is dual voltage, like the BaBylissPRO Nano Mini Straightening Iron ).

For minor injuries like blisters from new shoes or unexpected cuts and scrapes, pack a first-aid kit with Band-Aids and triple antibiotic ointment like Neosporin in your bag.

Staying hydrated while traveling is a must. Pack a reusable water bottle like the Corkcicle Canteen Triple Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle to fill up at the airport before your flight and refill throughout your travels. Even better – an insulated bottle will stay cold for hours.

Whether it's a long flight or layover (or maybe you just need a good distraction), having some activities like a miniature coloring book and mini colored pencils or small packable games can be really useful.

"I took a small coloring book and a small set of pencils on a flight once and it was life-changing," Méndez says. U.S. News senior digital producer for travel Leilani Osmundson says she and her husband love to bring a deck of cards and portable two-player games to pass the time.

"I typically wear a lightweight jacket on the plane to free up space in my carry-on," says Norcross. "If the plane is too warm, I can easily stuff it under the seat in front of me with my backpack." If you're in need of a simple yet effective packable jacket , check out the Amazon Essentials Puffer Jacket .

Whether your coffee spills off your tray table or you lose your checked baggage, an extra outfit is handy to have. Pack a versatile outfit (including socks and underwear) into your carry-on bag so you have a backup option, or perhaps have your swimwear and flip-flops ready to head directly to the beach the moment you arrive. For tired or swollen feet, having a pair of compression socks and a change of walking shoes can make your travel day much more comfortable.

What not to pack in a carry-on bag

When packing a carry-on bag or suitcase, it's important to note that some items are prohibited on all flights, due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations. The prohibited list includes aerosol products (such as anti-static spray or pepper spray), lithium or lithium-ion batteries, firearms and ammunition, flammables, and explosives. For more details on what you can and can't pack in your carry-on, visit the TSA's What Can I Bring? and the FAA's Pack Safe websites.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Rachael Hood loves to see how much she can fit in her carry-on bag. She always brings a few snacks, a good read and little luxuries to make the journey comfortable. Hood used her personal travel experience, along with her retail background and research expertise, to curate this list.

You might also be interested in:

• Can I Use My Own Airplane Seat Belt Extender?
• The Top Luggage Brands

Carry-on Luggage Sizes by Airline

• What to Do If Your Flight Is Canceled
• The Best Travel Insurance Companies

Tags: Travel , Travel Gear

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46 Amazing Airplane Hacks To Boost Your Flight & Travel Experience

Katie Seemann

Senior Content Contributor and News Editor

341 Published Articles 45 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 28 U.S. States Visited: 29

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

29 Published Articles 3081 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 45 U.S. States Visited: 28

1. Be Flexible To Save Money

2. stay alert, 3. use points to book your flight, 4. get help finding award availability, 5. don’t leave miles on the table, 6. choose your seat wisely, 7. book a flexible ticket, 8. keep your suitcase organized, 9. bring the ultimate travel accessory, 10. pack vacation essentials in your carry-on, 11. don’t dry out, 12. pay attention to your toiletries, 13. know where you’re going, 14. stay entertained, 15. charge up, 16. be ready to write, 17. think about meals ahead of time, 18. book a bassinet seat, 19. pack snacks, 20. bring lollipops to help pop ears, 21. keep them entertained, 22. use up energy before the flight, 23. remember where you park, 24. skip the long tsa security line, 25. a “touchless” and even faster way to skip long security lines, 26. go left, 27. be ready for the security line, 28. don’t pay for checked luggage, 29. don’t buy water, 30. stay active, 31. get the right size carry-on bag, 32. know how to access a lounge, 33. know your luggage, 34. put your bag in the right spot, 35. block everything out, 36. brush your teeth, 37. be nice, 38. clean your tray table, 39. choose your drink wisely, 40. sleep like a pro, 41. dress in layers, 42. bring socks, 43. find your luggage quickly, 44. late bags earn points, 45. speed through customs, 46. save money on transportation, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Love it or hate it, flying on an airplane is a common part of travel. So, if you have to fly, you might as well make the experience as enjoyable as possible.

We’ve compiled this list of 46 of our best airplane and travel hacks to elevate your flight experience, including everything from flight booking hacks and packing hacks to airport hacks and inflight hacks.

We hope you’ll be able to use some of these flight tricks to make your next travel experience as awesome as possible.

Flight Booking Hacks

A great flight starts with a great booking experience. Try these tricks the next time you have to book a flight.

If you want to find cheap flights , it’s best to be flexible. When your dates aren’t set in stone, you can use the flexible date search option in Google Flights to see what dates offer the cheapest tickets. Just visit Google Flights , enter your origin and destination cities, then click on the travel dates.

You’ll see the prices for your flight every day on the calendar. Use the trip duration settings at the bottom to choose your desired trip length or play around to see if the trip length affects the ticket price. The lowest-priced tickets will be shown in green.

Another way to keep an eye out for the lowest price tickets is by signing up for flight deal alerts . Websites like Google Flights, Kayak , and Skyscanner allow you to sign up for fare alerts on your chosen route so you know if and when the price drops.

We couldn’t write a flight hack post without mentioning points and miles, could we? Of course not, since that’s our specialty! Using points to book your flight is an easy way to save on the out-of-pocket expense of travel. Plus, using points to book business and first class flights is a great way to make your entire flight experience so much more comfortable than flying in the back of the plane.

Hot Tip: If you’re brand new to the points and miles game, start with our beginner’s guide to bring you up to speed.

Using miles to book a flight is a great way to fly, but finding award availability can sometimes prove to be difficult. If you need help, look at a tool like ExpertFlyer , Award Nexus , or Seat Spy . These websites can help you find award seat availability without spending all day searching.

Whether or not this is your first trip on a specific airline or your fiftieth, sign up for the airline’s frequent flyer program and make sure your frequent flyer number is attached to your reservation. If you never plan on flying the airline again, you can credit the miles you’ll earn to a partner airline.

No one wants to get stuck in a middle seat in the back of the plane next to the bathroom, right? That one is obvious, but there are pros and cons to other seats as well.

• If you get motion sickness, choose a seat over the wing so you’ll feel less turbulence .
• Choose a seat in front of the plane if you’ve got a short connecting time.
• If you’re traveling with another person, choose a window and aisle seat toward the back of the plane. Unless the flight is sold out, you’ll have a decent chance that no one will choose the middle seat between you.
• If you want to sleep during your flight, go with a window seat.
• If you’re more comfortable having easy access to the bathroom, an aisle seat toward the back of the plane will be your best bet.
• If you definitely need a small bag with you during the flight, don’t choose a bulkhead seat because they don’t have anywhere to store a carry-on other than the overhead bins.

Use a tool like SeatGuru to find seat maps for your flight, along with notes about the pros and cons of every seat. This website is a must if you want to find the perfect seat on your next flight.

Thankfully, many airlines are offering flexible cancellation and change policies these days, but be sure to read the fine print. These policies often don’t apply to the cheapest basic economy fares. If you want flexibility, you might need to pay a little more upfront.

Packing Hacks

Packing a suitcase is an art, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. These easy packing hacks will help you save space and ensure that you’re prepared for anything.

A packing tip that many can agree on is that packing cubes are a must. These zippered bags come in lots of different sizes and colors to keep your clothes organized. When you arrive at your destination, just move the packing cubes to the drawers, unzip, and you’ve unpacked in an instant.

If you’re packing for multiple people in 1 bag, assign everyone a different color packing cube to keep everything organized.

A large scarf is a versatile item that is the perfect travel accessory. When you pack one in your carry-on bag, you can use it as a blanket to stay warm or for lumbar support to stay comfortable on the plane. Then use it as a scarf in cold weather destinations or as a beach cover-up for tropical vacations.

Picture this: your flight arrives at your vacation destination and you’re so excited to hit the pool at your resort — but your luggage didn’t make it yet! What could be a wasted vacation day for others is no big deal for you because you’re prepared. You packed an extra set of clothes in your carry-on , including important vacation items like a bathing suit, sunscreen, and flip-flops, so you can wait for your delayed luggage while sipping a tropical cocktail by the pool instead of being grumpy in your hotel room in the jeans and sneakers you wore on the plane.

Dry airplane air can easily dehydrate your body. In addition to drinking plenty of water on your flight, don’t forget to pack lip balm and hand lotion in your carry-on bag to combat uncomfortable dry skin. If you typically wear contact lenses, opt for glasses on your flight since the plane’s dry air can make wearing contact lenses uncomfortable.

Make sure your toiletries are in travel-sized containers if you’re planning on using carry-on luggage only. You can invest in a good travel toiletry bag to keep everything organized, or opt for the budget route and put travel-sized containers in a Ziploc bag to keep them from leaking on your clothes.

Pre-flight Hacks

These tricks of the trade are things to think about before you get on your flight.

If you’ll be traveling somewhere where Wi-Fi might be spotty or unavailable, it’s a good idea to download offline maps of the areas you’ll be visiting so you can access them even when you can’t access the internet.

To download a Google Map for use offline, just type in your destination. Then click on the destination name at the bottom of your screen.

Then click on the 3 dots in the upper right-hand corner and select Download offline map .

While many airlines offer inflight entertainment, there’s nothing better than knowing you’ve got plenty of your favorites ready to go. Download podcasts, music, audiobooks, or Netflix shows before you take off to ensure you have plenty to keep you occupied during your flight.

If you’re planning on watching movies or shows on your phone, bring a small stand or mount to set up on your tray table so you don’t have to hold your phone for the whole flight.

Be prepared. Charge all of your electronic devices the day before you leave so they are ready to go for your flight. Keep all of your charging cords handy in your carry-on bag in case you need to charge up at the airport, or bring a portable charger if you think you’ll need more battery power during your flight.

If you’ll be traveling internationally, bring a pen . This will save you from having to rely on your fellow passengers to borrow a pen on the flight to fill out customs forms.

If you’re on a long-haul flight that will be serving a meal and you’ve got dietary restrictions, be sure to order a special meal before your flight. If you wait until you’re on the plane, you’ll be stuck with the standard options.

Flying With Kids Hacks

Flying with kids can be an adventure, but with these pro tips, it will be as stress-free as possible.

Did you know that many airplanes (especially on long-haul international flights) have a few seats that can accommodate a bassinet on board (usually the bulkhead seats)? If you’re flying with a baby , book early and call the airline to reserve one of these seats.

If you’re a parent, you know that snacks are the answer to about 85% of your kids’ problems. This is no different on a flight. Pack snacks and everything will be okay.

Air pressure changes can affect kids’ ears more than adults’ ears. To help your little one pop their ears, give them a lollipop.

We aren’t saying you should always bribe your kids with new toys, but a long flight is a great time to go ahead and bribe your kids with a new toy ! Having something new will help keep them happy and entertained for longer.

If your child is sitting in the window seat, give them a package of gel window clings to play with, or try an airplane toy for a child’s first flight. The toy itself doesn’t matter as much as the novelty of having a new toy.

If all else fails, or even if you just want to keep things simple, bring a tablet with plenty of shows or games downloaded, along with child-friendly headphones . Most adults use screens for the whole flight, so why not let your kids do the same?

Kids have a ton of energy, and it’s a great idea to get rid of as much of it as possible before you board the plane. Many airports these days have specially designed kids’ play areas for this exact purpose.

If your airport doesn’t have a play area, take kids on a walk and let them ride the people movers (making sure they don’t get in the way of others trying to quickly make it to their gate, of course). When all else fails, try to find an empty area (the far end of the terminal is probably your best bet) and let them run wild.

Pre-flight Airport Hacks

You can make the time you spend in the airport before your flight as comfortable and stress-free as possible with these airport hacks.

While you think you’ll remember where you parked, it’s not quite so easy to remember after a week-long vacation. To help your memory out, take a picture of your parking space with any recognizable features and the parking row number so you can find your car easily when you return.

How would you like to breeze through the TSA security line — without taking your shoes off ? That can all be achieved when you have  TSA PreCheck . This program essentially gives you access to shorter security lines and the ability to pass through without taking your shoes and jacket off and without having to remove your laptop and toiletries from your bag. It’ll save time and hassle each time you fly.

According to the TSA , the majority of TSA PreCheck passengers wait less than 5 minutes in security lines.

Hot Tip: While TSA PreCheck costs $78 for a 5-year membership (and many would argue it’s absolutely worth that price), you can get it for free with many credit cards .

Breeze through the security lines without having to even take your ID out of your wallet. CLEAR is a program that allows you to do just that because it uses biometrics to verify your identity. After your identity is successfully confirmed (through an eye scan), you’ll be escorted to the front of the security line.

CLEAR costs $189 annually and is available in select airports across the country. Several credit cards include a discounted or complimentary CLEAR membership as part of their benefits.

If you have a choice, choose the security lines to the left — people tend to naturally go right more often than not, so the left lines may be shorter.

Regardless of whether or not you have TSA PreCheck, be ready to get through the security line quickly . Have your ID and boarding pass ready to go — do not wait until you’re at the front of the line to get these things out. If you don’t have TSA PreCheck, make sure you have your liquids and laptop easily accessible so you can remove them quickly without holding up the line.

Hot Tip: Be prepared before your flight. Know what you can and can’t bring through TSA security and check these TSA security FAQs for the answers to some common questions.

Checking your luggage can be expensive these days. While it might be easy to just bring a carry-on bag for some trips, many of us will still need to check a bag from time to time. You can avoid paying crazy baggage fees by choosing an airline that doesn’t charge for bags, like Southwest, by having airline elite status, or by having an airline credit card. Many airline credit cards come with free checked baggage , which can save you lots of money, even if you only fly a couple of times a year.

Buying water in an airport gift shop is expensive and isn’t great for the environment. Instead, bring an empty water bottle through security and then fill it at the filling station or drinking fountain after security. You’ll save money and reduce your plastic usage at the same time.

With many of us using fitness trackers and smartwatches these days, getting a recommended number of daily steps or movement time has become commonplace. To balance out sitting on an airplane for hours at a time, take the time before your flight to walk. Getting a few laps in around the terminal before you board your flight is a great way to stay active, even on travel days, and it provides great people-watching, too.

Before you attempt to pack for a week-long trip in 1 carry-on bag, make sure it’s the right size for a carry-on , and make sure you can lift it up to get it in the overhead bin. While other passengers will often offer to help lift heavy bags into the overhead bins, savvy travelers can manage their bags on their own.

Hot Tip: Need a new bag? Check out some of our favorite carry-on luggage bags for any traveler.

Airports are places we all spend a lot of time just waiting. So, next time you fly, plan to wait in style in an airport lounge . Lounges offer quieter places to get work done or to grab a snack and drink before your flight. Some even offer luxury amenities like showers and massages.

Having a Priority Pass membership allows you to access over 1,400 airport lounge locations in over 600 cities across the world. The best part is that there are many credit cards with Priority Pass access.

While it’s not inevitable, sometimes your luggage doesn’t make it onto the same flight as you. When this happens, you’ll most likely need to fill out lost/delayed luggage paperwork that will include an area for you to describe your luggage. A description of “black suitcase” isn’t going to cut it, so make sure you know exactly what your luggage looks like. When in doubt, take a photo of it before you fly, for reference.

Airplane Hacks

We love traveling here at Upgraded Points and have picked up lots of tricks along the way. These airplane hacks will help make your flight as comfortable and as fun as possible.

When choosing a spot for your carry-on bag in the overhead bin, go for the space on the opposite side of your seat, directly across from or slightly in front of your seat (never put your bag behind you). That way you can see your bag from your seat and you’ll easily be able to grab it after the flight without having to wait for the people behind you to deplane before you can grab your bag.

One of the keys to really relaxing and enjoying a flight is the ability to block out airplane noise to enjoy your podcast, music, or movie. Because of that, having noise-canceling headphones is a great way to make your flight more enjoyable.

No, we aren’t suggesting you need to brush your teeth on that quick flight from Chicago to New York City, but brushing your teeth on long-haul flights or flights where you’ll be sleeping can really make a difference in how refreshed you feel. Be sure to pack your toothbrush and travel-sized toothpaste (or even a disposable product like Colgate Wisp ), and don’t forget to use bottled water.

While this should come easily to many people, it bears repeating. Be polite and respectful to the flight attendants. They are there to ensure your safety and to help you have a comfortable flight and they deserve your respect. If you’re having a bad flight or don’t like a policy, don’t take it out on them.

If you think you’ll need extra attention from the flight attendants during your trip, consider bringing a small, edible gift like a piece of chocolate or a cookie (prepackaged, store-bought) as a gesture of thanks.

While airplane cleaning standards have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began, things like tray tables are not necessarily cleaned between each flight. According to Forbes , airplane seatback tray tables are the dirtiest part of the airplane , so be sure to pack some disinfecting wipes and clean your tray table before using it.

Be sure to drink plenty of water during your flight to stay hydrated. While you might not like it, it’s best to avoid alcohol on planes, since it can speed up dehydration and could lead to a fuzzy start to your vacation. It’s also best to avoid carbonated drinks as the bubbles combined with changes in air pressure can cause discomfort for some people.

There’s a definite art to sleeping on a plane, and unless you’re one of those lucky people that can fall asleep anywhere, you’ll need all the help you can get. Use a  sleeping mask and earplugs to block out light and sound, and bring along a comfortable travel pillow to give your head and neck some support. Choosing a window seat can also make sleeping easier since you can lean up against the side of the plane.

Another trick to help you sleep on airplanes is to wear a jacket or sweatshirt with a hood . Putting up the hood will help keep you warm but will also cover your ears and part of your face, giving you more of a sense of comfort and privacy. Some hoods are big enough to pull down to cover your eyes, too.

Airplanes can often be freezing… unless they are way too hot. The problem is, you never know which temperature extreme your plane might suffer from until you are on it, so it’s best to dress in layers so that you’re prepared for anything. Always bring a jacket in the summer and wear a t-shirt under your sweater in the winter.

Hot Tip: If you bring a jacket but don’t need it on the plane, you can roll it up and use it as extra lumbar support.

If you’re wearing sandals on your travel day, bring a pair of socks to wear on the plane. Your feet will stay warm and your seatmate will appreciate not being up close and personal with your bare feet.

If your feet and legs have a tendency to swell, consider bringing compression socks onboard to wear during your flight. They will help reduce fluid retention and swelling, and may even reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Post-flight Airport Hacks

The travel hacks don’t stop when your flight lands. Use these tips to travel like a pro.

Many bags can look the same, so it’s smart to use a unique luggage tag or tie a brightly colored ribbon around your checked bags to make them easily identifiable in the baggage carousel. Alternatively, you can buy luggage in a variety of colors and patterns that are easy to pick out of a crowd.

Did you know that some airlines offer bonus points if your bags are late ?

Delta Air Lines offers the “Bags On Time” guarantee. If your bags take more than 20 minutes to reach the baggage carousel after any domestic flight, you’re eligible for 2,500 bonus miles by completing this form .

Alaska Airlines offers a $25 discount code for future travel or 2,500 bonus miles when your bags take more than 20 minutes to reach the baggage carousel. To make a claim , you need to visit the Alaska Airlines baggage desk at the airport within 2 hours of your flight’s arrival.

If you travel internationally even just once or twice a year, Global Entry can save you tons of time. This program allows members to speed through customs upon re-entry back into the U.S. Instead of waiting in the long customs lines, Global Entry members scan their passports and enter customs information at a kiosk before heading to baggage claim.

Bottom Line: Global Entry is a great program that will help you speed through the airport after international flights. It costs $100 to apply and the membership lasts 5 years. The great news is that many travel rewards credit cards come with a credit for the Global Entry application fee .

If you’ll be taking a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft from the airport, make sure you download the app before you need to use it. It will be easier and quicker to get a ride if your account is already set up, and you’ll have time to see if any of your credit cards offer discounts or bonus points . Be sure to add your credit card to your account and activate any bonus offers, if needed.

We think flying is fun and we hope that by using some of these amazing plane and flight hacks, you will, too! Also, be sure to check out our best hotel hacks to get the most out of your next hotel stay. If you’ve got additional travel hacks ideas, share them in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best airplane hacks for sleeping.

If you want to sleep on your next flight, here are a few hacks that can help you out:

• Book a window seat so you can lean on the side of the plane
• Pack a neck pillow
• Bring earplugs and a sleeping mask to block out light and sound
• To stay warm, bring a jacket or large scarf that can be used as a blanket; wearing a hooded sweatshirt or jacket can also help cover your ears and eyes and keep you warm so you can catch some shut-eye

What are the best airplane hacks for toddlers?

If you’re traveling with a toddler, be sure to bring plenty of snacks and things to keep them entertained. A new toy is a great way to keep them occupied as are gel window clings if they’re sitting in the window seat. If all else fails, bring a tablet and kid-friendly headphones to keep them entertained and quiet for the trip.

What are the best airplane hacks for comfort?

There are a few things you can do to make your next airplane flight more comfortable. Wear comfortable clothes in layers so you can adjust based on the temperature of the plane. To help ease back pain, you can use a rolled-up jacket or scarf for extra lumbar support. If you’re wearing sandals, bring socks to keep your feet warm, and consider compression socks for long flights to help reduce swelling.

What are the best airplane hacks for long flights?

To make a long flight more comfortable, try these hacks on your next trip:

• Wear comfortable clothes that you can sleep in
• Dress in layers so you never get too cold or too hot
• Wear compression socks to help reduce swelling
• Brush your teeth before you go to sleep and once you wake up (but be sure to use bottled water)
• Download plenty of entertainment before the flight and bring a portable charger so your devices don’t run out of batteries
• Use airline miles to book a business or first class flight

What are the best packing hacks for flying?

To pack like a pro, you’ll want to follow these simple tips. Keep your luggage organized by using packing cubes. If you’re packing more than 1 person in a single suitcase, get a different color of packing cube for each person to keep everything separated. Use a toiletry bag or a simple Ziploc bag to pack your bathroom essentials. If your products leak, the spill will be confined to the small bag and won’t get all over your clothes. If you’re checking suitcases for vacation, always pack what you’ll need for the first day in your carry-on so you can start your vacation right away, even if your bags are late.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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30 Tips for Flying Like a Pro

Related To:

Whether for business or pleasure, flying can be stressful. Making your flight on time, hoping you remembered to pack everything, changing time zones, long layovers, crowded airports and long security lines can all induce stress. Take note of these expert tips and you’ll step off the plane feeling relaxed and ready for whatever awaits you at your final destination.

Businesswoman relaxing on airplane

Photo by: Jupiterimages

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Before You Go

Save time by skipping lines. Sign up for TSA PreCheck and go through the lines where shoes stay on and laptops remain packed. Fast Track Global Entry makes sense for jetsetters with disposable income who don’t want to stand in the customs line. Both require advance paperwork and fees.

Pack smart. Don’t check bags unless you’re going on a month-long adventure. There's no need to create another reason to wait in line.

Take advantage of airport apps. Filo connects you to airport WiFi and helps locate amenities like power outlets, play areas for kids and connecting gates. If you’re delayed or have some extra terminal time, FlySmart has reviews of terminal restaurants and shops by fellow travelers. The directionally challenged will love iFly , which uses GPS to help you reach that connecting gate without walking the wrong way.

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If you’re sitting on a plane for several hours, you might as well use the time to pamper yourself. Use a headscarf to keep hair in place and avoid bed head from napping. Pack some cocoa butter in your one-quart bag of liquids plus cotton hand gloves for a refreshing hand treatment. Give yourself an in-flight spa session with cucumber eye pads. Pre-moistened pads soothe and refresh tired and puffy eyes. You may get a few strange looks from people walking the aisle, but you won’t even notice (or care) because you’ll be relaxed to the max.

Yes, it is possible to get some shut eye on a plane. If you suffer from anxiety or have trouble sleeping on planes, consider getting a weighted blanket. Weighted blankets simulate the effect of a reassuring hug, which increases serotonin, producing a calming, sleepy feeling. Mosaic Weighted Blankets offers a refreshingly low-tech solution.

Click through these galleries to read all 30 tips for flying like a pro.

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Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a first-time or frequent traveler

The holiday travel season is fully upon us. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen a record number of passengers this Christmas, and the TSA already broke a daily record. They screened a whopping 2.9 million travelers on Nov. 26, 2023, alone ... the most passengers ever screened in a single day.

As millions of travelers take trips by plane , cruise ship or road , we've gathered some essential travel tips on how best to book and enjoy your journeys.

Whether you're an occasional road-tripper or a frequent globe-trotter, these TPG-backed top travel tips can help you avoid unnecessary headaches when you spend time away from home.

How to find travel deals

Flexibility is key when it comes to finding cheap airfare any time of year.

Changing your arrival or departure date by a single day can save you hundreds of dollars on airfare. If you don't mind altering your family's plans slightly, consider booking travel directly on major holidays like the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas for cheaper prices and thinner airport crowds.

One of our favorite tools at TPG for finding deals is Google Flights . You can use the search field to find the cheapest (or best) flights. Google will also give you a historical view of how prices have ranged and will even send you email alerts if fares jump or drop on specific routes you've selected.

It also has some fun tools you can use to find a cheap destination. By clicking the "Explore" button on the sidebar and putting your departure airport, Google will give you a map or list view of the most wallet-friendly destinations.

However, Google isn't the only place to find deals: TPG publishes regular deal alerts. You can sign up for Twitter alerts and subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest deals news.

Don't sleep on mileage awards, either. If you've been hoarding miles during the pandemic, it's time to spend them. Cash prices are high, so it can be a good time to burn those miles.

No matter how much you think you know about redeeming miles for flights , there are always new tips and tricks for turning those earnings into dream trips. Turn to TPG for guidance on sweet spots for redemptions. Sites like ExpertFlyer (part of Red Ventures, like TPG) supply additional redemption ideas or even business class upgrade inventory.

You may even want to consult a travel agent to get access to special deals that aren't available anywhere else. Travel agents can sometimes get you extra perks at hotels or even cheaper business-class airfare to your dream destination.

Be your own best advocate

Since there are still air traffic controller shortages and little room for error in the system these days, travelers have to be their own best advocates.

There are ways to get ahead of any possible travel nightmares.

First, be smart when booking. Try to find a nonstop flight rather than one with connections, even if it costs a little more. You'll eliminate the risk of missing connections and lessen the chance of having your luggage go in a different direction than you during a transfer.

You could also take one of the first flights of the day, as those are least likely to face afternoon thunderstorms and most likely to depart on time. Read our article 5 reasons to book the first flight of the day for all the data.

Related: Your flight is canceled or delayed – here's what you should do next

Download your airline's mobile app to keep track of potential flight delays in real time. The airline app is a secret weapon in case things go wrong. Not only will you know when boarding starts, but you'll also learn of any delays first. Some airlines allow you to even rebook yourself in the app.

If your flight is canceled, you'll want to beat everyone else on your flight who is also looking to get rebooked.

We recommend heading for the customer service desk (or lounge desk if you have access). You could also get on the phone with the airline or contact them via social media if there's a delay . Sometimes, an airline's Twitter representative will help you faster than a phone or in-person agent can. You have to use every tool at your disposal when things go south.

Many airlines also now have live chat capabilities to help navigate delays and cancellations.

I always have an alternate plan (or two) in the back of my mind in case a flight gets canceled or delayed. I also look to see what other airlines are flying the route I'm booked in case something goes awry. This way, I'll know what to ask for if I need to be rebooked.

Also, save all the receipts for the expenses you incur during delays or cancellations. You'll want excellent documentation in the case of meltdowns like the one Southwest passengers experienced during the holidays .

If you're stuck at an airport for an extended period, seek out your airport's secret quiet spaces for a brief escape from the travel chaos.

Get Global Entry and/or TSA PreCheck

One of our favorite ways to speed through the airport and avoid those summertime mega lines is via Trusted Traveler programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry .

Essentially, the government pre-screens you for security and thus you save a bit of time during your travels. You'll need to apply ahead of time and pay a fee. The great news, however, is that many credit cards will give you a statement credit for these fees. TSA PreCheck is a $78 application fee for five years, and Global Entry is $100.

Related: 7 ways to get Global Entry, TSA PreCheck and/or Clear for free

TSA PreCheck allows you to speed through airport security without removing your shoes, laptops or liquids. With Global Entry , you can breeze through customs when you return from an international trip.

If you have the time, going for Global Entry rather than simply TSA PreCheck makes sense. Global Entry requires an interview with Customs and Border Patrol ahead of time, but once you're approved, TSA PreCheck will be included.

Get Clear for the ultimate security trifecta

The other security tool we recommend you have in your travel toolbelt is Clear .

Related: Why you should get TSA PreCheck and Clear

The expedited security program allows you to bypass long security lines by using a separate lane at many airports. You'll approach a kiosk where your identity is confirmed via an iris scan or fingerprint. A Clear employee will then escort you to the front of the security screening line.

A Clear membership combined with TSA PreCheck will enable you to go to even shorter lines at some airports with designated Clear/PreCheck lines. Clear isn't perfect at all airports where it's so popular, and there are now long lines (cough, Atlanta). However, it will still generally lead to shorter lines overall.

Related: Guide to using the Amex Platinum Clear benefit

Make copies of your important documents

Make digital and hard copies of all your important travel-related documents. Start by photographing your driver's license, your state ID and/or your passport.

You should have copies of your IDs in your phone's library in case you get separated from the actual document. Sometimes, it also helps in a pinch if you are asked for ID, and you didn't bring the hard copy. For example, I was recently asked for my ID to enter One Vanderbilt to have dinner at the new American Express Centurion Lounge in New York. The receptionist would have accepted a photograph of the ID if I didn't have the physical document.

TPG also recommends having an actual photocopy in a separate place. Editor Kristy Tolley says she stores a hard copy in a separate place from where she keeps her passport in case she loses a bag. "I also leave a copy of it at home if I'm traveling alone," she said.

Check expiration dates

If you aren't 100% certain of the expiration date of your passport and other travel documents, go check them now. Renewing passports takes time, and some countries require six months of future passport validity to allow entry. Remember that child passports expire every five years, which can sneak up on you.

Related: How and when to renew your passport

Double-checking the expiration dates for your driver's licenses and state IDs is also a good idea. Remember that TSA checks the expiration dates on your documents when they screen you for security. Don't forget to check the expiration dates for your Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry, Clear and TSA PreCheck, too. It can take a while to get a Global Entry interview appointment if you need one to renew.

Few things are worse than getting to the front of the security line and realizing the PreCheck mark is gone from your boarding pass.

Finally, check the entry requirements if you are traveling internationally. Some countries require visas that you must acquire before arrival.

Consider travel protection

When booking your travel, try to use a credit card that offers some built-in travel protection . Many credit cards, including TPG favorites like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or The Platinum Card® from American Express , offer this when you use those cards to purchase your airfare and similar.

Related: Best credit cards for trip delays and cancellations

If the coverage offered by your credit card isn't enough, you might also want to purchase travel insurance . These policies can sometimes go beyond trip cancellations to cover things like medical evacuations. Warning: Read the fine print on any extra policies very carefully to ensure it covers the situations that matter the most to you.

Those who frequently travel abroad may want to consider purchasing an annual travel insurance policy instead of buying one on a trip-by-trip basis. Some TPG staffers purchase annual policies because of the cost savings for multiple trips. Some will find having an annual policy is easier than juggling separate policies or various credit card coverage terms and conditions.

Tips for your luggage

TPG has a ton of tips when it comes to luggage.

First and foremost, try to be on "team carry-on" whenever possible. If you don't check baggage, you are much less likely to become separated from it. Many of us at TPG refuse to check luggage except under extreme circumstances.

Of course, other folks with families or those embarking on long journeys may still want to check bags. If that's the case for you, you can still do many things to lessen the chance you get separated from your stuff. For example, make sure your luggage is in good working order, your contact info is attached, the bag is within the weight limits, you get to the airport early (but not too early) to check it and confirm your luggage is tagged to the right destination or connection.

Related: 7 tips to keep the airline from losing your luggage

After last year's baggage delays and luggage disasters , we strongly suggest you put Apple AirTags (or the Android equivalent ) into your luggage so you can track your items if they go missing .

If you check a bag, keep extra medicine or medical supplies in your carry-on bag in case your luggage goes missing or gets delayed. "As a diabetic, I keep a tiny emergency kit in my backpack with enough supplies to keep me going in an emergency," TPG writer Tanner Saunders said.

Former TPG credit card writer Ryan Smith also offered words of advice regarding luggage. "The last items you pack in your carry-on will be most accessible, so use this for your passport, ID, ticket, headphones or whatever else you need during the trip," he said. By making sure those items you'll use most are easiest to reach, you'll save yourself the hassle of having to dig around (or partially unpack) your bag to grab what you need.

Finally, be sure and get compensated if your bags are late or lost. Many airlines will give you points or even cash for delayed bags, and the government has rules on compensation if your bags are lost.

Staying safe on your journeys

From potentially getting robbed while on the road to experiencing bad weather or natural disasters while traveling, there are many scenarios that could arise when you're away from home.

To mitigate those risks, pay attention to U.S. Department of State warnings about a destination you plan to visit and check local sources for the latest news from that country or region for additional context. Although the State Department tends to err on the side of caution with its warnings, it's still best to be aware of what you may face during your trip.

Also, know the local number in case of emergencies. In many places, including Mexico and much of Europe, if you dial 9-1-1 on your cellphone, you will be connected to emergency services just like in the U.S. However, you should know the local emergency numbers of whichever country you visit.

Let people at home know your itinerary and stay in touch with them throughout your trip. If something goes amiss, at least someone will know where you're supposed to be or the last place you visited.

If you're arriving at night, contact your hotel or home-share host to ask about the best way to get there at the time you're arriving and the safest ways to travel at night in that area.

Also, be strategic about how you check into a hotel. Some solo travelers request two keycards to imply someone else is on the trip. Giving thought to the hotel room's security swing bar can also make sense, with some taking steps like placing a hand towel over it to make it harder to dislodge from the outside.

Some final tips

• For cruisers, TPG principal cruise writer Gene Sloan suggests arriving in port at least a day in advance (if not several days ahead of time). This will eliminate the risk of missing your ship's departure time and help you get acclimated to the local time zone.
• When taking road trips to out-of-the-way destinations, go old school and bring paper maps with you or download offline maps from Google. Using a paper map or an offline version means you always have a way to navigate around your chosen destination, even if you lose cellular service.
• One other note, you should reserve airport parking ahead of time during peak travel times. Some airport parking areas fill up fast around holidays, so reserving your spot ahead of time will save you from wasting time looking for a space when you need to catch a flight. You can also sometimes save by booking online in advance, too.

Bottom line

Whether you're fresh to the world of traveling or a seasoned expert, you can always learn new tips to maximize your time away from home. The more research and preparation you do before your trip, the better your experience will be — especially if things go wrong, as they sometimes do.

Some of our favorite tools are deal alerts, Google Flights , sign-up bonuses and credit card rewards . Learn those tools and use them for better travel every time.

Remember that these days when things go wrong, you have to be your own best advocate. For more travel tips and tricks, read the stories below.

Related reading:

• Your flight is delayed or canceled: Here's what to do next
• The best travel credit cards
• The 18 best places to travel in 2023
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• Here's how to get through airport security faster

11 Easy Air Travel Tips to Make for a Happier Flight

Written By: The Planet D

Travel Planning

Updated On: June 7, 2023

Dave spoke on CBC Radio this morning about making Spring Break Travels easier. We realized that a lot of people have anxiety over air travel and we wanted to give some easy air travel tips to ease that stress.

How to make flying more relaxing, speedier, and less stressful. 

Table of Contents

Air Travel Tips

Travel can be stressful, but if you are prepared to follow our air travel tips, you can not only make your travels easier, you can have fun at the airport and relax the minute you leave home.

Let’s face it. In today’s world, air travel is not fun. Remember the days when you used to love being at the airport or on the plane just as much as the trip itself?

Well, they are long gone my friend, with confusing security checks that seem to change rules from airport to airport to seats getting smaller with each trip, flying can sometimes be a downright miserable experience.

But we’re here to help!

1. Arrive Early

This may sound routine, but we hear of so many travellers arriving at the last minute at the airport.

One time, Dave and I waited 45 minutes for our parking lot shuttle to bring us to the airport.

There wasn’t another way out. No taxis swing by the ParknFly, so we had no other choice but to stand and wait.

As seasoned travellers who rack up nearly 100,000 air miles each year, we still arrive early to our flights.

I’ve talked to other full-time travellers who feel the same way. They (and we) say, why take the risk? Arrive early and relax.

2. Use Valet Parking Service

We usually book our parking online through ParknFly and did you know that for only $20 more (online only) you can upgrade to valet parking?

Valet parking gets priority and there are more shuttles for this. You never have to wait more than eight minutes. It doesn’t matter anyway because you are waiting indoors!

If it’s the middle of winter and you are flying somewhere warm, you don’t have to bring your heavy winter coats, leave them in the car, hop on the heated shuttle and be taken door-to-door.

When you fly home, give them a call from the airport and they’ll have your car warmed up, scraped off and waiting for you when you get back. We even get our car detailed at ParknFly.

Plus when you book online there are deep discounts for long-term parking!

3. Check In Online

We always check in online. That saves you tons of time of having to stand in line to check in at the teller.

Most airlines now have a luggage drop off only section for those who have already checked in online. You have done all the paperwork and all you have to do is drop off your bags.

4. Pack Carry On Only

Or better yet, travel with carry-on only bags.

If you are flying south, you don’t need a lot of clothing. Pack a few sarongs, shorts, non-wrinkle pants, and for a ladies, a cute strappy dress or two and you are good to go.

Most hotels supply shampoo, conditioner and soap and the small tubes of toothpaste are all you need for a week. Besides, you can always buy what you need at the gift shop.

5. Packing Tips – Pack Smart

Think about what you can and can’t bring on the plane with you. If you aren’t sure, don’t bring it!

We’ve left behind some a nice mini screwdriver (I’m talking an inch long tops!) because we forgot it was in Dave’s camera bag.

If you have a pointy object, liquids larger than 100ml or aerosol cans, they are taken away at security and thrown away. Start packing in advance and then go through your luggage once or twice before you leave and scale down.

We have a lot of mix and match clothing that we can turn into several outfits with only 3 to 5 pieces.

6. Be Prepared for Security

Don’t be that guy in front of George Clooney in Up in the Air, be George Clooney!

When you get to security, have everything you need to show in a plastic bag.

We also carry our computers a separate canvas shopping bag when checking in and when going through security, it’s easy access and takes the weight out of your carryon. We wear slip on shoes with clean and nice socks.

There’s nothing more embarrassing than holy socks at security! And men, don’t wear a belt.

We always have everything put away before we get to security except our passport and boarding pass. We never carry anything in our pockets. Think of the word KISS…Keep it simple stupid.

Note : Make sure your electronics are charged, with new security measures, you may be asked to turn on your computer, iPad or cell phone. If you can’t turn it on, it’s not coming with you!

7. Load Videos, Books or Music onto your Phone or iPad

We always have TV series, movies and books loaded on our iPads. You can never count on the entertainment system working on the flight.

Trust me it’s happened to us several times a year. We’ve sat in our seats, turn on our entertainment system and nothing happens.

The airline always offers us a coupon to redeem miles for the inconvenience but that never works either. Luckily we have our must see flick on the iPad and we enjoy our flight either way.

It passes the time in the airport too.

8. Pack Snacks

Flights are cutting down on giving passengers food and drink, so we always have a stash of food. Our go-to flying snack is a bagel with cream cheese and some crackers.

It fills you up quickly and does the trick.  It saves you having to buy food on the plane if they don’t offer it, and it helps out with the pitiful quantity of food they do give you if you get a meal.

This is also a good tip for kids, trust me I know. Dave’s a big kid and he gets grumpy when he’s hungry, if I give him a treat, he’s instantly happy.

9. Get Lounge Access

We use American Express Platinum to get into lounges all over the world regardless of what airline we’re flying.

In Toronto they have American Express lounges that cardmembers can enter for free, but get this!

Non-cardmembers can enter too for a fee. $40 gets you lounge access with food and drinks covered including alcoholic beverages. Just look for the Plaza Premium Lounge.

We see this at all airports. It’s different credit cards at each airport around the world, but there’s usually always one lounge that offers people entry for a fee. We say, if you travel a lot, get that card that offers the Priority Pass , we have access to 600 lounges across the globe. You can also purchase a yearly membership to Priority Pass to have access to lounges.

10. Stay Hydrated

Water is a tricky one. You know you can’t bring any water bottles with you through security but what about empty bottles?

We’ve seen people have to leave behind their Nalgenes and thermoses, so we never bother. If you want to bring something to fill your own water bottle, use a collapsible water bottle or we bite the bullet and buy water at the airport.

Flight attendants are supposed to bring you all the water you need, but believe me it never happens.

I’m always parched on the plane and they never come around enough. You can go back and ask for some though, so don’t be afraid to get what you want.

11. Carry Cash

We always carry small bills of US Dollars and Euros with us. It’s great for tolls if we are driving across the border, but we also have it to tip our valet or porters when we arrive at the hotel.

When we arrive at our we go to the ATM in the airport and get out a couple hundred dollars in the local currency. We don’t buy currency in Canada, we just get it when we arrive. With chip cards, we can use our credit cards all over the world.

There are plenty of ways to make your travels easier, just remember, this a vacation so have fun.

Give yourself the time you need so you don’t feel pressure at the airport. Terminals are getting better each day with free wifi, lounge access, and even massages. So start vacation early and make your time at the airport a part of your trip!

Must Have Travel Gear For Your Flight

GoToob Bottles : 

I am surprised at the amount of people that still carry liquids larger than 100 ml, but it happens nearly every time we fly.

I have to admit, I haven’t found 100ml bottles that work well or are reusable until we found the GoToob Bottles. The multipack contains three bottles perfect for shampoo, conditioner and sunscreen. I like the no-drip, leak proof valves and large opening making it easy to fill.

I didn’t bother to use the integrated label feature as it’s very small to read, I just go by the colour of the bottle instead. Keep these bottles separate in a plastic bag and you’ll whiz through security.

Trackable Luggage Tags : 

Have you ever lost your luggage never to be found again? I’m not going to lie, most airlines are not that helpful these days when it comes to helping you locate your valuables.

I’ve watched many a friend get nowhere fast as they have online discussions with airlines asking them for help finding their bags.

To make sure we have an extra leg up in case we lose our bags, we registered our trackable luggage tag’s serial number online giving us extra security when it comes to our travels.

Luggage Hugger :

Okay, how many of you have a black generic suitcase? Be honest. We’re guilty of it too, but with the luggage hugger, we can now locate our bag easily.

We thought we were safe with a duffel bag, but sure enough, when flying to Maui a couple of months ago, somebody grabbed our duffel bag thinking it was theirs.

Luckily we were there to correct the mistake. Now, that we have the luggage holder, our bags stand out when they fall onto the conveyor belt.

Read: 7 tips to Stress-Free Travel

Luggage Handle Wraps :

We’ve been using luggage handle wraps for years and this is the next best thing to the luggage hugger.

As a matter a fact, we use both the hugger and the handle wraps because you can never be too safe. We even put the handle wraps on our carryon bags because sometimes we have to stow them when boarding a small plane.

Do you know how many small black carry on rollers there are out there? Our handle wraps set them apart.

40 Blinks Eye Mask :

When flying, I always wear an eye mask. I can sleep anywhere and there’s something about air travel that knocks me right out. A good eye mask is a must.

I’ve been woken up by someone opening up their blind and unexpectedly blasting me with sunlight. I only made that mistake once. The minute I’m tired, I put on my mask.

The difference between 40 Blinks and other eye masks is that it is contoured out of molded foam so it doesn’t put pressure on your eyelids. It blocks the same light with twice the comfort.

EarPlanes :

As much as we hate to travel with a cold it is bound to happen.

We find that our allergies are acting up more and more as we get older as well. Have you ever flown with an earache? It is completely unbearable.

I keep a pair handy to relieve pressure in the ears for take off and landings. You may not always be affected by pressure, but when you are, you’ll be glad you have your EarPlanes.

Fun Read: Air Travel is so Annoying

No Jet Lag Pills :

The more we travel, the more we seem to suffer from jet lag . We do everything right.

We usually avoid alcohol, we drink plenty of water and we avoid caffeine, but we still suffer.

No Jet Lag pills have natural remedies such as Arnica Montana and Chamomilla to help ease the symptoms. We used them on our flight to Austin Texas and while it was only a two-hour time change, I felt great.

Normally I even suffer through daylight savings and it’s only an hour’s difference. So this must have done something. Plus it tastes good too.

Compression Socks  : 

I never took Deep Vein Thrombosis seriously until a friends sister got it after a flight.

Compression socks help with circulation and leg exhaustion. Compression socks have come a long way.

I tried them once a few years ago and they felt like they were squeezing my legs, my latest pair are so cushiony and cozy.

The merino wool keeps odour away and they feel comfortable on a flight.

Acorn Via Cap-Toe Ballet Flats :

Speaking of feet. I know that nobody likes to look at people’s bare feet when travelling. I was guilty of this in my backpacking days. I used to always travel in flipflops.

Now, I care about the people around me and slip into my ballet flats on the flight. They are comfortable and stylish and I’ve even worn them out of the airport too.

Why didn’t I start wearing ballet flats in my travels earlier?

And that’s our tips to make air travel easier. Did we miss anything? Have you got a tip to share? Leave it in the comments below!

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Travel Planning Resources

Looking to book your next trip? Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly.

Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner

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Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO . 

Travel Insurance: Don't leave home without it. Here is what we recommend:

• Allianz - Occasional Travelers.
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Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling.

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Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine , the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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21 thoughts on “11 Easy Air Travel Tips to Make for a Happier Flight”

Great read and useful tips i always arrive early cuts the stress out thinking will i get there on time. If im super early i just go find a coffee shop or somewhere to eat and just grab myself a snack. Only once was i really late 10 min before checking closed (one advantage no que at check in heheh) but so stressful. I always find bringing a proper pillow with me not one of these blow up ones is a god send yes can be a bit bulky but a small compression bag makes it easy to carry and also good tip about security again i have two bags one for liquids and one shoulder bag for electronics makes my life so much easier. Also i always set alarm on phone hour 10 min before take of time so i can start to make way to gate planes bored 40 min before flight and have had it in some airports were it takes like 30 min to get to gate i find doing that takes the stress out of oh no im running late getting to my gate.

It made sense when you said that we should arrive early so we’ll still be on-time even if something unexpected happens. I want to book an airport transportation service so I can continue doing work in the car when I depart on a business trip this May. I’m glad I read your article and learned why it’d be a good idea to book the transportation service for an early time!

Well-written article. Great summery of tips, thanks for sharing.

Your blog is filled with great tips. I just have a close call from Madrid to Malaga. I am sending this link to my family who are traveling by a themselves in April and May.

The earplanes you mention from Amazon will not ship to Canada.

Perhaps you can try Amazon.ca. Sorry about that.

Great advice, with so much to pack and organise you can easily forget stuff. Thanks guys will remember these for next time I fly.

Thanks Aaron, glad we could help!

Some good tips here guys! I myself am awful when it comes to prepping for anything, preferring to pretty much just wing everything, but I guess that’s just my style of travel.. When I am heading somewhere a little more out there, Venezuela, Palestine, Myanmar; hell yes, it makes sense to be prepared 🙂

Yes, water is tricky and depends which airport and airline we are using. Sometimes i managed to bring empty bottles, sometimes no. I ll just gulped down the whole mineral water, and bring the empty plastic bottle along. If i have to throw them away, well, i lose nothing. Just have to bear with the weird taste of in-flight water.

I could never get my hubby to not wear his belt 🙁

Arriving early to the airport is the best tip ever! Those are great tips! I always make it a point to leave early and arrive at the airport early – that’s really one of the simplest things that we can and should do!

“Arrive Early” This is the fact my friends always forget to do. Ha Ha. Effective Article.

I know eh! It sounds simple, but so many people don’t heed that rule and then get themselves into trouble

I really like your tip about loading music and books. It’s sounds obvious but I’ve forgotten before. On my longest ever flight – to New Zealand from the UK – my Kindle only had books I’d already read, and my phone battery died so I had no access to music. The 9-hour stop over in China was mind-numbingly dull!

I know how you feel. I have been caught off guard in the past. a ridiculously long flight to China with no entertainment system. Not fun at all.

I do a lot of these. My big one is arrive early. The day I’m traveling is a travel day. I’m not doing anything else, so I arrive at the airport early and I enjoy the lounge via my Priority Pass Card (a life saver). Interesting that you’ve received compensation when your in-flight entertainment system hasn’t worked. I’ve had this happen numerous times on Thai Air. Definitely no compensation of any sort, and flight attendants can get down right snarky when they have to reboot the system. Like you, I always carry my own entertainment! 🙂

That’s exactly how we feel. If we are travelling that day, we’re not doing else. That priority pass is amazing isn’t it? we’ve flashed it everywhere and are amazed with the lounge access we get. Love it! The only compensation they’ve given us is a voucher to redeem points for Air Canada (Star Alliance, same as Thai Air) Both times that I tried to redeem it didn’t work, so I almost think it is a ploy just to make us all feel better on the flight so we don’t complain.

Arriving early to the airport is the best tip ever! Recently, I needed to catch my Berlin-Paris flight and halfway to the airport I noticed I’d left my passport at the accommodation. It ended with me running like a mad woman, a 32,5€ taxi, a huge security line and more running. And even like that I didn’t make it on time, luckily the plane was delayed by 30 minutes!

Lucky your plane was delayed. We had that happen to us once years ago. We left our briefcase (it was the 90s) on the sidewalk outside my friends apartment. The passports and tickets were inside. We were almost at the airport and realized we left it all behind. Luckily a good samaritan saw what we did and grabbed our briefcase waiting for us to come back. We barely made our flight but we made it. Lucky too! Because we were moving to Vancouver at the time. That would have mess up our plans for sure!

Those are great tips! I always make it a point to leave early and arrive at the airport early – that’s really one of the simplest things that we can and should do!

I agree, it is simple and yet I see so many people arriving late! We’ve been in the ParknFly parking lot and witnessed people panicking because their flight is about to take off. We’re like “why are you just arriving now?”

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Part of the fear of flying is actually a fear of the unknown. If you are flying for the first time—whether for business or pleasure—this includes not knowing what to expect at the airport or while you are in the air.

This step-by-guide spells out everything the nervous first-time flyer needs to know, from booking the flight to navigating the airport to getting situated onto the plane. 

We've packed in our best travel tips for first-time flyers based on the collective experience of our staff, so climb aboard and let's get you ready for the flight!

These flight tips cover most major airlines like American, United, Delta, Southwest, etc. For budget airlines like Frontier or Allegiant, you'll see some variance in items like luggage fees, in-flight accommodations, etc. 

Boarding procedures, safety instructions, and other instructions as they relate to the safety of staff and the passengers remain relatively standard. 

Booking the Flight

The first step in the flying process is purchasing tickets. To book the flight, most people purchase their tickets online through airline or travel sites or their mobile apps. The only thing you have to fear in this step is expensive ticket prices. Otherwise, it is a relatively easy process that you can handle yourself.

Directly through the Airline

In terms of convenience, booking directly through an airline's website is the easiest route. If there are any ticket price changes between the time you book and the time your flight departs, you can usually have that difference refunded with a quick call to customer service.

It's also easier to get better seats and address flight delays, changes, or cancellations when booking direct. Otherwise, you might be referred back to your travel agency, which is another cumbersome step to have to take when you're having problems with your flight. 

It's a little extra work on the front end, but for first-time flyers, this gives you added flexibility just in case something were to go wrong. 

PRO-TIP: Add your airline's phone number to your contacts and jot down important info like flight numbers, confirmation numbers, etc. in the notes app on your phone.

Just in case something does go wrong, having all of this info readily available will help solve problems faster.

Through a Travel Agency

There are some instances where booking through a travel agency is the better option. Specifically, if you are planning an international trip or one that is more complex than a week-long vacation in the United States, a travel agency can be a big help. 

OTA's, that's Online Travel Agencies, are sites like Orbitz, Trivago, Kayak, Booking.com, Expedia, and others. 

What's the difference between them? 

Spoiler alert - not much. In fact, the majority of these sites are all owned by four or so big players. 

Why use an online travel agency? 

• One-Stop-Shop, flights, hotels, car rentals, and more
• Good first-time user offers
• Helps to save time and money
• Quick and easy comparison of different airfares and schedules
• See reviews and recommendations from people who have taken the same trip before.

For the most part, they wrap up all of your trip into a single package and help manage the booking and getting you to your destination. All you have to do is pay and print out the trip details. 

If problems do arise on your trip, a customer service representative is only a phone call away to get you the help you need. 

Direct Flights

Whenever possible, get a direct flight. Layovers only add the potential for more problems. You want the journey to be as simple as possible, and when you only have to board and exit a single plane, you lessen the chance for delays, cancellations, and missed connecting flights. 

Layovers and Connecting Flights

If you can't find a direct flight, it's not the end of the world. A connecting flight is where you will travel to one airport to join a different flight that will take you to your end destination. Sometimes you may have multiple stops, but for most domestic flights, it's common only to have one.

A layover is a time in between these connecting flights. For example, if you fly from New York to Los Angeles, you may only fly halfway to Chicago. There you will exit the plane and wait in another concourse until your next flight is ready to depart for Los Angeles.

This can be a quick turnaround or several hours long; it all depends on the flight schedule.

If you must choose a layover, pick one that is at least 2 hours between the time the plane is scheduled to land and when the next one is scheduled to depart. Any less time may result in a missed connecting flight. 

What often happens is the plane's wheels will touch down at, say, 10:41 AM. However, the plane won't make it to the concourse for 'x' reason (jetway unavailable, lots of traffic, etc.) until 11:30 PM. By the time you're off the plane, it's almost 12:00 PM, and you're rushing to get to your next flight.  

When booking your flight, remember:

• Book a direct flight whenever possible, even if it costs a little more.
• Give yourself at least a 2-hour layover between connecting flights.
• Add more time to your layover if you want to eat, freshen up in the bathroom, etc. 
• Red-eye flights are often cheaper but at the expense of traveling at night.

RED-EYE FLIGHTS: You might see a "+1" on some flights, or see flights that fly overnight. These are referred to as "red-eye flights." Any flight that travels through the night is a red-eye.

The downside is obvious; however, these flights are typically cheaper if you can deal with not sleeping well.

Types of Tickets

You may see different ticket types available for purchase. The main differences you're likely to see include the ability to make flight adjustments after purchase, refundability, carry on allowance, seat selection, or boarding group. 

Be sure to carefully read the fine print of the ticket you are purchasing. Most airlines will be somewhat flexible on some of these policies. For example, if you need to change your flight weeks or months for departure, most customer service agents are happy to make that adjustment. 

Always, always, pack the night before! Get your laundry done a day or two before and make sure all of your electronics are fully charged. You will also want to pack some specific documents and ensure you have the right luggage. 

Important Documents

Be sure to have a valid form of ID, such as your driver's license and your passport if you are traveling internationally. The TSA has an article outlining other forms of acceptable IDs, if you are not using something typical, like your driver's license, military ID, or passport. 

Starting on October 1, 2020, all travelers in the US, over 18 yrs old, will be required to have a REAL ID-Compliant Driver's License or another form of acceptable identification.

More on the REAL ID can be found on the TSA website . 

Even if you plan on using a digital boarding pass on your phone, it may be helpful to print it from your home computer or at the airline's kiosk. 

An example of a boarding pass for an American Airlines flight printed at the airport.

Carry On Luggage

Carry on luggage refers to the larger suitcase or bag that you can bring on the plane with you and store in the overhead compartment.

There are restrictions to the size of the carry on you can bring; however, most bags from known brands like Chester, TravelPro, Delsey, and others are compliant for most domestic flights. 

International flights have slightly stricter standards, and are the requirements are only slightly smaller than domestic flights. Be sure to check the website of your airline for specific requirements.

If your bag is larger than specified measurements, you will be required to 'check' your luggage, which incurs around a $25-$30 fee.

BE AWARE: Don't go by your luggage manufacturer's advertised dimensions. Some manufacturers will not include the wheels or handles in their product listings. Airlines do take these into account.

If your luggage is questionable, you may be required to place it in this module to check its measurements.

Checked Luggage

If you are traveling for longer than 4-5 days, you'll likely pack a larger suitcase, which you will be required to check-in prior to going through security. These bags have weight limit restrictions, but as long as you're only packing usual items like clothes, shoes, etc. you won't even come near that limit.

There is a $25 to $30 fee for each way when checking your luggage. After checking your luggage, you will not have any access to your bag until you pick it up from the baggage claim at your destination.

TSA has specific restrictions on what you can and can't pack in both your checked and carry-on luggage. Each airline may have additional restrictions on what you can and can't pack. 

Personal Items

In addition to your carry-on, you are also allowed to bring on a 'personal item' onto the plane. This has to fit under the seat in front of you and is commonly a purse, small/medium backpack, or diaper bag of sorts.

These bags are subject to the same restrictions as your carry on and also have varying size requirements. It is best to pack items that will be accessed during the flight like snacks, headphones, laptops, power banks, etc. 

To summarize, remember:

• Make sure your ID is compliant and up to date
• Your carry on and personal item meet your airline's requirements
• If you are checking luggage, it also meets your airline's checked luggage regulations

Checking In

Before the flight, you are also required to "check-in," which just acknowledges you are still planning to make the trip. If you booked online, you could follow the instructions you get from the airline — you'll get an email or text prompting you to sign in. 

This is usually about 24 hours before your flight. If you didn't do so during the booking process, you can usually choose a seat during the check-in process, or pay for your checked bags (if applicable). 

Almost all major airlines allow you to perform all of these actions from the app. 

As part of this process, you receive a boarding pass—a document that proves that you have purchased a ticket and contains information about you and your trip. 

After checking in, your boarding pass is available through the app and can be added to your digital wallet. 

You can also print your boarding pass from a desktop computer or at the kiosk at the airport. It's highly recommended to do this just in case your phone dies or has technical issues at the gate. 

Arriving at the Airport

How early should i arrive for my flight.

Most airlines and travel experts recommend arriving two ahead of the scheduled departure time for any domestic flight. For International flights, plan for around 3-4 hours ahead of time.

If you are traveling during the peak holiday season, aka Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's advised to add an extra hour or two onto those times because of the influx of families, children, etc. 

Remember, you need to account for factors you can't control like traffic, security checkpoint wait times, etc.

PRO-TIP: Signing up for TSA Pre-check, Global Entry (for international travelers), or CLEAR, can save you TONS of time and hassle going through security.

It's basically like getting to go through the VIP line, which is always shorter.

If you are not being dropped off, you will need to pay for parking. You should check the rates and available lots at the airport you'll be departing from. Larger airports usually have 2, sometimes 3, different lots for travelers. 

One lot is designated as "daily," for travelers who will not be leaving their car overnight. This gives them a better rate than the "long-term lot," which is specifically for flyers who will be gone for more than a day. 

If you are gone for multiple days, park in the long-term lot, or else you'll be paying a lot more money to stay in the daily lot. 

When you pull into the lot, you'll likely pass through a gate where you'll receive a ticket about the size of a business card. Put this in your glove box as you'll need it to leave the lot. After coming back from your trip, you'll put the card into the machine on the way out and pay the parking fees. 

Lastly, for some major international airports, you may have to ride a shuttle from the parking lot or garage to the gates. It's recommended to tip these shuttle drivers a few dollars as they will typically help you with your luggage. 

PRO-TIP: If using an iPhone, drop a pin on the location for where you've parked your car and save it. Otherwise, make a note on your phone on the section, lot number, etc. of where your car is parked. This will make it much easier to find once you get back.

It's recommended to always print out a paper copy of your boarding pass and tickets, just in case the digital copies on your phone become inaccessible. 

You can print these out on your computer at home, or you can retrieve them from the kiosk at the airport. If the kiosks are not available or you are having trouble with them, you can talk with one of the airline's representatives to help you. 

You will receive all of the tickets and boarding passes for the first part of your flight, so be sure to place them somewhere where they can't be lost. The front pocket of a backpack, wallet, or purse is a good idea. You will want to be able to access them quickly, but keep them secure. 

Walk up to a kiosk or customer service rep to check into your flight.

Checking Luggage

If you plan on checking your luggage in, you can do that from the kiosk or by speaking with a representative. 

If done from the kiosk, it will print out a long sticker that you will wrap around the smaller, non-extending handle on your suitcase. You will remove the backing to expose the adhesive, wrap it around, and then connect the two adhesive sides together to form a loop. 

You'll then need to wait in line until you reach the check-in desk to hand off your bag. Sometimes the representative will be printing out the sticker and putting it on your bag. 

After you have landed at your destination, remove the sticker and throw it away before heading home. Having multiple labels on your luggage only increases its chances of getting lost. 

Getting Through Security

Depending on the airport, there may be a central security checkpoint for all gates—like in the Atlanta airport—or there may be separate checkpoints for each set of gates, like in the Tampa airport. 

Airport personnel can help you find the checkpoint, and there is generally ample signage to point you in the right direction. Regardless, all passengers must go through security, including children. 

When you reach the security area, you'll generally wait in line anywhere from no time to an hour or more. Once you get to an agent, they will check your boarding pass and ID to ensure they match. 

You will need a government-issued ID such as a driver's license, and as already mentioned above, starting October 1, 2020, it will need to be REAL-ID compliant. If your ID is compliant, you will not be allowed to pass security or board the plane.

If you become a frequent flyer, we recommend that you check out our CLEAR airport security review as a way to gain access and move through life more quickly and easily.

Be Aware: While waiting in line, you may be subject to a random screening. For example, while the author of this article was in Washington DC, his hands were dusted for any remnants of bomb-making materials. Unless you have recently been to a shooting range, near any gun powder, or fireworks, you will not have anything to worry about.

The Screening Process

Next, you will place your personal belongings and any carry-on bag (the one(s) you will keep with you on the plane) in bins that roll along a conveyor belt and under the x-ray machine.

This is the what security screening looks like after you have walked through and gathered your items.

BE AWARE: While waiting in line, you may be subject to a random screening. For example, while the author of this article was in Washington DC, his hands were dusted for any remnants of bomb-making materials. Unless you have recently been to a shooting range, near any gun powder, or fireworks, you will not have anything to worry about.

BE AWARE: The body scanner is a very sensitive machine. Something so much as your boarding pass or a stick of gum can show up on the screen.

Keep in mind this machine will not show any images of what is underneath your clothing - only if a foreign object appears on the outline of your body.

Any electronic larger than a cell phone needs to be removed from your bag(s) and placed in one of the containers. This includes laptops, tablets, and cameras. Be sure to have these items easily accessible and not buried deep within your bags. 

After that, you collect your belongings from the bin, put your shoes back on, and head to your gate area.

A Better Solution: CLEAR

If you would like to avoid most of the security screening, consider signing up for CLEAR and check out the review here. With CLEAR, you will only need to walk through a metal detector; all your belongings can stay in their respective bags — no removal of shoes, shorter lines, and less hassle.

Prohibited Items & the 3-1-1 Rule

Airports have strict requirements regarding what you are allowed to have on your person and in your carry-on bag. To find out what personal items you can bring with you on the flight, consult the resources below.

For a guide on permitted and prohibited items, visit this Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website page .

For information about the "3-1-1″ rule pertaining to liquids, visit this TSA webpage .

Finding the Concourse Gate

The "gate" is the area where you wait until time to board a plane. Each concourse in an airport houses several gates. A concourse resembles the wing of the mall in that it usually contains restaurants and gift shops. Any food or merchandise you buy in the concourse area is fine to take on the plane with you.

A terminal is the large main building of a section of the airport. The terminal houses several concourses. Imagine it like a large tree. A terminal is the trunk of the tree with large branches coming off the trunk, these are your terminals. Finally, there are small branches off of those larger ones called gates, where the planes are docked for the next flight.

It goes Terminal > Concourse > Gate, so in the picture the gate is L8. This is gate 8, in concourse L. According to this map of Chicago O'Hare Airport, concourse L is in Terminal 3. Large international airports have multiple terminals, but generally will not reuse concourse letters. 

When at the gate, you are free to sit wherever you please. When it is time to board, passengers line up and present their boarding documents to a gate agent. 

If you are using a digital boarding pass, it is scanned straight from your phone. Just ensure your brightness is high enough and have your paper one ready in case your phone has trouble scanning. 

You will then walk through a "jetway," or "jet bridge" which connects the gate to the outside of the plane.

A jet bridge waiting for an airplane to dock on a sunny day.

An airplane that has been docked to the jetway on a rainy day.

Valet Checking your Carry On

For smaller aircraft, typically ones flying in or out of small regional airports, you may be required to 'valet check' your luggage. Don't worry, this doesn't cost you any money, and is a common practice. 

Usually, an attendant will walk around the gate area, passing out small red or yellow tags that will attach to the top of your luggage. This will vary from airline to airline, but generally, if it has wheels, you will valet it.

After scanning your boarding pass, you'll leave your carry-on at the top of the jetway where it will be stored in the belly of the aircraft for that flight only. You will still take your personal item with you to your seat. 

After the flight lands, your bag will be waiting for you at the top of the jetway. It may take a few minutes for the crew to unload all the bags and make them accessible.

Boarding the Plane

Passengers board the plane according to the group number on their ticket. Different airlines have different ways of doing this, but for most first time flyers, you will be the last to the second-to-last group.

Once you make your way onto the plane, read the seating labels found around eye level just below where the handle is for the overhead storage compartments. You'll see row numbers, often with letters indicating the seat number. 

If you are having trouble getting your bag into the storage area or can't find your seat, flight attendants will be standing by to assist.

There will also be an icon indicating the window or aisle for you to determine which seat is yours. 

Planes have markers at about eye level so passengers know which letter on their boarding pass refers to which seat.

After locating your seat, place your luggage in the overhead compartment, ideally wheels first. You can take your backpack, purse, or whatever your personal item is with you to your seat. It will need to be placed under the seat in front of you for takeoff and landing. 

For those sitting in the front-most seat of economy you will not have a seat in front of you. Instead, look for the overhead compartments that are reserved for your personal items. 

Pre-Flight Procedures

Now for the fun part, the flying itself. For some people, this is where the fear and anxiety begins setting in. But if you know what to expect when you fly, you will hopefully be able to better manage the fear before you are in the air.

Passengers board the plane, find their seats, and store any carry on baggage in the storage bins above the seats. 

The crew relays safety instructions (or they are presented in a video on screens behind each seat), and the Captain gives a brief message to passengers along the lines of the weather in your destination city, any expected weather or turbulence issues expected and how long the flight is expected to take.

A safety card is in the seat in front of you to let you know what you need to do in the rare event of an emergency.

People that are already experiencing fear and anxiety when they fly tend to fear the worst during safety instructions. This is something you can learn to overcome by educating yourself on flight safety statistics and recognizing that the fear is irrational.

Accidents are very rare, so safety measures are seldom needed; the crew addresses them in the unlikely event they are necessary. If an emergency does occur, the crew is well-trained and equipped to assist passengers.

The Takeoff

The Captain then "drives" the aircraft on the ground to get in position for takeoff. Before takeoff, passengers must fasten their seat belts and remain seated until instructed otherwise. 

When the pilot gets the clearance to take off, the plane will begin accelerating along the runway before becoming airborne. This is the part some passengers dislike because the plane is leaving the ground, and the body is angled upward. 

Others have a feeling of exhilaration as the plane accelerates into the air. The acceleration and takeoff are likely to be a little bumpy as you move across the runway.

During the Flight

When the plane reaches a certain altitude, passengers are free to move about in the cabin and use the restrooms. Many planes have a video screen on the back of each seat with on-demand music, TV programs, and movies for entertainment. Wi-Fi is usually available as well, so you can take care of personal or business-related tasks.

The crew will also serve snacks and drinks. Depending on your ticket, food and drinks may be complimentary. 

If you're in the coach section (typically the cheapest) section, you'll generally get a snack like pretzels or cookies and sodas or water. You can still buy additional food items or alcoholic beverages if you prefer.

If there is turbulence and moving around is not safe while in the air, the crew will instruct passengers to remain seated until notified otherwise. Turbulence is nothing to fear—it is caused by fluctuating air pressures and is a normal experience of flying.

The Landing

Likewise, when you are close to landing, the crew will require that passengers be seated and buckled in. 

Some people fear this part of the journey because the plane will often slightly roll (turn) and change altitudes in preparation to descend and land on the airport runway assigned to the flight. 

When the plane lands, the Captain drives to the gate, where passengers use the jetway to exit the aircraft and enter the destination airport.

Post Flight Procedures

Exiting the plane.

Similar to how you boarded. Exiting the plane is essentially the same but in reverse. 

After the plane has exited the runway, there may be a wait until a gate is available for the plane to dock. This is dependent on whether or not flights are running behind and the availability of a jetway. 

You should remain buckled until the crew gives you the okay to unbuckle. If sitting near the rear of the plane, you will be better off staying in your seat as it will take a while for everyone ahead of you to get off the plane. 

Be courteous to other passengers and help when needed. 

Baggage Claim

If you checked any luggage, you would then head to the baggage claim area. Airport signage will direct you to baggage claim, or you can get assistance from airport staff. Shortly after landing, luggage is placed on a carousel for passengers to pick up.

Final Thoughts

Once you have experienced the air travel process for the first time, you will at least have addressed the fear of the unknown, and hopefully will enjoy any future flights. Good luck, and if you are interested in reading some additional tips for first-time flyers, click here .

First Time Flying | Resources

• Airport Terminals
• Fear of Flying Statistics

Written by Fly Fright Staff , Staff Writer

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Essential Air Travel Tips To Ensure A Stress-Free Flight

This list of practical tips on air travel will help your next flight be more enjoyable, whether you are taking a short flight or a longer trip by plane.

Simple Tips For Air Travel

These key airplane travel tips will make your next long-haul flight pass smoothly and comfortably, leaving you flying high when you land:

• Wear comfy clothes.
• Avoid the middle seat.
• Use your airline perks.
• Bring along some snacks.
• Always have entertainment.
• Carry a refillable water bottle.
• Pack your carry-on wisely.

Helpful Tips For Flying

In over 40+ years of flying (I'm really showing my age now!), I've lost count of the number of flights I've taken.

From family holidays when I was a kid flying with my grandparents from the UK to Corfu, through to long distance flights later in life to all parts of the world, I imagine I've been on literally hundreds of different flights.

During this time, I've experienced budget airlines, business class luxury, and nerve wracking propeller planed flights.  I've also picked up some flying tips that I'd like to share with you, in the hope that it will help your next flight be more enjoyable and stress free.

Preparing for a flight

These tips for air travel include researching where to find the best flights, why it's important to check your baggage allowance, what to pack, how to relax in an airport, flight tips, and how to get from the airport to your hotel at the other end.

Related: Advantages and disadvantages to air travel

Finding a flight

People travel by plane for many different reasons, but the first step for more people is to find a flight from the airport closest to them to the airport closest to their desired destination.

If you're lucky, you can find a direct flight. For example, if you live in New York and you want to take a flight to Athens, you will find some direct flights to choose from. If you live in Alaska and want to fly to Athens you might not be so lucky. In this case, you'll need to take a few connecting flights.

You'll also want to balance out price and convenience. A cheap flight that leaves at 03.00 in the morning and arrives at an airport far away from your destination city might not be the best option. Paying a hundred dollars more for a more convenient time and airport might be worth the extra cost.

A good starting point is to look at Google Flights and Skyscanner . This will give you an idea of who flies where. You can then visit the airlines' websites and compare prices.

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Checking Your Baggage Allowance

Another tip for traveling by air, is to check the airline's baggage allowance. Not all airlines are the same when it comes to how much luggage you can take with you on the plane, and they don't always include this information in their ticket prices.

Ryanair and similar budget airlines in Europe are notorious for charging hefty extra fees for passengers who thought that checked luggage was included when it was carry on only. They also charge if passenger have carry on bags that are too big or overweight!

I've seen people tripped up when they fly long distance from the US to Athens where checked baggage was included and then want to get a flight from Athens to Mykonos only to find out that the flight included a carry on bag only. Make sure to check and double check before you book your flight!

Related: International Travel Checklist

Passport and Visas

When flying to another country, whether it is a short distance or long haul, make sure to check the passport and visas requirements of your destination.

For example, some countries in Europe require that you have at least six months left on your passport before traveling. You may also need a visa depending on where you are going and for how long. Make sure to check this early and make sure you have the correct documentation before you fly.

Getting to the Airport

You think your job is done because you've chosen your flight and checked the baggage allowance – think again! Now, you need to plan how to get to the airport.

Often times airport parking can cost as much as the flight itself (am I exaggerating?), so you might be better off getting a ride from a friend or family member, taking public transport or using a ridesharing service such as Uber.

However you decide to do it, you'll want to make sure you arrive at the airport with plenty of time. I'd suggest two hours before domestic flights and three hours for international flights. You don't want to be left winging it when your flight takes off!

Tickets please!

Finding out what the check in procedure is for your airline can be a real time saver. Most airlines now require passengers to check in online. Some airlines have automated check-in counters, some have you check in online to get an electronic boarding pass, and some require you to wait in line at the airport.

Knowing what to do ahead of time will save you precious minutes before take off! The same goes for boarding – make sure you know when and where to go, so you don't miss your flight.

Oh, and you did pack your passport, right?!

Getting through security

Some times of year are busier than other when traveling by plane, and so a useful optional extra could be to buy a Fast Track ticket. This means you can speed through the queues at the security line while everyone else is patiently waiting their turn.

Also, be prepared – Wear shoes that are easy to take off and put back on again, pack your liquids in a clear plastic bag that meets regulations, and make sure laptops (if necessary) are easily accessible for separate screening.

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Relaxing in the Airport

Some people seem to thrive on leaving getting to the airport and checking in until the last minute. Personally, I can't do this – I much prefer to check in and get through security early so I can relax and unwind in the airport. That's why one of my tips for airplane travel is to always leave yourself plenty of time.

Grab a coffee, browse a book store or watch some free movies on your laptop while you wait for your boarding call. Taking this time can help ease any nerves you might have about flying and help make the experience a little less stressful.

Want to get away from the crowds? Pay a little extra for lounge access, and get away from the hustle and bustle of the terminal. Most airports have a lounge you can pay to access without needing to book in advance, although it might be advisable to reserve it when traveling on a plane in the holiday season.

While you're at the airport, why not update your Instagram feed and use some of these funny Airport Captions for Instagram

What to take on the plane

If you are on a long haul flight for your next trip, what you take on your carry on bag and is easily accessible can make all the difference.

Take a neck pillow to help you get comfortable, and make sure to pack snacks in case the airline doesn't provide meals. Pack some entertainment such as books or magazines, headphones for watching movies on your laptop or phone. Also, take a powerbank so that you can recharge all your devices through the flight and arrive with a 100% charged phone at the other end.

Recently, I've taken to packing an eye mask on longer flights when I want to get some sleep. Paired with noise cancelling headphones, I can still get some shut eye.

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Aisle or Window Seat?

The general consensus is that the middle seat is best avoided whenever possible, so that leaves you with choosing the window seat or aisle.

If you just plan to sleep on the plane, the window seat is best as you will be disturbed during the flight less. If you need to use the bathroom quite often, an aisle seat is probably the better pick.

Minimizing Jet Lag

Flying through multiple time zones can have an impact on your body. One of my highly recommended plane travel tips is to minimize jet lag as much as possible in order to help make your arrival a little easier.

On long-haul flights, set your watch to the time of your destination and try to sleep when it’s nighttime there – this will help you adjust better when landing. On shorter trips, you can try to stay awake until it’s nighttime at your destination.

Hydrate as much as possible during the flight, (and I mean drink plenty of water not beer!).

Related: How to minimize jetlag

Landing at the other end

If you are traveling to another country, once your plane has landed, it’s time to start another adventure – Passport control!

It's a good idea to get off the plane as quickly as you can, as the entire flight will be disembarking at the same time, and this can lead to long lines.

Once you pass through passport control you usually then collect your luggage.

Lost Luggage?

Hopefully, all goes well and you collect your luggage and can get on with your trip, but if things don’t go according to plan, don't panic. Contact the airline straight away – they will help you track down your missing bags.

In each airport luggage collection area, there is usually a separate desk for dealing with lost luggage, so make sure to head there if you can’t find your bags.

Some people recommend putting luggage trackers such as Tile in your bags so that if they do go missing, you can attempt to find them yourself.

I've recently been trialing a GPS tracker for luggage called GEGO. This is useful as it has a SIM card which broadcasts the location of your bag anywhere in the world. Check out my review here: GEGO GPS Luggage Tracking Device

Getting from the airport to your hotel

The final step of your travel adventure is getting from the airport to your hotel. In most countries, you have several options such as public transport, taxis or even ridesharing services like Uber.

This is why the last of my traveling tips for flying, is to pre-book a transfer from the airport to your hotel, particularly if you have just come off a long flight. That way you can get to your hotel quicker, with less stress. Alternatively, rent a car from any airport in the world with Discover Cars .

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By following these essential air travel tips, you can make your next flight more enjoyable and ensure a stress-free journey. So don’t forget: plan ahead, pack appropriately, choose the right seat and take measures to minimize jet lag – happy flying!

P.S – If you have any tips that have worked for you when it comes to air travel, please do share in the comments section below. I'm always looking for new ways to have a nice easy flight, and I'm sure other readers are too!

Related: Why do flights get cancelled

FAQ Flying Tips

Some commonly asked questions people have about flying include:

How can I make my air travel better?

A better air travel experience can be achieved by taking several steps. One is to plan ahead and arrive at the airport with enough time to spare. This can help reduce stress and avoid missing your flight. Another is choosing seats in advance or trying to get an upgrade for more comfort. Wearing comfortable clothing and bringing items like noise-canceling headphones or an eye mask can help you relax. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoiding beverages like coffee, tea, and alcohol can also make a difference. Finally, bringing snacks and entertainment like a book or tablet can help keep you occupied during the flight.

What is not allowed in a carry-on?

Certain types of items are prohibited in carry-on luggage. These include firearms and other weapons, explosives and flammable substances, liquids in containers over 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters, sharp objects like knives and scissors, and certain types of sports equipment like golf clubs or baseball bats. It's important to review the TSA guidelines for carry-on and checked baggage before packing to ensure you're not bringing any prohibited items.

What are some rules when travelling by air?

When traveling by air, there are several rules passengers must adhere to. These include following TSA guidelines for carry-on and checked baggage, arriving at the airport with enough time to go through security and board the flight, turning off electronic devices during takeoff and landing, respecting the cabin crew and other passengers, and checking in advance for any visa requirements or travel restrictions for your destination. Following these rules can help ensure a smooth and hassle-free travel experience.

What do you do at an airport for the first time?

If it is your first time at an airport, there are several steps you'll need to follow. First, visit the check-in counter to get your luggage tags and boarding pass. When you go through to security, expect to be asked to remove your shoes, jacket, and any metal objects before walking through the metal detector or scanner. After passing through security, use the information on your boarding pass to locate your gate and follow the signs towards your terminal. Wait at your gate until your flight is called for boarding and present your boarding pass and any necessary identification to the gate agent.

Related: Singapore Captions for Instagram

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33 Tips for Making a Long-haul Flight More Comfortable

These tips for long flights will make your next trip much more enjoyable.

Whether you're taking a seven-hour jaunt to Europe or embarking on the nearly 19-hour journey of the world's longest flight , lengthy flights can be boring, uncomfortable, and exhausting. The nuisances of long-haul travel can range in severity from the mildly inconvenient (annoying seatmates) to the downright dangerous (deep-vein thrombosis is no joke), and a poorly planned journey can be enough to not only ruin your day, but a few more afterward, too. Luckily, there are some easy ways to make a long flight infinitely more bearable .

Here are 33 tips for long flights.

1. Book your tickets early.

This should go without saying. The earlier you book, the better your chances of scoring your favorite seat — it's that simple.

2. Sit in the back.

Just in case you don't have a favorite seat (or the ones in the front with all the legroom are taken), go for the back. It'll be noisier, sure, but if everyone else is scrambling for the front, you've got a far better chance of ending up with an empty seat or two beside you. Before your flight, keep an eye on the seat map to see if there are any empty rows you can claim last minute.

3. Use those air miles to upgrade.

If you've got 'em, flaunt 'em. You'll thank yourself when you're reclining in a first-class seat, sipping Champagne and pretending to like caviar. And if you don't have the miles, this is the time to splurge for a superior first- or business-class seat.

4. Shell out for premium economy.

Because, sadly, we don't always have the miles. A step up from regular economy class, premium economy might be slightly more expensive, but the benefits — priority check-in, extra legroom, comfortable seats — far outweigh the cost most of the time.

5. Try for a free upgrade.

Worth a go, isn't it? Arrive early, travel by yourself, dress nicely, and put on your best, most winning smile. Your odds of scoring a last-minute upgrade are better if you have elite status with the airline.

6. Prepare for jet lag.

There are several things you can do before your flight to help avoid jet lag , or at least mitigate it. Spend the days before your flight adjusting your sleep patterns (a few 4 a.m. or 7 p.m. bedtimes should do it, depending on what time of day you'll be flying). You can also book your flight so that it arrives during the day, make the most of your stopovers, and, most importantly, be well rested before you fly. Trust us, staying awake for the 24 hours before your trip because you're sure it'll balance out once you arrive just doesn't work.

7. Check in early.

The last thing you need before your long-haul journey is to panic your way through a busy airport — or to miss your flight.

8. De-stress before you arrive.

Have a nice breakfast. Go to the gym. Read a book. Go for a walk. It's important to relax before you embark on your journey.

9. Don't overdo the carry-ons.

You'll need more for a long-haul flight than you would for a short one, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea to overpack. Keep the essentials in your personal item so they're always within arm's reach.

10. But do bring your own pillow.

A travel pillow is a staple carry-on item for long-distance travelers. Almost every airport sells them, and looking a little ridiculous is a small price to pay for not destroying your neck.

11. Pack plenty of face masks.

Face coverings are still required on planes, so be sure to stash several in an easy-to-reach spot to switch them out as desired.

12. Noise-canceling headphones are your new best friend.

If you can't afford them, some high-quality earplugs will do just fine to block out the airplane noise or loud passengers.

13. Buckle your seat belt over your blanket.

If you plan to sleep at all during your flight, make sure your buckled seat belt is visible. In case of turbulence, the seat belt light will turn on, and flight attendants may come around the cabin to check that everyone is buckled up. If you're buckled beneath your blanket where they can't see it, they will wake you up to check.

14. Pack an eye mask.

An eye mask is especially useful if you're flying during the day, or if you want to catch some shut-eye before the cabin lights are dimmed.

15. Dress right.

Keep it loose and comfortable — you're not here to impress anyone. Remember to bring layers for when it gets cold — a cardigan or sweatshirt is always good to have on hand.

16. Try to relax.

Do whatever it takes — meditate, listen to some calming music, do some breathing exercises — not only will it help you sleep more easily, but it's also good for your psyche in general.

17. Travel blankets exist for a reason.

Don't bring anything too thick (remember, it has to fit in your carry-on), but make sure it's enough to keep you warm when the plane's air-conditioning is going full blast.

18. Download some backup movies onto your tablet or laptop.

In-flight entertainment systems are not always reliable. They sometimes fail, and when they do, you'll be glad to have something to do in reserve.

19. Charge those devices.

The absolute last thing you need is for your iPad to run out of juice one hour into an 11-hour flight. This is especially true if your in-flight entertainment system isn't working.

20. Load up on podcasts.

Listening to podcasts uses up less battery life than watching a movie, and they are often more distracting than music. You can get through an entire flight on podcasts alone.

21. Stay healthy.

Sitting in a cramped metal tube for the better part of a day (or more) is not good for you. Fight off dehydration and deep-vein thrombosis — your two biggest enemies in the sky — by regularly drinking water, preparing an in-flight beauty routine , stretching, and walking around the cabin.

22. Stay hygienic.

This is for everyone else's sake as much as your own. Bring toiletries in your carry-on and make sure to brush your teeth, throw on some deodorant, or even change your clothes. Just make sure you do it in the bathroom, please.

23. Get creative.

You rarely get the chance to sit down for such a long time, more or less distraction-free, so why not make the most of it? Bring a notebook, a sketchpad, or whatever else you need to give the right-hand side of your brain a workout.

24. Get productive.

If you have your laptop with you, this might be a good opportunity to catch up on any busywork that needs doing. Bonus: Everyone else on your flight will think you're a sophisticated jet-setting businessperson, right up until they notice that Netflix tab you have open.

25. Befriend the crew.

Simply not being horrible to the flight crew is a given, but you could always go one step further and make an active effort to be nice. Not only will you up your chances of preferential treatment, but you'll also be doing something lovely for the folks who look after you up there.

26. Pack extra snacks.

Airline food is not usually plentiful, even on long-haul flights, and it's important to stay well nourished. No need to overdo it, of course, but no one was ever sorry to find a couple pieces of fruit or granola bars in their carry-on.

27. Adjust your watch.

It's important to acclimatize yourself to the time zone of where you're heading. As soon as you get on the plane, change your watch to the local time of your destination, then alter your routine accordingly.

Some passengers enjoy a glass of wine or beer (often free on international flights) to accompany their in-flight meals and entertainment.

29. Don't drink.

That said, don't treat booze as a way to cope with your flight. You'll end up using those tiny bathrooms far more frequently, plus alcohol is dehydrating and will mess up your sleep pattern. Keep it sensible.

30. Bring your best conversation.

Many people dread sitting next to a chatty seatmate, but you're just as likely to be seated next to a genuinely interesting and friendly fellow traveler as you are anyone else. Don't bother anyone if it's not appropriate, but don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with your neighbor either. Long flights can get pretty boring.

31. Pack lots of activities for your kids.

Traveling with kids? Make sure to pack plenty of activities to keep them entertained throughout the flight. Bring gaming systems, iPads preloaded with their favorite shows (and headphones), coloring and sticker books, and more, and don't forget their favorite snacks.

32. Practice mindfulness.

Small issues can feel like major injustices when you're stuck on a plane, but it'll all seem insignificant if you keep one thing in mind: Once you're in the air, there's nothing to be done. You're on the plane until it lands. Close your eyes, take a breath, and come to terms with this truth so you can arrive at your destination relaxed and ready to go.

33. Combat jet lag.

The flight isn't over just because you've disembarked. To fight jet lag, get as much daylight as you can, take a quick nap if you have to, hydrate, and exercise at every opportunity. Do all of that for a day or two and you'll be back to normal — just in time for the return trip.

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Skip Overpriced Airport Food: How to Pack Food and Drink for a Flight

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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If you’ve ever reluctantly spent $7 on a bottle of water or $30 on a mediocre meal at an airport, know that there’s a better way. Packing a meal and snacks ahead of time for your next flight will not only save you money, but will also be way tastier and more satisfying than buying food at the airport (or subjecting yourself to the in-flight meal).

Follow these tips to pack the best food for your next flight and save your money for a splurge meal at your destination.

What Foods Can’t You Bring on a Plane?

There aren’t any foods that are specifically banned from bringing on a plane—the important thing to consider is if the TSA will consider your food a liquid. The TSA’s definition of “liquid” is stricter than most people’s, as the agency considers spreadables, like peanut butter or cream cheese, to be liquids. You can still bring these foods through security, but they will have to meet the 3-1-1 rule .

Although you can bring alcohol onboard a plane, you can’t consume it. Per FAA regulations , passengers can only drink alcohol that was served by a flight attendant. This applies to alcohol purchased at duty-free shops in the airport as well, so make sure you keep your liquor bottles sealed in-flight.   

8 Foods You Should Never Eat Before Flying

The Best Foods to Pack for Air Travel

Flying at a high altitude of 35,000 feet puts your body (and digestive system) under stress, so the best pre- and mid-flight meals are ones that are easy to digest. Opt for foods that are low-sodium (to reduce swelling) and skip the fried, greasy foods in favor of lean protein that will keep you satisfied but won’t upset your stomach.

Remember—just because you can bring it on a plane, doesn’t mean you should. Since you’ll be tightly packed in next to your seatmates, avoid bringing food that’s smelly or messy to eat. 

These are my favorite snacks and meals to bring on a plane. 

Catalina Crunch Cereal

Regular cereal makes for a quick and easy breakfast or snack, but it’s not very filling. Instead, pack Catalina Crunch , a high-protein cereal that comes in tasty flavors like cinnamon toast. It’s as delicious eaten dry for a snack as it is with milk. Single-serving pouches make these easy to throw in your bag for an on-the-go snack. 

Ginger Chews

If you tend to get motion sick while flying, pack some ginger chews —ginger is a proven natural remedy for nausea. Plus, chewing on something while the plane is taking off and landing can help with any pressure in your ears. 

Bada Bean Bada Boom

For a healthier alternative to the chips being served as an in-flight snack, try Bada Bean Bada Boom . These roasted fava beans come in chip-like flavors such as mesquite barbecue and sweet sriracha, but offer four times the protein and five times the fiber of potato chips—so you’ll stay full until you land.

GoMacro Bars

Protein bars are the easiest snacks to pack for travel. We like GoMacro because of the bar’s simple ingredients. Opt for the FODMAP friendly variety pack which only includes flavors with stomach-friendly ingredients.

ZENB Pasta Agile Bowls 

If you want a bargain-priced hot meal while traveling, pack Zenb Pasta’s Agile Bowls . Get a cup of hot water from an airport coffee shop and add it to the bowl, and you’ll have a warm and filling pasta dish ready in about five minutes. 

Should You Recline Your Seat on a Plane?

The Best Gear for Traveling With Food

Traveling with food requires a little prep work, as well as investing in some gear that will keep your food at the perfect temperature and contained (without leaks) throughout your whole trip. These gadgets can help.

Ninja Foodi Power Blender Ultimate System

Before a recent long flight, I stopped at a cafe and impulse bought a smoothie bowl, accidentally discovering my new favorite travel food. When frozen solid, a smoothie or smoothie bowl can be brought through airport security. It stays cold for hours, and will become the perfect consistency to eat once you’re in the air. Packed with fruits and vegetables, a smoothie bowl is a very soothing and filling meal that’s easy to digest and will also help keep you hydrated. 

To save money and make the perfect smoothie bowl at home, I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender Ultimate System . This powerful blender is designed for makings smoothie bowls, and comes with a smoothie bowl that you can blend right into for an easy meal on-the-go.

All I have to do is dump in a small amount of liquid and any frozen ingredients that I want, and the Ninja instantly pulverizes it into the perfect smoothie bowl consistency. 

The system doubles as a food processor too, so you can also use it to chop vegetables and make dip to bring with you (vegetables and dip make a great plane snack). 

It might seem impossible to have a good, warm, in-flight meal (we’ll pass on the reheated meals served by the airlines), but it’s easy to do if you have a Ho t Logic . This magic lunchbox can actually cook a hot meal for you—you just need access to a regular plug like you’ll find on most planes. 

The Hot Logic uses conduction heating and can warm up leftovers in about 30 minutes, or cook a frozen meal in two hours. You can even cook it from scratch—it will make a meal in about one to two hours. 

Don’t worry about making all the other passengers jealous (or mad) with the Hot Logic—the enclosed container keeps the smell of your food inside while it’s cooking. 

How to Score Affordable Airport Lounge Access

Ice packs can leak, cause a mess, and potentially be confiscated by the TSA. Eliminate them entirely by using the PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag to keep your food cold instead. This uniquely designed lunchbox has a freezable gel built directly into the walls of the bag. Simply freeze the entire bag and it will keep your food cold for up to eight hours. 

Add in the brand’s bento containers , which have removable dividers, to create your own custom snack box that’s cheaper and better than anything you can buy on the plane. I like to use it to pack a fun deconstructed snack board with cheese, crackers, veggies, and dips.

Although you can’t bring a full water bottle through airport security, you can bring an empty one—which you can then fill up from the airport’s water fountain. Zojirushi’s Stainless Steel Mug will keep that water cold for hours, and it has a leak-proof lock that will prevent any spills in your bag. 

When you get to your destination, you can reuse it as a coffee mug, as it will keep beverages piping hot for a really long time.

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19 Air Travel Tips To Make Your Flight More Enjoyable

Long-haul flights are something we all absolutely dread. You're stuck on a cramped plane for what seems like forever. The person who designed the seats clearly didn't understand that normal people have legs. And to top it all off, there's a screaming baby in the row just behind you.

Long-haul flights don't have to be something you dread. With simple tips from moving around on layovers to bringing a power bank, your next long flight will be a breeze.

Not only that, but your phone's out of juice, you didn't pack any headphones and the passenger next to you is way chattier than a late-night talk show host. Sound familiar?

It doesn't have to be like that - making your flight more enjoyable is not that difficult. Whether you are an experienced traveler or a first-time flyer , you just need to be prepared. These 19 easy flight tips will make your trip pass in flying colors so that you never dread a long-haul flight again.

1. Dress Comfortably

Flying is one of those things where you need to prioritize comfort over everything else. Especially on flights that are in the 10+ hour range. One easy way to make your flight more comfortable is to wear the right kind of clothes. Tracksuits, leggings, cotton t-shirts, hoodies and lightweight sweaters are all great options. Especially since you can't really wear pajamas on a flight… unless you are in first class!

However, don't forget your feet - make sure that your shoes are worn in, and as comfortable as possible. Don't make the mistake of wearing brand new shoes on a long-haul flight, and ladies, keep those heels in your checked luggage.

It's also okay to take your shoes off on long haul flights as long as you make personal hygiene a priority. That means it's not ideal to walk around the plane in your socks. Afterall, the floor is pretty dirty, especially if you have to go to the restroom. So, wear some simple slippers if you don't want filthy socks. You'll thank me later.

2. Don't Be Shy, Ask To Be Reseated

If you're not happy with the seat you've chosen, the best thing to do is ask about seating options at check-in. Of course, it's always better to book seats as far ahead as possible . However, things always change on a plane, and seats often become available over time.

For example, even if a great seat was taken when you booked, someone might have canceled their ticket. Don't give up hope.

If it's a priority to you, keep on asking too. Ask at the airport check-in desk; ask the person that's working the gate; ask the flight attendants once you've boarded the plane. You never know what's possible, especially since all of them have the power to move you around. Who knows, you might even get the dream - an aisle seat next to an empty middle seat. Or, a whole row of seats to yourself.

Ahhhh, bliss!

3. Carefully Choose Your Seat

It's smart to check websites like SeatGuru when choosing your seat, especially for long-haul flights. If we're talking about a flight that's an hour or shorter, then it's okay if you don't have enough legroom and you're sitting by the kitchen - the whole thing will be over before you can even get annoyed.

However, with long-haul flights, a little extra legroom is the difference between a good hour of sleep and swollen feet upon arrival. When choosing a seat, also consider your priorities - do you want to be closer to the exit so you can get off the plane faster? Or, do you want a window seat so you can admire the views and rest your head against the cabin wall? Maybe you want to be able to get up and go to the bathroom whenever you please - in that case, an aisle seat is the preferred option.

4. Ask for an Upgrade

When you arrive at check-in, have a polite conversation with the attendant about the seating situation. Ask if it's possible for you to upgrade your seat using frequent flyer miles, by auction, or just for some extra cash.

Even a small upgrade like premium economy will make the flight more enjoyable, thanks to the extra legroom.

Having your ticket upgraded can also get you lounge access and priority boarding. Imagine, while everyone else is waiting in line, you could be enjoying a free espresso and some actual edible airport food - how's that for more comfortable?

5. Aim for Airline Status

Having a status with your airline can be very rewarding and lucrative. It's also a sure way to make every flight more comfortable and enjoyable. Airline status means possible upgrades to business or first class, lounge access, and shorter waiting times.

Unfortunately, this is one of the few air travel tips that you can't really do much about on the day. All you can do is fly a lot with the same airline, ahead of time. The only way to have airline status is to rack up those frequent flyer miles until you reach the amount required. That's when your preferred airline will start giving you special treatment.

Of course, the rules for frequent flyer miles vary significantly from airline to airline, so be sure to do your homework. You never know when you will stumble across a loophole that might speed up your journey to that elusive status.

6. Apply for TSA Precheck

One of the best air travel tips for US residents is to apply for TSA Precheck, or Global Entry, as it's sometimes called. Especially if you fly regularly - it will save you lots of time and make all your flights more comfortable.

You can submit an application online - TSA Precheck is US$85 and Global Entry is US$100 for a 5-year membership. This may seem expensive, but it's an absolute bargain for the amount of time you save at the airport.

With TSA Precheck you don't have to remove your shoes, belt, or a light jacket (speaking of which, check out OutdoorCrunch's giant guide to best insulated jackets ), and your laptop and liquids can stay in your bag. You also have access to expedited security queues. After all, not wasting time pointlessly standing in line is one of the first steps you can take to make all your flights - short or long - more enjoyable.

7. Pack Snacks

Let's face it. Airplane meals are nothing like what your mother used to make! Especially if you're flying economy. They're usually far from the healthiest option, let alone tastiest, so your best bet is to pack your own snacks. That way you have options, even if the meal is ok. You might be hungry later, or decide to eat once you wake from a nap.

Another handy flight tip is to order the vegetarian meal , even if you're a self-proclaimed carnivore. They are usually of a higher quality, and you're more likely to be one of the first people served.

8. Charge Your Electronics at Home

In this day and age, your electronic devices are the key to making your flight more enjoyable. Watching a good TV show, or gaming a few hours away is the easiest way to make the time fly by. However, that's not going to happen if you run out of juice mid-flight. So, make sure all your devices are fully charged before you head to the airport.

Sure, some planes will have USB power ports in their seats, but not all of them do, and sometimes they just don't work. If you're flying with an airline for the first time it's best to check ahead whether you can charge your devices in-flight. If they don't have power ports, then you should pack a power bank in your carry-on.

9. Always Bring Entertainment

If you're anything like me, then you don't just want to pass the time on a long flight, you want it to go by as fast as possible. This means that you will need an activity that you find both fun and engaging.

Whether it's watching three movies in a row, binge-watching an entire season on Netflix, or devouring a good book - make sure that you have enough options to keep you entertained for the length of your flight. Otherwise, time can tick by very, very, slowly.

Did you know that Netflix will let you download episodes of certain shows and movies to your phone or tablet so that you can watch them offline ? This is great for your device's battery, since WiFi tends to drain it a lot faster and is ridiculously expensive on planes.

Similarly, game sites like Solitaire Bliss provide an excellent way to stay entertained with the ability to play dozens of classic card games offline. This feature ensures that you can enjoy continuous gameplay without the need for WiFi, saving your device's battery life while keeping you engaged throughout your flight.

10. Consider Noise Cancelling Headphones

The difference between a nightmare flight, and one you enjoy, can be as simple as bringing noise-canceling headphones . Even though some airlines will distribute earphones for free, they're usually cheap and nasty and not great at drowning out the background noise.

Imagine this scenario: you're on a 12-hour flight, you didn't bring any headphones and your neighbor is extremely talkative. Or even worse, they have a screaming child that doesn't look like it's ever going to get tired. Your only options are those overpriced earplugs you can buy from flight attendants, or jumping out the window mid-flight!

With good noise-canceling headphones, you can just put on an audiobook, music playlist, or a good movie and forget all about the mayhem around you. Quality headphones will also drown out all of the engine noise, which is important when you want to catch a few hours' sleep too.

11. Bring a Reusable Water Bottle

The key to staying comfortable on a long flight is hydration . There's nothing worse than a tickle in your throat, especially when there's no flight attendant around. You should drink extra water leading up to your flight and even more when you're in the air.

Since you can't bring a gallon of water from home, it's best to bring a reusable water bottle that you can easily fill up once you've passed the security checkpoint. That way, when you run out of water on the plane, just ask one of the flight attendants to refill it for you. They will likely help as long as the supplies onboard allow it, so just wait until they are less busy, smile, and you will be good to go.

12. Hydrate Your Skin Too

The pressurized air inside the cabin is incredibly dry and it's not great for your skin. After a long flight, it might even feel like you washed your face with sandpaper.

Prepare yourself for that - bring a moisturizer on the flight and maybe even a sheet mask if you can. Lip balm is also a good idea because your lips will dry out far sooner than your face. Just make sure that the moisturizer you decide to bring is in accordance with the TSA rules - meaning, it needs to be in packaging of 100ml (3 ounces) or less.

And you know what this also means? Don't wear any makeup on the flight. It's just going to clog up your pores, making it even more likely that you'll have issues in the days following the flight. Go makeup-free for the duration of the flight, and your skin will thank you afterward.

13. Don't Wear Contacts

I can't stress this one enough - wearing glasses instead of contact lenses on a flight. This can be the difference between a relaxing flight, and having to rush to the optometrist as soon as you land. The dry air inside the cabin will dry up your contact lenses, often causing them to stick to your eyes. Not only is this really uncomfortable, imagine what happens when you try to remove them afterwards!

If you absolutely have to wear contacts just make sure to keep your eyes from drying out with regular use of hydrating eye drops.

14. Maintain Personal Hygiene

Making yourself even a little more comfortable on a long flight can be as simple as freshening up mid-flight. We all start to feel a little gross after a few hours on a flight - after all, you're stuck in a giant metal tube, with no way to shower, or access fresh air.

So, when you start to feel icky, just head to the bathroom and freshen up. Splash some water on your face, put on some fresh deodorant, and maybe even brush your teeth. You can put on a fresh shirt - feeling nice and clean will help you stay comfortable and your neighbors might thank you for it!

15. Wear Compression Socks

Compression socks help regulate the blood flow in your legs, and they are particularly useful on longer flights. Especially if you usually have issues with swelling in your feet or ankles.

Good quality compression socks will keep the blood flowing in your legs and they can be the difference between smiling as you leave the plane at your destination, or painfully dragging your feet down the aisle.

You can easily get a pair online or at your local drug store, and they are usually very affordable.

16. Organize Your Daypack

When you get to the airport you have one important goal - board the plane as quickly and as efficiently as possible. And, if you act like a headless chicken when you reach the TSA checkpoint, you've not only failed yourself but potentially made yourself a target for a special security check.

That's why you want to organize your daypack (or carry on) down to the very last detail, instead of just throwing everything inside. Remember, when you get to the security checkpoint you'll have to take out your laptop and toiletries. So, put those somewhere easy to reach and not at the bottom of the bag. Even better, custom lanyards with a badge clip can carry your ID and are super convenient. The better organized you are the faster you'll get through security and board the plane.

17. Move Around on Layovers

The biggest mistake you can make on a layover is sit in the lounge and stare at your phone. Take the opportunity to stretch, walk around, and maybe even light exercise if it's possible. Do anything you can to get the blood flowing. You can sit again once you board the plane again. Now is the time to move.

If you spend the time waiting for the next plane sitting around, you're more likely to increase any pain or tiredness, and especially if you have swollen feet.

18. Ask Before Reclining Your Seat

If there's a person sitting behind you, it's not okay to just recline your seat whenever you please. Imagine if the person in front of you did that - not only would that make you uncomfortable, but it could also be fatal for any electronics you have on the tray. Not to mention your in-flight meal.

If you're lucky enough that there's nobody directly behind you, recline away - if you're in the window seat. If you're in the aisle seat and there's someone in the row behind, you still need to ask the person if it's okay. Maybe they want to use the bathroom or have something on the tray of your seat. Or, they are claustrophobic and it would ruin their entire flight if you recline your seat. In any case, don't do anything you wouldn't want others to do to you, and always check before reclining your seat. You might even make a new friend.

19. Bring a Blanket and a Pillow

If you plan to sleep during the flight, you will need a blanket and a pillow to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Most airlines will provide you with blankets and pillows on long flights, but it's always a good idea to bring your own. Especially if you're concerned with who used that pillow before you.

If you don't want the hassle of packing a blanket, or you don't have enough space in your carry on, at least pack a supportive neck pillow . You will be far more comfortable, and you'll avoid nasty neck pain and soreness once you wake from any nap you manage to have.

Also, the neck pillow might keep you from getting in awkward situations with your neighbor. After all, nothing quite compares to somebody waking you up because you're drooling all over their shoulder.

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How to Prepare for a Flight for New Travelers

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I don’t know about you, but air travel stresses me out. For real!

As much as I have and will continue to travel, I do not look forward to the travel process. If only they could get teleportation working, I’d be in my glory!

Flying, to me, is a necessary evil. Though you have to deal with it, there are ways to make it easier to take.

Here are my top tips for air travel to make it a little easier, which I’ve learned from decades of travel. Pick and choose what will work best for you.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the  full disclosure  for more information.

1. Check-In Before You Head to the Airport

The best tips for air travel start well before you’re on the plane. Maybe it’s just me, but I get really impatient waiting in lines. And I’ll do what I can to avoid them when possible.

So, for me, it’s a no-brainer to check in online before I head to the airport. It’s really easy to do. Each airline has its own process. So, you just need your confirmation number with most airlines and can check in.

This is a big help to avoid the often long line to check in at the airport. Also, another bonus is if you end up hitting traffic on your way to the airport, it saves you time so you can go directly to the gate. A great thing, in my opinion.

Even if you check a bag, this is still helpful. You can check in online regardless of whether you are checking a bag or not. Most airlines have a separate line for people who are already checked in and simply need to drop off their bag(s). So, either way, you save time.

And if you’re flying Southwest or an airline that does “cattle call” where they don’t assign seats but assign a place in line, it’s essential. At least, it is if you care about the seat you get, unless you don’t mind a middle seat at the back of the bus!

One of the best ways to stay healthy while traveling is to start on the right foot. And that includes getting to the airport (of course, if you’re flying!) and when you’re traveling.

2. Choose Your Seat

As I just mentioned, certain airlines, like Southwest Airlines, don’t assign seats. Instead, they assigned you a place in the boarding line. In that case, you just want to check in as early as you can to make sure you get as high a number in line as possible.

You can generally choose your seat for other airlines when you check in. It’s a good idea to do this unless you don’t care where you are sitting for your flight.

For a short flight, it may not matter, but for longer ones, it sure does. If you prefer a window or an aisle, you’ll want to check in before you get to the airport to get what you want.

You May Also Like How to Handle Flight Anxiety: 10 Ways to Cope

Some airlines offer discounted fares where you either choose a seat closer to the flight. Or, you can’t choose until you get to the airport. I have seen Delta and American Airlines do this, though I’m sure there are others.

It’s something for you to consider if the money off the ticket is worth it to you.

Also, take a look at apps like Seatguru . They go way beyond what the airlines offer by including the seat size, whether it has power available, and more. It also has comparison charts.

This added information can not only help you book your flight but can also make your trip easier.

Why This Matters

Maybe you don’t care about your seat on the flight, and if that’s the case, that’s great! But most people, I think, have a preference. And generally, it’s not a “dreaded middle” seat, which is just no fun, particularly for a really long flight.

And for people who are nervous flyers (can you see my hand raised?!), this is pretty important. I personally prefer an aisle seat as I feel a bit confined in the middle seat or at the window. Though, I’ll admit I love looking out the window.

For me, it depends on the airplane’s configuration. (Sometimes you’ll see three seats or two, which you’ll see on small planes and large, transcontinental flights). Here are some other great tips for flight anxiety .

It may not matter for those airlines that don’t assign seats. But, when you are able to select your seat when you book, it’s a great thing. Other airlines allow you to select your seat closer to the flight.

And sometimes they charge extra for the benefit of a seat selection. In that case, you need to consider if the additional cost is more or less important than your seat selection.

3. Pack a Carry-on Bag

I’m a huge fan of minimalist travel, and it’s one of my favorite tips for air travel that I use every time. It’s a learned thing, as I laugh when I think of my first trip to Europe. I lugged around two of the hugest bags EVER, which I could barely carry.

And the killer part of that is that I didn’t touch most of the clothes I had brought. But I brought them just in case I might need them. Sound familiar?

Packing Hacks

One trick I have done for a while now is to lay out what I’m thinking about packing and then spend some time going through it. I have found that when I think through my upcoming trip and lay everything out before packing, I don’t need as much as I originally thought.

Since then, things have improved a lot, and I have taken this to the next level! Seeing how few things I can bring is now a fun challenge. Now, I use compression packing cubes and reduce what I bring as much as possible.

I have gone on several trips of around two weeks each and brought an international-sized travel bag. (Hint: even smaller than a regular carry-on sized bag) along with a small backpack.

You May Also Like How to Pack a Carry-on for Two Weeks

Another thing I often do is plan to do laundry while I’m traveling. For a low cost, it really helped me to reduce the number of things I’m carting around while I travel. Try it! You can pack for two weeks in a carry-on bag.

4. Bring a Snack

Being on a plane can be stressful enough, but it’s compounded when you’re hangry. When you think about different tips for air travel, of course, you think about your time on the plane. You want to make sure it’s comfortable.

It’s a good idea to bring snacks when you fly. You can’t always count on the flight having enough food for sale for everyone, and sometimes they run out. Or you may not like what they are offering or have left.

Another good idea is to bring a water bottle. You can fill it at the airport, and many airports now offer filtered water systems. Make sure it’s empty on your way to the airport, of course, then fill it up before you get on the plane.

If there’s turbulence or if you snooze when the flight attendant comes through, you may be out of luck. Even a short one-hour flight can feel long when you’re parched.

It’s also a good idea to ensure you’re well-hydrated before traveling. I don’t mean downing a gallon of water right before getting on the flight, but drink some extra the day before you travel and that morning in preparation.

5. Leave Enough Time

I used to be the Queen of cutting it close when it came to flights. Thankfully (knocking on wood), I have never missed a flight, but I have sure come close. And nothing says, “Please flag me for a search,” like anxiously running through an airport.

Having said that, I do feel the 2-hour arrival recommendation before domestic flights is a bit more than necessary for most people, especially if you don’t check a bag. However, it’s a good idea to make sure you have more than enough time and not to cut it too short.

And that time is up to your discretion and what you feel comfortable with.

Sometimes, Things Are Outside of Your Control

A number of years ago, I was traveling across the country for Thanksgiving. Then I had a long bus ride ahead of me. I allowed plenty of time, knowing the airport was busy during the holidays.

Well, there was construction on the highway leading to the airport, and traffic was re-routed through the city of Boston. Traffic there is hideous in the best of circumstances.

It was bumper-to-bumper, and we were going surface streets through a congested city, as if that wasn’t enough fun, BAM! We got rear-ended. And not just that, by an 18-wheeler truck. Luckily, no one was going fast, and we were able to drive away after we exchanged paperwork.

I thought the fun was behind us until we got to the airport and tried to open the trunk. You’ve got it! It wouldn’t open. We tried everything we could think of and had no luck—we just couldn’t get the trunk open.

I lucked out that the folks at the check-in desk were willing and empowered to work with me, and one even came out to help. I’m not sure how he managed, but he got the trunk open, and I raced through security with minutes to spare.

I was grateful I had left a little extra time that day.

6. Have Your Identification Handy

There’s nothing worse than standing in a long line to check in, and the person in front of you starts frantically fumbling to find their driver’s license or passport. It was as if they weren’t waiting in the same long line all that time, right?

Keep your identification handy; the same goes for a paper boarding pass. If it’s electronic, consider taking a screenshot as a backup in case you lose internet access.

True story! For some reason, I can’t figure out how to get internet access on my phone at my local airport. The first time I used a mobile boarding pass, I realized when I got to the check-in that I could not access the internet.

I had to run to the desk to get a paper copy and lost my place in line. On a Southwest flight that is done by number and not seat assignment, that s*cks.

7. Prepare for Security

Ok, you know the drill if you have flown in the last year or two once you get to security. You will be asked to remove everything from your pockets, dump all liquids, and take off your shoes.

Remove your belt and pull your laptop and toiletries out of your bag. Do yourself a favor and plan for it before you get to the belt.

Ideally, wear shoes that are easy to slip off and on so you’re not fumbling with them. Make sure if you are carrying a water bottle that it’s empty. And make sure your laptop and toiletries are reasonably accessible.

Planning before you get there can go a long way to reducing your stress when traveling. It will also keep you from being that person that annoys everyone behind you. (You know who I mean!)

If you have TSA Precheck or Global Entry (which comes with TSA Precheck), you don’t have to worry about some of these things. However, getting your license and boarding pass ready is still a good idea.

Don’t know about TSA Precheck or Global Entry and want to learn all about the programs? Read more about these helpful and time-saving programs in my detailed articles by clicking the links!

8. Consider the Trusted Traveler Programs (U.S.-based Travelers)

I mentioned that I am super impatient waiting in lines, right? Well, one great way to reduce your wait at airport security and immigration returning to the United States is to join one of the Trusted Traveler Programs .

These are designed for United States citizens. However, depending on the program, some other countries’ citizens may be eligible. There are several to choose from, and you can select which makes the most sense for you based on your typical travel.

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The benefit of the Trusted Traveler Programs is that you get expedited times at the airports or for border crossings.

Trusted Traveler Programs Available

There are four Trusted Traveler Programs that are currently available in the United States:

• TSA PreCheck —Expedites security screening in United States airports for domestic or international travel.
• Global Entry —Offers expedited passport control so you can shorten your time going through immigration and customs upon entering the United States.
• NEXUS —Provides expedited border clearance between the United States and Canada when crossing by land, air, and marine ports of entry.
• SENTRI — Allows expedited entrance to the United States from southern land border ports.

The programs have certain eligibility requirements, require an application and an interview, and are subject to availability. They are a great idea to save time and reduce stress.

There is a cost to these programs, and they take time to get approved. However, if you’re looking for tips for making your air travel more convenient, this is a good one to consider.

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9. Pack Necessary Items for Convenience

If it’s something you may want or need while on the flight, pack it in the bag you stow under your seat. And make sure it’s easily accessible. There’s no point packing it in your under-the-seat bag if it’s at the bottom and you can’t easily reach it!

Also, that way, you don’t have to go rummaging through your bag in the overhead. Or worse, you need to take it down and open it up trying to find what it is you’re looking for. And if you’re “height challenged” like me, this can be tough!

If you can’t fit all that you need in your smaller bag, try to put it in an outer zipper or at the top so it’s easy to access. And don’t forget, use jacket pockets if you need to.

10. Bring a Jacket

If you’re the type of person who tends to get cold easily, grab a jacket or a sweater to wear on the plane. There’s nothing worse than shivering through your entire flight (who, me?) because either you didn’t think of it or you were too stubborn to pack an extra item.

It’s a good idea to have something in case you need it, even if it’s just a long-sleeved shirt you can put over your top.

Since I’m now so into minimalist packing , I am very careful with packing just the minimum amount that I need for my trips. But, even if I’m going to a hot-weather destination, having something for the flight or even air-conditioned restaurants is a good idea.

I pack a light wrap if I don’t want a jacket or a sweater.

The Top Tips for Air Travel for New Flyers

These are the tips for air travel that I consider when planning every trip. They have been beneficial to me, and I hope they are helpful to you as well.

What do you suggest for top tips for air travel, given what you do to prepare? I’d love to hear!

You Might Also Like

• 11 of the Best Tips for Travel: What I Wish I Knew Earlier
• How to Pack a Carry-on for 2 Weeks
• Benefits of TSA PreCheck & Why You Should Get It
• How to Handle Flying Anxiety: 11 Ways to Help You Cope
• Is Global Entry Worth It? Here’s How to Decide

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Photos sourced from Unsplash and Pixabay.

Sam is a travel-obsessed animal lover on a quest to create a life of travel with her dog. She loves learning new things, snuggling a dog, architecture, hiking, and bold red wine. Join her in creating a life to dream about!

Wow, it really helped when you talked about avoiding long waiting lines when traveling by airplane. My wife and I want to travel for our anniversary, so we think it’d be beneficial if we bought plane tickets instead of driving. We think your tips will help us have a pleasant flight, so we’ll read them carefully. Thanks for the advice on how we could check-in online before we arrive at an airport.

So glad this will be helpful for you. Enjoy your coming trip!

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10 Travel Tips for Flying like a Boss

These 10 travel tips for flying will help you move smoothly through the airport, stay comfortable on your flight & get you to your destination in one happy piece.

Find this post helpful? Learn how you can support Bearfoot Theory’s work here . You can also shop for gear through the affiliate links in this blog post where we get a small commission at no cost to you. It helps keep our team running and the lights on. THANK YOU! -Kristen

Long security lines, unhealthy and overpriced food, running late, and dealing with checked luggage are just a few things that can cause stress when you are flying. Anyone who’s had a bad flight knows that it can leave you feeling tired and disheveled at the beginning or end of a vacation, and that’s never a good way to start. So what are the best tips for flying?

Whether you are flying home for the holidays or halfway across the world for an epic adventure, being prepared and organized are key to a good flight. 

In this guide, I share 10 travel tips for flying that will help you move smoothly through the airport, stay comfortable on your flight, and get you to your destination in one happy piece.

Take the stress out of long travel days with these 10 best tips for flying .

1. Invest in CLEAR or TSA PreCheck

My #1 tip for flying is if you fly at least 2-3 times per year, it is worth signing up for CLEAR or TSA PreCheck to save yourself some serious time. I got TSA PreCheck years ago, and I can’t believe how much more enjoyable flying is. You breeze through the security line, and you don’t have to remove your shoes, laptops, liquids, belts or sweaters. CLEAR is an annual membership while TSA PreCheck is good for 5 years once you are approved.

2. Pack Healthy Snacks

Almonds, apple slices, dried fruit, carrot sticks, and protein bars are just a few good examples of great snacks to hold you over when flying. Be sure to load up on protein and healthy fats since these will help keep you feeling full and satisfied. Packing snacks will also make it less likely that you will splurge on airport food, which is often unhealthy and overpriced. Plus, you won’t arrive at your destination starving.

Check out some of our favorite lightweight hiking snacks that are easy to throw in your carry-on for when you are feeling hangry mid-flight.

3. Bring a Sleep Kit

Landing at your destination well rested will help set your trip off to a great start. Whether you’re stuck in a middle seat, leaning against the cold hard window, or winging it on the aisle, bringing a few small items with you will make your flight much more comfortable. Invest in a comfy travel pillow or better yet, use a lightweight, packable backpacking pillow for flying.

While you’re at it, carry an eye mask and earplugs too – both are small, easy to carry, and may come in handy, especially if you are changing time zones or end up sitting next to a screaming baby. If you need something to drown out all noise, noise-canceling headphones or noise-canceling earbuds work great. They’re pricey, but worth it if you travel a lot.

4. Organize Your Backpack

Take time to organize your backpack, purse, or other carry-on before you leave home so you aren’t scrambling at the airport and lugging around more than you need to. Have a special compartment for important documents such as your boarding pass and ID so you’ll know exactly where to find them when you get to the front of the TSA line. Fanny packs are a great option for airport travel because they free your hands up and there’s no worry of forgetting your bag at the boarding gate if you keep the fanny pack secured around your waist.

Also take time to stock up on flying essentials like a book, your favorite magazine, snacks, and your sleeping kit BEFORE getting to the airport.

5. Download E-books, Music & Movies

WiFi onboard can be expensive and slow and not all routes offer in-flight entertainment. If you have a favorite tv show or a movie you’ve been wanting to watch, download it before boarding so you can watch it during your flight. Same goes for E-books and podcasts. If you have Netflix, you can download movies and shows on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop for offline viewing.

If you frequently travel with a friend, your partner or kids, you may want to consider getting a headphone splitter so you can watch together. I also have Spotify Premium which allows you to listen to your playlists when you are traveling and download them for offline use.

6. Charge Up your Devices before your Flight

Make sure to have everything charged before heading to the airport. This may include your phone, laptop, camera, and any other electronics you travel with. You never know if you’ll be able to find an open outlet or if security might take longer than usual leaving no time to charge up.

You may even want to consider carrying a small backup battery for your phone or other devices you use heavily when traveling. I also always bring a travel adapter that allows you to charge several devices and comes with worldwide adapters for those of you traveling abroad.

7. Pack a Reusable Water Bottle

You can’t take water through the security checkpoint, but you can take an empty reusable water bottle . Most airports have water fill-up stations so you can fill a bottle post-security. Drinking lots of water is an important tip for flying because the added elevation and recycled air can result in dehydration.

Having a refillable water bottle on your trip will also help you save money ( and help the planet ) by not having to purchase plastic water bottles every time you’re thirsty.

8. Take an Immune Supplement

When you fly, you are sharing oxygen with 100+ people, who have recently shared air with another 100+ people. Get the idea? Plus you touch items that a high volume of other people touch such as security bins, seatbelts, tray tables, and door handles. Give your body a boost to fight off the germs with an immune supplement. Nuun makes handy vitamin tablets with immune boosting properties that you can toss into your reusable water bottle. While you’re at it, pack some hand sanitizer too.

9. Dress in Layers

Plane temperatures can range from unbearably stuffy and hot to practically Arctic cold. Be prepared for both. Dress in a base layer that you’ll be comfortable hanging out in for the duration of your flight and bring an extra layer or two to wear on top.

I like to wear a tank-top as my bottom layer just in case there’s a tarmac delay without air circulation. A warm packable jacket , good socks , and a beanie are always helpful to pack in case your flight does end up being surprisingly cold, especially on those early morning flights.

10. Move on Your Layovers

Layovers are a great time to stretch, walk around, and do anything but sit to counteract all those hours on the plane. Be sure to locate your next gate and check to confirm your flight is on time before you take a stroll. You can keep an eye on your flight status on monitors located throughout the airport as you walk around. Believe it or not, some airports have indoor gardens, art displays, massage chairs, yoga rooms, and even movie theaters. Explore the airport to get your steps in. Your body will thank you later.

What are your favorite tips for flying? Do you have any to add? Share your experience in the comments below.

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With two decades of hiking and seven years of van life under her belt, Kristen has dedicated her life to helping people experience the positive effects of nature. As a pioneer in the outdoor blogging space, she founded Bearfoot Theory in 2014 and has since authored more than 350 blog posts about outdoor travel, hiking, camping, and van life. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, Outside Magazine, and Backpacker, and when she’s not on the road, she lives in Park City, Utah with her partner Ryan, their son, and two adventure pups.

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13 Comments

Great tips. Also nowadays most of the restaurants at the airport provide healthy choices as well as the airlines even the low-cost ones

You are indeed right, it is getting better and better everytime I fly through an airport!

Good tips Kristen! I like your idea of wearing a layered dress. Yes, really it is a great idea to make us comfort according to the environment.

• Pingback: 6 Tips For Travelling On A Plane ‹ Onya Magazine
• Pingback: How to Control Flight Anxiety: 5 Quick and Easy Tips — Vagabondish

My husband and I are wanting to plan a trip for our 10th anniversary in May and are trying to get things organized now. I loved your idea to organize your purse or small bag before you leave home so that you find your essentials with ease when you need them. I think it’d be unforgettable if we could find a private jet charter to fly in to get that luxury experience.

Always ask yourself, “what’s the backup plan”. When traveling internationally, for example, you have a passport, a scan copy file saved on a small zip drive and a paper copy. You take photos with a good camera, your iPhone is a backup and maybe a small point and shoot is second backup. We also always travel with a electronic gear bag, about the size of a toiletry kit. It has all charging cables, backup batteries, a small HDMI and adapters to plug into the tv, headphone backup, camera battery charger and my favorite a small travel USB hub with 4 ports. On a trip to Africa I plugged my USB hub in, in the dining area and came back to find others in our group plugging into my one hub.

Very good tips! One item I suggest people take in their carryon is a few anti-diarrhea tablets. Needed them once on a four hour flight and was “rescued” by a flight attendant. I have many flights since, and never needed them since, but, good to be prepared.

Thanks for sharing, Jim!

What I would do for the clothing, I would wear the heaviest things for the flight so I would have a lighter bag and won’t need to pay extra.

Hi Natalia, great tip! Thanks for sharing

Tsa precheck is the needed but for an extra $20 for 5 years you can get global entry which allows a faster customs line when returning to the US and includes tsa precheck

Agree – I have global entry and many credit card companies will reimburse you for the cost. Thanks for chiming in! – Kristen

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12 Tips (and Carry-On Essentials) for Surviving a Long-Haul Flight

Thanks to the miracle of human flight, we can now fly direct from Newark, New Jersey, to Singapore in just under 19 hours. That also means people spend nearly an entire day of their lives off the ground, in cruising altitude limbo, only to land with the kind of jet-lag that eclipses exhaustion. For any serious traveler, long-haul flights are a necessary evil. How do they do it? Here, 12 tips for surviving—even enjoying—a day in the air.

Senior Editor, Jetsetter | @lindseytravels | lindseytravels.com

See recent posts by Lindsey Olander

I’m no stranger to long-haul flights. You know them: those epic, day-long journeys through the clouds that get you from one side of the globe to the other. You might even say I sniff them out on purpose. I’ve flown from New York City straight to Australia’s Northern Territory, which requires connections in Los Angeles and Sydney, twice . Compared to that 25-hour haul (excluding layovers), my 15-hour journey to Johannesburg felt like a breeze. Unless you’re being pampered in First Class, long-haul flights are no picnic, but there are a few tricks to making the experience a bit more bearable. Here’s what I’ve learned, in 12 easy steps.

Photo courtesy of World Expeditions/Great Walks of Australia

1. Buy your ticket as early as possible

Waiting and hoping for that $20 price drop, more often than not, is not worth the trouble. Not only does buying early give you peace of mind in the weeks and months leading up to your departure, it increases the likelihood that enough seats remain open for you to pick where you want to sit—whether you prefer to cuddle up to a window, have easy access to the aisle, or stretch your legs in an exit row. Wait until the last minute and chances are good that you (and your elbows) will be sandwiched into a dreaded middle seat. Frequent flyer? The time to cash those miles in on an upgrade is now.

RELATED: 8 Effective Tips for Getting a Free Airline Upgrade

2. Wear your most comfortable outfit

That fitted blouse and skin-tight pair of jeans might make you feel like you’re 20 again, but trust us—after sitting (and attempting to sleep) in them for 15 hours, you’ll never want to look at that outfit again. When it comes to long-distance travel, stick to a “comfy-chic” dress code of neutral, loose-fitting layers you can move around in. Besides keeping cozy on a flight, you’ll also guard against deep vein thrombosis—a serious condition that’s aggravated when you sit in cramped positions for long periods of time. Experts also recommend wearing compression socks, which reduce swelling and decrease the risk of blood clots. Another must for the ladies: your favorite pashmina/scarf, which does triple-duty as a stylish accessory, an extra layer for beating cabin chills, and, when folded, an extra pillow to lean on.

RELATED: JS Editors’ Favorite Comfy Outfits for Spring Travel

3. Invest in a good travel pillow, earplugs, and sleep mask

We get it: the excitement of opening up your own little long-haul care package is tempting—The tiny toothpaste! The woolly socks! The ear plugs you always forget!—but even on the best international carriers, these tiny conveniences never quite live up to their potential. (We can’t count how many times we’ve suffered through broken sleep-mask bands, pillows that instantly deflate, and ear plugs that never quite stay in.) Embarking on a 12+ hour flight? It’s time to invest in the right pair of moldable plugs that will stay in your ears, a silky (even cute!) sleep mask you’ll hardly feel you’re wearing, and a quality neck pillow—one that provides comfort while also keeping your spine aligned, so you don’t wake up with a crick in your neck. Memory foam works wonders.

RELATED: The Travel Pillow You Need for Your Next Flight

4. Pack your own headphones

Just picture it: you’re reaching cruising altitude and have that perfect movie lined up on your in-flight entertainment console. You dig for the headphones provided in your seat-back pocket, pop them on, and then it hits you—thanks to those roaring engines and crying toddler in the next row, you can’t hear a thing Tom Hanks is talking about onscreen. Solution: bring your own noise-canceling headphones. Besides being more comfortable than those “one-size-fits-none” plastic contraptions, they aid in blocking out white noise.

RELATED: 10 Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for Travel

5. Take the smallest personal item you can

No matter how tall or short you are, when it comes to sitting in the same seat for hours on end, every inch of leg room is sacred. Don’t limit yours with a needlessly large personal item, which you’ll be forced to stow under the seat in front of you if you’ve also brought a carry-on onboard. Opt for a bag that’s versatile and soft, so you can squash it down if need be.

6. Bring your own snacks, or buy some before boarding

One of the beauties of long-haul flights is how well you’re fed—often, at least two full meals and a mid-flight snack to curb your cravings are provided. But what about when the lights are out, flight attendants are nowhere to be found, and hunger pangs strike? What then? Be prepared with your own munchies and a bottle of water—especially if you’re the type that craves salt.

RELATED: Your Must-Have Carry-On Packing List

7. Be friendly to and respectful of your seatmate—you’re both in this together

This might be self-explanatory, but be nice. Learn the rules of the air: unless you’re in the middle seat, hogging an interior armrest is a jerk move. Before reclining your chair, glance back to make sure it won’t disrupt anyone, and whatever you do, don’t do it during meal service. Also, whether you’re on the window or the aisle, expect—especially during long hauls—that everyone is going to have to use the lavatory at least a few times. Be forgiving and courteous, and you might even make a new friend in the process.

RELATED: 7 Super Affordable Jet Lag Remedies

8. DON’T wear makeup; DO moisturize

This ain’t no beauty contest. Your skin has enough to deal with at 30,000 feet (dry cabin air; decreased blood flow) without throwing pore-clogging products into the mix. Instead, apply a serum and moisturizer to keep your skin aglow (just make sure they’re less than 100ml and can pass through security), apply eyedrops to counteract irritation, and dab on some chapstick before your lips dry out.

9. Choose your in-flight food (and drinks) carefully

That cheesy chicken parmesan wafting down the center aisle might smell delectable, but you may want to reconsider. Heavy meals keep you awake, and are more difficult to digest when all you’ll be doing for the next 15 hours is sitting, sitting, and sitting some more. If you can, avoid foods and drinks high on sugar, salt, or caffeine. The same goes for alcohol. While it can act as a sedative for anxious fliers, it is also extremely dehydrating. Instead, try an herbal tea, which induces drowsiness without the consequences of liquor.

10. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Because planes are constantly replenishing cabin air with the air outside, the levels of humidity inside plane cabins are comparable to what you’d find in a desert—bone dry. The effects are two-fold: the extreme dryness dulls the skin, and, if not addressed, dehydration leads to worsened jet lag. It’s vital to drink plenty of water—approximately 8 ounces per hour, according to some experts.

11. Brush your teeth

Do you struggle with sleeping in the air? We feel you. Blocking out those roaring engines, crying babies, and your neighbor’s reading light is hard enough, but getting your body’s sleep clock to adjust to new timezones is a talent that still eludes many. A helpful tip: brush your teeth before nodding off—and, if you want, gargle mouthwash and wash your face. These simple but effective habits help trick your body into thinking it’s sleep time.

RELATED: 6 Tips for Sleeping Well on a Plane

12. Get up every few hours to keep the blood flowing

Pressurized cabins spell less oxygen for passengers and, over periods of time, symptoms due to lower blood oxygen levels that include fatigue, headaches, swollen limbs, and dehydration. The best solution? Stretch. Walk up and down the aisle to boost blood flow and practice some non-intrusive exercises in your seat, like rolling your shoulders and rotating your ankles.

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24 Expert Tips to Prepare for an International Flight

Scott Keyes

August 1, 2023

Whether it’s your first international trip or your 500th, here’s a handy checklist of things to do before and during the flight to ensure a smooth trip. 

Things to do in the weeks before your flight

1. Check the passport validity and visa requirements of your destination.

If you’re traveling internationally, you’ll need a valid passport that matches the name on your ticket. But sometimes that’s not enough. Some countries require your passport be valid for a certain amount of time (usually six months) beyond your trip, while others require a certain number of blank pages (and some require both). 

Depending on the country you’re from and where you’re visiting you may also need a visa and/or proof of onward travel. And, if you’re traveling with a child (but only one parent) you may be required to being additional documentation. For example, South Africa requires that a minor child accompanied by only one parent have a letter of consent from the other parent. 

2. Make electronic copies of your documents. 

Scan or photograph all your documents such as your passport, driver’s license, and any visas and put the files in cloud storage, Google Drive, or your email so that you can access them on the go if needed. 

3. Take steps to boost your immune health. 

Air travel (and travel in general) can be stressful and it can expose you to lots of germs. Reduce the risk of getting sick on your trip by ensuring you’re setting out with a healthy immune system. Get lots of rest and stay hydrated in the days before your trip. 

Things to do the day before and day of your flight

4.  Check-in online to snag the best seat. 

Check in as soon as possible so that you can choose a good seat (if you weren’t able to select one at booking) and have first crack at any available paid upgrades. 

Checking in online promptly when check-in opens is especially important if you’re flying Southwest. Southwest seating is not assigned; boarding order is determined by check-in order and passengers choose their own seats. If you don’t check in soon after online check-in opens, you’ll likely board in the last group and have limited seating options. 

5. Choose the seat that fit your needs. 

The best seat on the plane depends on your preferences. If you like to get up a lot, go for an aisle seat so you can move about with ease. If you just want to lean against the wall and sleep, book a window seat. If you’re tall and need the extra legroom, aim for the bulkhead or an exit row (but be aware these seats often don’t recline). Seatguru.com is a great resource for finding the best seats for your particular aircraft. 

6. Request a special meal to get served first. 

Airlines have come a long way in catering to special diets. On many flights you can choose (at booking) from a special meal that’s kosher, gluten free, low-sodium, low-fat, etc. 

Not only does this give you more control over what you’ll be putting in your body during the flight, special meal orders are served first, so if you’re anxious to eat and get to sleep, order a special meal to reduce waiting time before service. 

7. Pack some basic toiletries in your carry-on. 

If you’re checking luggage, be sure to keep some basic toiletries and one outfit change in your carry-on , just on the off chance your luggage gets delayed and you’re without your checked bag for a day or two. 

Whether you’re checking luggage or going carry-on only, it also helps to keep items like face wipes, deodorant, and toothpaste in an easy-to-reach spot so you can freshen up upon landing or during a layover. 

>> Get more packing tips here.

8. customize your checked bag to make it stand out. .

The vast majority of luggage in the world looks nearly identical; if you’ve got the typical black roller bag, add some custom flair (a brightly colored luggage tag or ribbon, for example) to help distinguish it from everyone else’s. And make sure you have a secure luggage tag on it with your name, phone number, and email address. 

9. Load up on entertainment to enjoy in-flight.

On some budget airlines, entertainment is BYO, so download plenty of podcasts, music, movies, or TV shows to your device or bring lots of books and magazines to get you through the flight. Even on flights where seatback entertainment is the norm, it can be nice to switch between watching a movie, listening to a podcast, or reading. And don’t forget your headphones. 

10. Remember the 3-1-1 rule for liquids. 

The TSA (and the transportation governing bodies of many foreign countries) limits the amount of liquids you can bring on board a plane in your carry-on. All liquids, aerosols, and gels must be in a container of 3.4 ounces (100ml) or less. Additionally, all of your liquids, aerosols, and gels together must fit into one quart-size resealable bag. Baby food and certain medications are exempt. See the TSA website for details. 

11. Pack a water bottle and travel-friendly snacks. 

Not only is bringing your own water bottle better for the environment , it’ll save you money at the airport (remember you can’t bring liquids more than 3.4 ounces through security so you’d have to buy water afterwards). Another bonus: you don’t have to wait for a flight attendant to bring you water so you can hydrate more easily throughout the flight. 

Pack a few simple snacks, too, such as nuts, cut fruit, cheese and crackers, granola bars, or beef jerky. Many budget airlines no longer include food service and even on airlines that do, you may prefer your own food to what’s served on board. 

12. Bring a sleep kit. 

While some airlines still provide a small blanket and scratchy pillow in economy, many don’t (or they charge for it). If you’re heading to a colder climate, your coat or a large scarf/pashmina can double as a blanket, otherwise consider investing in a small, lightweight travel blanket. 

A pillow doesn’t have to take up much space, either; inflatable pillows fold down to a small package. If you’re sensitive to light or noise, add a sleep mask or ear plugs and you’re well on your way to sleeping comfortably on the plane . 

13. Keep your devices powered up. 

Many planes now have power ports at every seat, but don’t risk running out of juice for your cell (especially if it’s doubling as your entertainment for the flight). Bring a fully-charged external battery pack and don’t forget the USB cord and a plug adapter that works in the country you’re visiting. 

14. Wear comfortable clothes. 

The watchword for economy travel is comfort. Forgo the suit or stilettos and dress for comfort, both when you’re hoofing it through massive airports and when you’re curled up in an airplane seat for 8+ hours. 

It is possible to be comfortable but still presentable in loose-fitting slacks or jeans, or stretchy leggings and sneakers, flats, or low-heeled boots. Layers are key, especially if you’re traveling from one climate extreme to another. And remember, not only do your feet swell on long flights, but you may want to remove your shoes to sleep (and you definitely want to put them back on to use the restroom!) so opt for comfy shoes you can easily wiggle on and off. 

Things to do at the airport

15. Arrive on time. 

Every airport has its own guidelines for how early you should be at the airport before an international flight, but typically the recommendation is three hours. When you consider that most international flights start boarding about 40-60 minutes before take-off, that’s really only about two hours to check in (if you couldn’t do it online), check your bag (if needed), get through security, and walk to your gate. If you’re traveling during peak times, it’s wise to get there even earlier. 

If you’d rather cut it close, download the MiFlight app to get real-time data on the wait time at your airport. And check your airline’s cut-off times; every airline has a time after which they’ll no longer allow you to check in or check a bag. They’ll also note the cut-off time for boarding (usually 15-20 minutes before takeoff). If you arrive after these times, you may not be able to check a bag—or even board the plane. 

16. Ask about upgrades or better seats. 

Sometimes when an airline has unsold premium seats (such as premium economy or business class ), they’ll sell these upgrades at a discounted price. 

Even if you don’t want to shell out a few hundred dollars for the extra legroom, it can be worth asking the gate agent or check-in staff if there are any better seats available. They might be able to move you to a window or aisle seat if you don’t already have one, or they can put you in a bulkhead or exit row for more legroom. If the plane isn’t full, they could even move you to a seat with an empty seat next to it so you have more space to spread out. 

17. Look for lounge access. 

Lounge access is no longer just for frequent flyers. While many lounges do require that you have status with the airline, a premium ticket, an Amex , or Priority Pass membership, there are some lounges, such as the Aspire Lounges found in Europe, that allow access for a fee. 

Paying for access this way isn’t cheap (it can cost around $50 per person) but if you have a long layover it can be worth it for a quiet place to rest and the free food and drinks. Some lounges even have nap pods and showers. 

18. Keep important documents, medication, and valuables in your carry-on.

Never put valuables, medication or documents like your visa in your checked bag. If your luggage gets lost or delayed, this could be a huge headache. Additionally, even locked suitcases aren’t immune from theft. 

Make sure you keep all these items in your carry-on, and if you have to gate-check your carry-on for any reason, be sure to move these items to the smaller bag you’re bringing on board. 

19. Bring a pen.

When entering a country, you may need to fill out a paper customs declaration or immigration form, and many airlines don’t provide pens for passenger use. It’s a small thing, but tucking a pen into your carry-on bag saves the hassle of trying to borrow a pen from your seatmate, or the stress of rushing to fill out the form upon landing. 

Things to do on the flight

20. Use antibacterial wipes to clean your seat and tray.

Airplanes are grimy places, and studies have shown one of the most germ-infested spots is your tray table. Before you put your phone or magazine on it—and especially before you eat off it!—give it a thorough cleaning with antibacterial wipes. While you’re at it, wipe down the seatback entertainment, armrests, and overhead light buttons and air nozzles. 

21. Get on the local time zone. 

Jetlag is a nearly unavailable part of traveling far distances by plane, but you can take steps to minimize its effects. A few days before the flight, start to get your body aligned with the new timezone by waking up and going to bed closer to the times you’ll do that in the place you’re visiting. Upon boarding, set your watch and phone clock to the local timezone. And, be sure to get some sleep if you’re on a red-eye flight that arrives overseas in the morning. 

22. Hydrate.

Airplanes are not only dirty places, they can be extremely dry places, too. Drink lots of water the day of travel and during the flight, apply (unscented) moisturizer and lip balm to help dry skin, and bring saline for dry eyes. It helps to avoid alcohol and caffeine as well, as both can cause dehydration and make it harder to sleep. 

23. Get up and stretch to avoid a blood clot.

A blood clot or Deep Vein Thrombosis can ruin a trip (and put you in the hospital) so avoid the potential of this dangerous condition by getting up from your seat frequently. There are lots of simple in-flight stretches you can do (like these recommended by Qantas ) or simply get up from your seat every once in a while and take a walk up and down the cabin. 

24. Wear compression socks.

Compression socks help keep your feet from swelling and reduce the risk of blood clots and DVT by increasing circulation in your legs and feet. You can pick up a pair for under $10 online (or for slightly more at an airport shop).

Save up to 90% on flights. Join Going and get cheap flight deals delivered right to your inbox.

Founder & Chief Flight Expert

Published August 1, 2023

Last updated December 21, 2023

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FinanceBuzz

15 Things You Must Do Every Time You Board a Plane

Posted: October 25, 2023 | Last updated: October 25, 2023

From waiting in the security line to keeping your fingers crossed that the plane isn’t delayed, flying is rarely a stress-free process.

However, whether you’re a first-time flyer or hop on a plane every few weeks for work, everyone can take the same steps to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

Here are 15 steps frequent flyers take when boarding a plane that make the entire experience easier and more efficient. Step up your travel game by putting these tips into practice.

Compare the best travel credit cards for nearly free travel

Make sure your passport is valid

Traveling abroad? Pull out your passport right now to make sure it’s still valid.

You don’t want to be stuck in the stressful position of having to make an emergency call to your state representative’s office to try to get a passport ASAP.

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Check your TSA PreCheck status

If you don’t already have TSA PreCheck, sign up before your next flight. It makes the security process smoother and more efficient.

It also saves you from the stress of arriving at the airport only to realize that the standard security line is wrapped around the building. Having PreCheck allows you to avoid that hassle, as you get to use a shorter line that is almost always faster.

The process of getting TSA PreCheck can take time, so stop by the official website to learn more about how to enroll.

If you already have TSA PreCheck, make sure it’s still valid. It must be renewed every five years.

Notify your credit card provider of your travel plans

If you’re traveling somewhere that is out of the ordinary for you, notify your credit card provider before you take off.

If you arrive in Europe but typically don’t travel there, your lender could flag the card and put it on hold temporarily out of an abundance of caution. Letting the lender know your plans in advance can help you avoid this inconvenience.

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Confirm your sitter’s plans

Before you leave home, make sure your pet sitter or house sitter has everything they need to do their job while you’re gone.

Remind them which days they need to be on duty. Also, do a last check to make sure they have a key to get into your house.

Pack your carry-on for easy access

Packing your carry-on efficiently is one key to a comfortable travel experience.

Consider using smaller storage bags to help organize your belongings before you put them in the carry-on. Keep items that you will need during security and boarding toward the top of your bag.

Double-check your toiletry bag

No one likes leaving a favorite toiletry behind because they forgot that liquids must be in containers that are 3.4 ounces or less. Double-check your toiletry bag to make sure you are in compliance.

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Make sure the airline app still works

Make sure you have the airline’s app on your phone and that it is still working before you get to the airport. It can make everything easier, from checking a bag to monitoring delays and exploring the latest in-flight entertainment.

Download media

If you plan on tuning into a podcast or catching up on a favorite show, download those to your phone before leaving home.

With media already on the phone, you won’t have to worry about a strong Wi-Fi connection to listen or watch, and you won’t have to pay for internet access.

Figure out where to park

You don’t want to arrive at the airport only to find all the lots are full. So, look at your options ahead of time and see if you can reserve a spot, either at an airline lot or a less expensive lot nearby.

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Check out the Wi-Fi situation

Some airlines will provide free texting, while others offer free internet. Some don’t offer connectivity at all.

So, find out your airline’s Wi-Fi situation. If service is available but isn’t free, decide whether you want to pay the additional fee.

Make sure you have the seat you want

If you didn’t pick your seat when you first booked the flight, you might have been assigned something you don’t like.

If so, open the airline app and see if you can change the seat. There may be an upgrade fee associated with the change, but it could be worth it if you feel strongly about switching.

Fill up your water bottle

No one wants to pay several dollars for a bottle of water at the airport, so don’t forget to bring your own reusable water bottle.

You will have to empty it before you go through security, but most airports have filling stations where you can fill the bottle with free filtered water.

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Moisturize your skin

Dry air is inescapable in an airplane. So, apply moisturizer to your skin before your board. This is especially important if you are going to be in the air for a long time.

Have your boarding pass ready

Whether you print a boarding pass or keep it on your phone, have it out and ready to go once it’s time to board.

Doing so will help the entire process go smoothly and reduce the frustration of fellow travelers who are anxious to board.

Wipe down the tray table

Airline tray tables are notoriously dirty. To make sure you have a sanitary experience, take antibacterial wipes with you and give the entire tray table and the armrests a wipedown as soon as you board.

Bottom line

Traveling can be a complicated process, but using a few expert tips makes it easier.

Also, consider booking your next trip — and paying for other vacation expenses — with a great credit card that helps you earn travel rewards or other perks.

More from FinanceBuzz:

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How To Sleep On A Plane, According To Experts

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There are few things more difficult than sleeping on an airplane—particularly if you’re surrounded by noisy passengers and bright reading lights. Truthfully, though, the environment doesn’t need to be unpleasant for you to have trouble closing your eyes: An unfamiliar setting alone can cause disruptive sleep. With some strategic planning and the right accessories, however, you can maximize your chances of getting quality rest while flying.

With some strategic planning and the right accessories, you can maximize your chances of getting ... [+] quality rest while flying.

“The barriers to getting poor plane sleep are not planning ahead, noise and exposure to LED lights,” says Dr. Mark Atkinson , MBBS, medical director of Sens.ai . Ahead, we’ve put together some tips to help you combat that first culprit—not planning enough. With some strategic brainstorming before your flight and a few effective products, you can counteract some of the common barriers passengers face when trying to get a good night’s rest on a plane.

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Be strategic before you even step on the plane: Think about the time of day you want to fly out, for starters. Khaliah O. Guillory , a certified sleep consultant and founder of Nap Bar in Houston, Texas, says she specifically books fights that align with her sleep cycle—and she’s very selective about where her seat is located in the cabin. “I don't want to sit next to the lavatory, and I don't want to sit in the very front or the very back of the plane,” says Guillory. “The reason why is because that's where the flight attendants are preparing the food and the drinks and it's going to be a little noisy.”

Once you’ve selected your preferred row, try to book a seat where you’re likely to feel most comfortable. Atkinson recommends the window on the side of the plane that will allow you to sleep on your usual side. “For example, if you typically sleep on your left side, choose a window seat on the left side of the plane.” Guillory offers a different perspective: While she used to opt for a window seat, she prefers an aisle seat these days. “I like to stretch my legs out,” she says. “And I'm just more comfortable that way.”

Bring Along A Really Comfortable Pillow

Ostrichpillow

Ostrichpillow Go Neck Pillow

Atkinson adds that investing in a high-quality pillow is the best way to support your head when sleeping on a plane. “The two main types are U-shaped neck pillows that support the back and sides of your neck and memory foam pillows that mold to the shape of your neck,” he shares. “To prevent strain on your neck, try to maintain a comfortable posture with your back straight and head aligned with your spine.” The ergonomic design of the Ostrich Go Neck Pillow , above, helps with precisely that: It claims to keep your spinal posture intact in order to prevent neck pain after those particularly long hauls.

Dress In Comfortable Layers—Then, Add A Blanket

Gravel layover blanket.

You should, of course, dress comfortably for your flight. “Wear light, easily removable layers that you can take on and off to adjust to the temperature fluctuations on the plane,” says Atkinson. “This will help prevent overheating and getting too cold.” If you have a tendency to get chilly when you’re in flight, bring along a pair of cozy socks or slippers and your favorite travel blanket to help you feel warm as you settle in for your flight. Research shows that wearing warming socks in a cool environment can shorten sleep onset, increase sleep duration and lessen awakenings. And in addition to keeping you warm, a blanket can also double as added support. “We aren’t designed to sleep upright, so if in economy, tilt your seat back as far as you can and provide support to the natural ‘S’ curve of your spine using a small pillow or rolled up blanket,” says Atkinson.

Block Out The Noise

Dubslabs bedphones sleep headphones.

A crowded plan can be filled with any number of loud distractions, and all of this can make it quite difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Wearing noise-canceling headphones or listening to soothing sounds might help block out the noise around you. Guillory, for one, prefers to listen to pink noise when she’s in flight. “A lot of people are familiar with white noise, but pink noise is one of my go-tos, especially when I'm on the plane,” she says. “Because it’s softer and it's more soothing, and it just promotes relaxation.”

Our favorite noise-canceling headphones , Bedphones, are discreet and unobtrusive—and according to the manufacturer, they’re also the world’s smallest on-ear headphones. Layered in soft foam, they lay flat against the ear, which makes them a great choice for long flights where you need to get some shut-eye.

Limit Screen Time

Truedark twilights classic.

If you’re traveling to a different time zone, Atkinson recommends changing the clock on your phone and watch to your destination time zone once you board the plane. “The sooner you start syncing your eating and sleeping times to the new destination, the better,” he says. But as you get closer to the time when you want to go to sleep, put the devices away. “Blue light emitted from LED screens can suppress melatonin, the hormone responsible for your sleep-wake cycle,” he explains.

Consider wearing a light-blocking mask or glasses to promote better sleep. “For evening and night-time flights I recommend wearing TrueDark Twilights ," says Atkinson. “These glasses block out blue, green and purple light wavelengths and tell your brain it’s time to relax and get ready for sleep.”

Prep A Sleep Amenity Kit

Mack's slim fit soft foam earplugs.

What are the essentials you usually need to get a good night’s rest? After all, you know your sleep routine best. “Headphones, your eye mask, lip balm, anything you think you’ll need,” says Guillory—all of these should be packed in your on-plane bags. Even better: Store them in a specific, small compartment that you can keep handy during your flight.

An eye mask and earplugs can work wonders to block out the sights and sounds of your fellow passengers. “I find Mack’s silicone earplugs to be good,” says Atkinson. “Even better are noise canceling earbuds from QuietOn or the Bose QC Ultra Headphones ,” he adds.

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene—And Try Your Best To Decompress

Espa connection pillow mist.

The rules of good sleep hygiene still apply when you’re in flight. For instance, Atkinson recommends bringing healthy snacks rather than eating airplane food and limiting your alcohol intake. “While alcohol might help you get to sleep, it interferes with your circadian rhythms, as does caffeine, so these are both best avoided,” says Atkinson.

You should also plan to practice the habits that help you get to sleep on a regular basis. Visualization and breathing techniques are tools Guillory uses to relax while she’s on a plane. “I'll literally close my eyes right when we're about to take off and visualize just a very easy breezy travel in the air,” she says. “It just helps me immediately decompress and de-stress,” Guillory says. A pillow mist, like the one above, can also help to calm your mind and create a more ideal sleeping envioronment.

Why Trust Forbes Vetted

At Forbes Vetted, we’ve devoted hundreds of words to helping people get better sleep. Our deeply researched sleep and mattress stories reflect our commitment to our readers, and we even have a team of in-house certified sleep coaches who stay up-to-date on the latest consumer products and knowledge. For this story, we consulted Dr. Mark Atkinson, MBBS, medical director of Sens.ai, as well as Khaliah O. Guillory, a certified sleep consultant and founder of Nap Bar in Houston, Texas.

What Is The Best Way To Sleep On A Plane?

Be strategic about the seat you choose and your sleeping position. “Adjust the headrest to fit the back of your head comfortably. To prevent strain on your neck, try to maintain a comfortable posture with your back straight and head aligned with your spine,” says Atkinson. Consider using a travel pillow or neck pillow for added support and comfort during your flight. Additionally, wearing noise-canceling headphones or using a sleep mask can help block out distractions and promote better sleep. Don't forget to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine or heavy meals before your flight to ensure a restful journey.

How Can I Sleep 12 Hours On A Plane?

Adopting good sleep hygiene habits, blocking out the sights and sounds around you and practicing relaxation techniques will help you maximize the amount of sleep you’re able to get in flight. “I’ve averaged eight hours on a flight,” says Guillory. To achieve a longer duration, consider adjusting your schedule prior to the flight to align with your destination's time zone, allowing your body to sync up with the new day-night cycle. Additionally, try to create a comfortable sleeping environment by wearing loose, breathable clothing and using a blanket to stay warm.

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Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

14 Easy Tips to Always Find Cheap Flights

Last Updated: March 15, 2024

For most trips, airfare is the most expensive part of the trip. While prices for transatlantic flights have gone down in recent years, they can still put a sizeable dent in any travel budget. Whether you’re a budget solo traveler or a family looking to vacation abroad, finding a cheap flight deal can be what makes or breaks your trip.

After all, if your flight is too expensive, you’re likely going to keep putting the trip off. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.

And yet every day, airlines have thousands of amazing deals — from mistakenly published fares to special promotions to slashing prices to compete with another airline. Cheap fares are out there and they can make your dream trip a reality — if you know where to look (I start all my flight searches with Skyscanner ).

Today, I am going to help you master the art of finding a cheap flight. These are the exact steps I’ve been following for a decade to get the cheapest airfare possible every time I fly. If you follow them too, you’ll never be the person on a flight who paid the most for their ticket!

Here’s how to find a cheap flight no matter where you want to go in the world:

Table of Contents

1. Ignore the Myths

2. be flexible with your travel dates and times, 3. be flexible with your destinations, 4. keep an eye for special deals, 5. fly budget carriers, 6. don’t always fly direct, 7. remember not all search engines are equal, 8. take advantage of student discounts, 9. mix and match airlines, 10. use points and miles, 11. search ticket prices for individual travelers, 12. look for tickets in other currencies, 13. book early (but not too early), 14. book hidden city fares, find your cheap flights today.

The first thing to know about finding a cheap flight is that there is no magic bullet or one secret ninja trick to doing so. There are a lot of myths online about how to find cheap flights. In fact, you’ve probably come across a ton of them on your search to find the best flight deal!

They are all lies. They will lead you astray.

Most websites hire terrible reporters who recycle common and outdated myths. Here are the most common that are 100% not true:

• It is NOT cheaper to buy airfare on a Tuesday (or any other specific day for that matter).
• There is NO evidence that searching incognito leads to cheaper deals.
• There is NO exact date or specific time period in which to book your airfare.
• You can’t predict airline prices and websites that do are basically taking an educated (but probably wrong) guess.

Airlines use advanced computer and pricing algorithms to determine prices and run sales based on the time of the year, passenger demand, weather, major events/festivals, time of day, competitor prices, fuel prices, and much more. Those so-called “tricks” don’t work anymore. The system is too smart. Throw them out. Let them die.

Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. Anyone who is telling you doesn’t know what they are talking about.  

Airline ticket prices vary greatly depending on the day of the week, time of year, and upcoming holidays, such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July. August is a big month for traveling around Europe , and everyone wants to go somewhere warm in the winter or travel when the kids are out of school.

In a nutshell, if you are going to fly when everyone is flying, then your ticket is going to cost more.

The solution is to fly off-season. Search alternative dates so that you can capitalize on the best day. The more rigid your plans, the less likely it will be that you find a deal.

Try to be flexible with your dates. If you are dead-set on visiting Paris , go in the spring or fall when fewer people visit and airfares are cheaper.

But if you want to go in the middle of August? You’re out of luck. Hawaii over Christmas? Good luck! Prices will be at their highest.

Moreover, it’s almost always cheaper to fly during the middle of the week than on a weekend because most people travel on the weekends and airlines hike their prices then. Prices are cheaper if you fly after or on a major holiday. Early-morning or late-night flights are also cheaper because fewer people want to travel then (who wants to wake up early?!). Fridays and Mondays are expensive because that’s when most business travelers fly.

When searching on Skyscanner , simply click on the date field to expand the calendar view and you’ll immediately see the cheapest months to fly. On this search from NYC to Paris, you can see that traveling during September, November, or December would be half as much as traveling during June or July:

Airlines are not dumb. They know when a festival, holiday, major sports event, or school break is coming up — and they raise prices accordingly.

Be flexible with your dates and times and you’ll save yourself some major money.  

If you can’t be flexible with when you fly, at least be flexible with where you fly. It’s best to be flexible with both, but if you really want to save the most money and get a cheap flight for your trip, you at least need to be flexible with one or the other.

Airline search engines have made it really easy to search the entire world to find the cheapest ticket. You no longer have to search manually, city by city, day by day. Websites like Skyscanner and Google Flights offer explore tools that allow you to put in your home airport and see a map of the world with all the flights on it. This allows you to easily compare multiple destinations without having to brainstorm every possible option. You’ll likely even find some interesting destinations you hadn’t even thought of either!

If you are flexible with where you want to go (i.e., anywhere but home), all you need to do is type “Everywhere” into the search box on Skyscanner or “Anywhere” if you’re using Google Flights.

The truth about airfare is that there’s always a deal to some destination — it might just not be your first choice. However, if you’re flexible about where you want to go, you’ll always get a deal and save a ton of money in the process.

When you are locked into one place at one time, you are stuck with whatever price shows up. Nothing can change that. But when you become flexible, suddenly the entire world opens up to you and you’ll find amazing cheap airfares!  

Before you start looking for specific lights, make sure you’ve signed up for some newsletters. Joining the mailing list for airlines and last-minute deal websites will give you access to the absolute best deals out there. Sure, 99% of them might not fit your itinerary but keeping your eye on the deals will ensure you don’t miss an amazing opportunity.

More often than not, cheap flights are only available for a limited window (usually 24 hours). If you aren’t always scouring the web for sales, you’ll likely miss out on the best deals.

I would have missed out on a round-trip ticket to Japan for $700 USD (normally $1,500) as well as a $500 flight to South Africa if I wasn’t signed up to flight deal websites.

Additionally, airline newsletters often offer frequent flier bonuses. Those points and miles can add up to free flights and awesome upgrades.

Aside from joining airline newsletters, the best website for finding travel deals is Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) . It’s the BEST for upcoming US flight deals and new users can get 20% off a Premium membership with the code NOMADICMATT20.

Other sites worth checking out are:

• The Flight Deal – Great for global flight deals.
• Holiday Pirates – The best for European flight deals.
• Secret Flying – A great site for flight deals from around the world.

Years ago, if you wanted to fly between continents, you were mostly stuck with traditional expensive airlines. That’s no longer true. These days, you can fly most of the way around the world on a budget airline. Sure, they might not be as comfortable and you may need to pay for premium upgrades like checked bags and meals, but they bring the world to your doorstep without breaking the bank.

Budget airlines mainly service short and medium-haul routes. While many budget carriers (notably Norwegian Air) scrapped their long-haul routes during COVID, new ones (like PLAY, Norse Atlantic Airways, and French Bee) have now arisen to take their place.

For now, budget airlines mainly operate regionally so it’s really easy to find a cheap flight, even during this age of higher prices.

• Flair Airlines
• Air Canada Rouge
• Air Transat

United States

• Allegiant Air
• Spirit Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• Hong Kong Express
• Spring Airlines
• T’Way Airlines
• Cebu Pacific
• VietJet Air
• Norwegian Air

Australia/New Zealand

Middle East

Flying budget airlines is a good alternative to flying “the majors” whenever possible. You get fewer perks, but you can save a bundle in price.

Just be sure to watch out for fees. That’s how they make money! Budget airlines often charge fees for checked bags, carry-ons, printing your boarding pass, using a credit card, and anything else they can get away with. Be sure to add up the cost of the ticket AND the fees to make sure that the price is lower than a larger carrier.

You’ll also want to double-check the location of the budget airline’s airport at your intended destination. These airlines often fly in and out of airports that are quite far from the actual city, with limited and expensive transportation options.

For example, the shuttle to Beauvais, the budget airport for Paris , costs 17 EUR one-way. If you’re flying roundtrip, this means that you should add about 34 EUR to the price of your plane ticket to see if you’re even saving much by flying a budget airline.  

Not only does it help to be flexible with dates and destinations but being flexible with the route you take is another way to get a cheap flight. For example, sometimes it’s cheaper to fly to London and take a budget airline to Amsterdam than to fly direct to Amsterdam from your departure city.

I did precisely this when I was going to Paris. The flight from the US was $900 USD, but I could fly to Dublin for $600 and get a $60 flight to Paris. It meant more flying time, but the $240 USD I saved was worth it to me.

To use this method, find out how much it is to go directly to your destination. Then, open Google Flights and type in that destination’s continent to look at prices to nearby airports. If the difference is more than $150 USD, I look to see how much it is to get from the second airport to my primary destination (either by budget flight or train, if it’s not too far). You can use Rome2Rio to help search for the best ways to get between a nearby airport and your primary destination.

You can also do this for leaving too. It might be cheaper to fly out from a nearby airport. I often search other airports to see if it’s cheaper to fly/drive/train there and then fly to my final destination. For long international flights, it can be worth the added time!

If you do book separate segments, be sure to have at least three hours between connections. This will give you space in case there is a delay as your second flight won’t wait for you (you booked with a separate airline, so they won’t care if you’re late or not).

Leaving a three-hour buffer will also cover you for an insurance claim since most insurance companies require you to have at least a 3-hour delay before you can make a claim.

This method is more work since you have to figure out lots of different routes and check different airlines. But it can lower the price of your flight, which is worth the extra effort if you end up saving a few hundred bucks.

Note : If you ever have a delayed flight to or from Europe, you might be owed additional compensation (upwards of 600 EUR). Here’s how to find out if you’re entitled to compensation!  

In order to find the best deal, you need to search multiple websites. Many major search sites don’t list budget carriers or obscure foreign carriers because those airlines don’t want to pay a booking commission. Others don’t list booking sites that aren’t in English. And others still only display prices retrieved directly from airlines.

In short, not all flight search websites are created equal and all have their pros and cons.

Since there is no perfect airline search engine, you’ll want to search a few to compare. Even the best have their faults. That said, I have a few favorites I always start with as they tend to consistently show the best results. To me, the best websites to find a cheap flight are the following:

• Skyscanner – The best booking site out there. They have a great user interface (and a great app for mobile )
• Google Flights – Great search engine that lets you see prices for multiple destinations.

Typically, I start all my searches with Skyscanner because it searches all major AND budget airlines, non-English websites, English websites, and everything in between. They vet all the sites they link to as they have strict criteria on who they operate with. It’s one of the most comprehensive booking sites out there and they have the lowest price 99% of the time. I’ve been using them since 2008, and it’s the search engine all the other travel experts I know use too.  

If you are a student (or under 26), there are many discounts available to you. You can usually find prices 10-20% off the standard fare. Travel agencies like Flight Centre and Student Universe can help find you a cheap ticket. Don’t overlook them!

Additionally, keep in mind that most student discounts transfer over to airline partners. For example, Lufthansa offers a student discount, which means you can use that discount on partner airlines such as Swiss Airlines and Austrian Airlines. This will allow you to go much further afield while still saving a ton of money.

If you’re not sure which airlines offer discounts (they don’t make this information easy to find), visit their website or call them. Doing a little digging to save 20% (or more) will be worth it!  

When you book directly with an airline, you’ll only be able to fly that airline and any partner airlines it has. That means your options will be limited when it comes to finding the perfect itinerary or saving the most money.

Usually, that will suffice. However, if you’re chasing greater savings, try booking your tickets on separate airlines. For example, if you’re flying from New York to Paris, you might have a stop in London. Booking both legs as one ticket will be simple, but it likely won’t save you money.

Instead, book your New York to London flight as one ticket and then your London to Paris ticket with another airline. That will allow you to shop around for the best bargain. It’s more work, but the savings (and flexibility) can be worth it.

This is what most third-party booking websites like Kiwi.com do. They piece together trips using whatever flights they can find to ensure you get the cheapest price.

If you’re hunting for the lowest possible price and aren’t happy with what you’re finding on the airline’s website, try booking separate segments. You might just stumble onto a great deal!  

As soon as you know you want to travel somewhere you should sign up for a travel credit card. Using points and miles is the #1 way avid travelers like me earn free flights, travel perks, and free hotel stays. Travel credit cards offer huge welcome bonuses, credit toward rideshares like Uber or Lyft, access to airport lounges, travel insurance, and much more.

You don’t need to do any extra spending either. I earn over a million miles a year — without flying or spending extra money. That translates into dozens of free flights (often in business class) for myself and my family.

If you are smart with your money and collect points and miles, you can travel around the world for very little (and often free). Here are some articles that can help you get started:

• Points and Miles 101: A Beginner’s Guide
• How I Earn 1 Million Frequent Flier Miles Every Year
• Is Collecting Points and Miles Really a Scam?
• The Ultimate Guide to Points and Miles
• The Ultimate Guide to Picking the Best Travel Credit Card
• The Best Travel Credit Cards for Travelers

If you already have some points and miles collected, consider joining a platform like point.me . It’s a search and booking engine that helps you find the best ways to use your points and miles. It searches 30+ loyalty and 100+ airline programs to find the best value possible so you never waste your miles! Get your first month for just $1 with the code NOMADICMATT .  

If you’re traveling with friends or family, don’t search for or buy multiple tickets in a single purchase. Airlines always show the highest ticket price in a group of tickets which means you’ll end up paying more money.

Airlines have tons of different price points for tickets (these are based on a variety of factors). They want to sell tickets in the highest fare bucket possible and, when they group tickets together, always list prices in the highest fare bucket.

For example, if you are a family of four and you’re searching for four seats, the airline will find four seats together and show your fare based on the highest ticket price. So if seat A is $200, seats B and C are $300, and seat D is $400, it will price those tickets as $400 each instead of adding up the individual ticket prices. If the price difference is large, that translates into a sizeable extra expense.

For that reason, always search for tickets as a single person. Afterward, in the checkout process, you can pick your seats so you and your family are sitting together. And even if you end up not beside one another, that’s a fair trade for saving a few hundred dollars.  

If your country’s currency is currently strong compared to others around the world, search for airfare in a country where the currency is weaker.

For example, when the US dollar was strong and the New Zealand currency weak, I found a one-way flight from Australia to NYC for $1,000 USD. However, when I searched on the New Zealand version of the airline, I found the same ticket for $600 USD.

It was the same airline, same flight, and same booking class — it was just booked in a different currency. This tip does not always work, but it works often enough that it’s something worth trying if your currency is currently doing well.

( Tip : Always use a no-foreign-transaction-fee card to avoid paying a surcharge .)  

Airline fares keep rising the closer you get to departure, but there is a sweet spot when the airlines begin to either lower or increase fares based on demand. Don’t wait until the last second but don’t book far, far in advance either. The best time to book your flight is around 2-3months before your departure, or around five months before if you are going to your destination during their peak season.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule, though, so use it as a guide. I could go on forever about airline pricing models but airlines raise prices closer to departure because the people who book last minute tend to be price insensitive business travelers so they will pay whatever. So don’t book last minute!  

This is a more advanced (and riskier) way of finding cheap flights, but if you’re adamant about spending as little money as possible, it’s worth looking for hidden city fares. This is when you book a flight that has a layover in your desired destination. You then get off the plane and exit the airport at the layover city instead of continuing onto the final destination that you booked the ticket for.

For example, say you want to fly from Austin to Atlanta. A flight from Austin to New Orleans with a stop in Atlanta might be cheaper than booking Austin to Atlanta directly.

As you can imagine, this practice can get complicated and tricky. There are a few crucial elements to keep in mind, namely that once you skip a leg, the airline cancels the rest of your trip. That means that you cannot buy round-trip flights and do this practice on your departure flight, because your return flight will be cancelled. Also, you cannot check bags, as they will end up in the final destination on your ticket, not where you get off.

Additionally, airlines strongly frown upon this practice, so you don’t want to advertise that this is what you’re doing, and you don’t want to do it often, otherwise you might get flagged.

All that being said, you can save hundreds of dollars with hidden city flights, and it’s perfectly legal. It’s easy to search for hidden city flights on the website Skiplagged . Just do so at your own risk!

Finding a cheap flight is all about being flexible and getting creative. It may take some effort, but the deals are out there if you’re willing to look. Follow the tips above to get started, but don’t waste hours and hours hunting for a cheap flight. If you’re spending more than an hour booking a flight, you’re spending too much time.

Once you find a flight deal that you’re happy with, book right away, as airfares change by the minute. Remember that you have a 24-hour window to cancel in case you need to.

Use the tips above on how to get a cheap flight to get the ball rolling. Do that, and you’ll always get a great deal!  

I start all my searches with Skyscanner because they search all major AND budget airlines, non-English websites, English websites, and everything in between. Even if you aren’t sure of your plans, it’s best to start searching for flights today. People who wait to book are people who end up spending the most.

Use this widget to plan your next trip:

READ NEXT —-> How to Put This Into Practice: 5 Step-by-Step Instructions for Booking a Flight

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. If you have any questions about the companies or my status as an affiliate, please don’t hesitate to email me.

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Use these digital tools to ease your travel stress

Be an airport insider with these hi-tech offerings that will get you to your final destination in no time and with less stress.

By Amy Iverson

Air travel is a key part of many vacations, but the lines, delays and crowds can make it less than perfect.

The good news is that technology is available to ease your journey.

A simple text prompt, Google search or phone app can help you avoid the problems that cause many common difficulties.

Check flight status with your phone

This first text tip is the simplest, yet the most mind-blowing. Anyone using an iPhone can easily find out flight information by tapping on a flight number in Messages.

That’s right, there’s no need to open an airline’s app, just text yourself the airline name plus the word “flight” and the flight number. Then tap on that number to see flight information at a glance.

When you click, a map pops up showing where the plane is in real time. You can see whether the flight is on time, its arrival gate and how to get to baggage claim.

This smartphone trick is especially helpful when you need to stay in touch with your ride home from the airport. Whether your family member is doing you a solid, or a ride-sharing driver is headed your way, texting the flight number is a simple way to get them all the information they need.

This flight tracking service works for iOS, even if the text is coming from an Android phone. But the feature does not work if an Android phone is the receiver.

Use AI to create travel plans

In the past, I’ve relied on Frommers or Fodors to give me an initial itinerary for any location I plan to visit. Now, artificial intelligence can help me plan upcoming trips.

To use this travel tip, turn on Google’s generative AI capabilities in Search Labs by clicking on the lab beaker in the upper left-hand corner of the Google app’s homepage. Then, ask something like, “plan a two-day trip to Boston” to get a specific itinerary, including where to visit and eat, as well as hotel and flight recommendations.

The AI-generated schedule will be a jumping off point that you can fine-tune the schedule with your own ideas.

I tried something similar on Chat GPT and was underwhelmed with its specificity. Google’s AI did a much better job at giving me a fairly robust travel plan.

Using PreCheck and Global Entry

For years, I’ve been pushing the advantages of TSA PreCheck for anyone who flies more than a few times per year.

After you enroll, you get to use a shorter security line and don’t need to remove shoes or belts. You can also leave your laptop inside your bag.

The online application process takes five minutes. After you complete the form, you’ll need to appear in person for about 10 minutes at one of their sites.

And now, those with digital driver’s license IDs are getting even more perks at airport security. Chicago O’Hare and Los Angeles International are no longer asking to see a driver’s license for travelers who have both TSA PreCheck and a digital driver’s license. You get your face scanned, but since it compares that photo with your digital ID, you don’t need to show or insert a physical driver’s license anywhere.

If you fly internationally four or more times each year, you may want to opt for Global Entry , which grants expedited customs screening for travelers returning to the U.S.

TSA PreCheck comes as part of Global Entry, which costs $100 right now for five years (that price goes up to $120 in October). Some credit cards and frequent flyer programs will reimburse these fees.

But if you don’t go for Global Entry, be aware of this little-known app that could save you time at customs. The Mobile Passport Control app has you submit a photo, customs declaration and passport to streamline your return to the U.S. at some airports.

Create a profile with your passport, then once you land in the US, take a selfie, complete some questions and bring your passport to a Customs and Border Patrol officer. You can add up to 12 profiles on the app for family members.

Don't lose your items on the plane. They could end up resold here. | Cruising Altitude

Losing luggage is a nightmare scenario for many travelers. It could mean having to buy a whole new wardrobe or even parting with something near and dear to them.

But those lost items are sometimes given a second chapter thanks to Unclaimed Baggage, a store and e-commerce site that resells many items that vanish during travel.

“Airlines really are great in reuniting lost luggage,” Sonni Hood, public relations manager at Unclaimed Baggage, told me. But, she said, “a fraction of a percent adds up quickly when you consider that millions of people fly every day.” 

The store in Scottsboro, Alabama, said it introduces about 7,000 items to its shelves every day, and the online shopping portal sees about 5,000 new items each week. 

In a new report that Unclaimed Baggage plans to release annually, the store details the most common items in lost bags for the year.

“The different things that are happening in our culture eventually find their way into what people are packing in their suitcase,” Hood said. 

According to the Found Report , some of the most common items in 2023 were underwear, shoes and tablets/e-readers. (Sonni swore an oath that the store sells only unused underwear, so go forth with your shopping in peace.)

She also said lost luggage can teach you a lot about consumer trends. Lululemon is clearly having a moment – it’s one of the most popular brands in the store right now. Stanley cups also saw a spike in appearances in 2023, edging out Yetis and other thermos brands that were more popular in the past. Even electronics come and go in waves.

“Last year we found hardly any DSs, (but) we found so many Nintendo Switches,” Hood said.

The report also details some of the more novel finds of 2023, including two live snakes, 19 Rolex watches, a jar full of shark teeth, and a Halloween card from the 1980s signed by President Richard Nixon.

How to avoid losing your bags when you travel

Hood said there are simple steps travelers can take to make it less likely they lose their stuff in the first place – or more likely they’re reunited with it if something goes wrong.

Here are her essential tips:

• Label your bag inside and out with your name and up-to-date contact information.
• Remove old stickers and bag tags from your checked luggage.
• Make your suitcase stand out on the carousel so someone doesn’t accidentally take it.
• Pack all your essentials, like medicines, in your carry-on bag.
• And finally, don’t rush.

“Whenever you’re getting off the plane, it’s so easy to leave your Kindle or a cellphone or your glasses in the seat,” Hood said. So take a second to really make sure you have everything with you before you depart.

As someone who once left his jacket in the overhead bin and then spent hours trying to find it at the lost and found in London Heathrow Airport, I agree.

As Hood said earlier, airlines are generally pretty good about reuniting passengers with lost items. I did get that jacket back, for example. Here’s the process at the four largest U.S. airlines if you lose something on your trip.

American Airlines' lost luggage process

American recommends filing a report with the airport or with the Transportation Security Administration if you know you lost your stuff on the ground. But if you lost it on an aircraft or in a lounge, or you’re not sure where along your journey you may have left your things, there’s a process for filing a claim through AA.

According to American, once you file a claim, the airline will search for your items for up to 30 days. For lost baggage specifically, American requires you to make a report in person at the Baggage Services Office within four hours of landing. You'll also need to submit an online claim form and a checklist of the items when reporting a lost bag and requesting reimbursement for any of its contents. 

For all other individual items, AA has an online claim form, accessible by clicking here . 

Delta Air Lines' lost luggage process

Delta has online forms for lost, delayed or damaged bags and missing , nonchecked items that were lost on board, in a Delta lounge or in the gate area.

According to the airline, it will search for lost bags for about 21 days, and 30 days for lost nonchecked items after receiving a report. The airline recommends being as detailed as possible in your missing-items report and filing the report within seven days of noticing the items are missing. 

United Airlines' lost luggage process

United has an online claims process for lost luggage that hasn’t been found within five days of your arrival. The airline recommends going to the Baggage Service Airport if your luggage hasn’t arrived when you land or calling the Baggage Recovery Center if you’ve already left the airport. United requires passengers to report missing bags within 24 hours within the U.S., U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico and within seven days at international destinations.

For missing nonchecked items, United also has an online form . 

Southwest Airlines' lost luggage process

Southwest requires passengers to file a report in person at the airport’s Baggage Service Offices if their bag does not arrive or to file an online report if they have already left the airport. 

Southwest requires passengers to make their claim within four hours of arrival for a domestic flight and within seven days for an international itinerary.

The missing-bag claim form also has an option for missing nonchecked items. 

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected]

Seeing the total eclipse from 33,000 feet

Despite the pilot’s best efforts, delta’s eclipse flight didn’t offer passengers the best view of totality.

SOMEWHERE OVER ARKANSAS — As skywatchers gathered across North America on Monday to peer up at a total solar eclipse, a plane full of Delta Air Lines passengers hoped to get a unique view from above the clouds.

But despite the efforts of the pilots on the route from Dallas to Detroit, a glimpse of totality proved elusive for many of the people who had reserved a spot on a flight that promised special maneuvers to get everyone a peek.

Passengers crowded near windows as the plane made a series of turns. However, the angle of the sun in the sky through much of the flight meant it was difficult to see much at all without craning your neck. Questions of “Did you see it?” bounced around the plane.

Kyle Carter, 40, a stay-at-home dad and private pilot from Orlando, said he didn’t see much of the actual eclipse during the flight, but he was happy with what he experienced.

“What I wanted to see, more than the actual eclipse itself, was just the shadow racing toward us from behind,” he said. “I did see that. You could see the darkness come towards us.”

Attorney Scot Kees and his daughter Gabrielle, 8, came from Atlanta for the flight. He said they “got a sliver” of the eclipse.

“Even though we didn’t get it completely, it was a fun community experience,” he said. He pointed out that clouds were an issue for many on the ground, so he’s not sure he would have seen more if he’d traveled somewhere else. “I’m glad we got to see what we did.”

2024 total solar eclipse

Before people on the plane flew into a few minutes of totality, the lights were dimmed and the sky outside grew darker. Flight attendants and the pilot offered a couple of heads-ups. Seat-back screens showed the scenes elsewhere along the path of totality, including Mexico, then Texas and up through Indianapolis.

Passengers got a bag of swag that included “solar eclipse” Sun Chips, a Moon Pie, eclipse glasses, and Delta-branded socks and hat that said “climbing the cosmos.”

Captain Alex Howell said in an interview after the flight landed that he didn’t look at the sun during the flight, but saw the sky turn into a “dark version of dusk.”

“The city lights came on because of the darkness,” he said.

In the lead-up to the eclipse, several airlines publicized their best-chance flights for a prime viewing spot, with more than two dozen crisscrossing the country on Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska and other operators. They were careful to include caveats and make no promises.

“While Delta flight plans have been designed to maximize time within the path of totality, this is subject to change due to factors outside of Delta’s control such as weather and air traffic control that could impact timing and aircraft,” the airline warned.

Delta operated two dedicated eclipse flights from Texas on Monday, including one from Austin. On the flight from Austin to Detroit, a couple wearing eclipse shirts got engaged after passing through totality.

“Everyone was clapping and yelling and just really happy for them,” said Delta spokeswoman Catherine Morrow, who was on the flight. The captain piped up from the flight deck to ask the outcome.

In Dallas, the airport scene was festive Monday morning. Passengers walked under a celestial-themed balloon arch to board, airline representatives handed out glasses and a Yorkie named Delilah posed for photos with her humans.

“It’s her first eclipse, how could she miss it?” said Alan Goldberg, 70, an attorney who lives in New York City and Florida. Monday was Delilah the dog’s second birthday.

Thomas Iwinski, a 34-year-old meteorologist from Detroit, flew to Dallas Monday morning to get on the flight back home that would transport passengers along the path of totality. He described the mood at the gate as “ecstatic, joyful, elated.” He rented a home in Tennessee for the 2017 eclipse but didn’t want to take a chance on clouds this time.

“It’s definitely going to be something that I’ve never experienced before,” he said.

The airline had been planning for the flights for months.

In October, an operations planning staffer mentioned the upcoming eclipse. That led to some brainstorming and spitballing, said Chris Clisham, a flight superintendent at the airline, in a phone interview.

“And dot dot dot, here we are,” he said.

The logistics sound like an SAT word problem: If the plane is traveling at 400 mph and the moon’s shadow is racing at 1,600 mph, where will they overlap? And for how long? Throw in the angle of the sun while you’re at it.

“Fortunately, even though I am a math major, I didn’t have to bring any trigonometry into this equation,” Clisham said. Flight-planning software did the heavy lifting.

The airline first announced an Austin-to-Detroit flight in mid-February, describing it as “specifically for umbraphiles to be able to spend as much time as possible directly within the path of totality.” That flight sold out in a day, so Delta quickly added another one, this time from Dallas.

Jamie Larounis, a D.C.-based travel industry analyst with UpgradedPoints.com , had no special plans to see the eclipse. He was intrigued by Delta’s first flight, but it sold out before he could snag a seat. Then he saw a news release about the Dallas flight.

“Within 30 seconds, I had it booked,” he said. “I dropped everything.”

Before the flight, he said, he dropped 107,500 airline miles to book a first-class seat on the left side of the plane, equivalent to about $1,149. Anyone who heard about the plan assumed he has an extreme interest in eclipses, but he said he is more of an aviation buff.

“They all think I’m some sort of meteorologist, am I some sort of physics whatever,” said Larounis, 34.

Melanie Elliott, 36, of Chapel Hill, N.C., was disappointed to have missed the Austin flight so she leaped at the chance to fly out of Dallas. An astronomy fan who got a degree in physics, she was wearing astronaut earrings, a solar system necklace and a star and moon ring. After the flight, she said the view of totality — as she “was like laying on the right side of the seat” to try to see — was “a little disappointing.” She said she’ll watch her next eclipse from the ground.

But there was one huge perk for her: Astronaut Scott Kelly spoke at a post-flight party in Detroit and posed for pictures with passengers.

“Scott Kelly touched my moon tattoo,” Elliott said. “Kind of worth it.”

During the last eclipse visible from North America, in 2017, photographer Jon Carmichael tried to win a spot on a special Alaska Airlines flight so he could photograph the eclipse from the sky. He lost out, but pored over flight schedules and compared them with the eclipse path to find a Southwest flight from Portland, Ore., to St. Louis.

With the help of the pilots — one of whom even cleaned the window outside Carmichael’s seat before taking off — he took about 1,200 photos that formed an iconic photo mosaic documenting the eclipse.

Carmichael, who has also photographed an eclipse from land, said there are pros and cons to being in the air. The experience on the ground is more immersive; there are temperature changes, reactions from wildlife and the view is not obstructed by parts of a plane.

But in the sky, clouds are much less likely to get in the way. And, he said, it’s possible to see the moon’s shadow moving across the earth on the ground — a view unavailable to eclipse watchers for most of human history.

“We’ve only been flying as a human race for a little over 100 years; that’s only the blink of an eye,” he said. “It really gives you a sense of the scale of the universe that we’re part of this huge incredible celestial system where you actually can see the moon’s shadow being cast onto the Earth, moving across the Earth.”

A total solar eclipse will pass across the United States on Monday, April 8. See what the eclipse will look like in your city .

Path of totality: Our interactive visual map allows you to traverse the eclipse’s path from Mexico to Maine. If you’re traveling for the eclipse , we rounded up the top things to do in several major cities prime for viewing. In Carbondale, Ill., lucky residents are preparing to experience totality for the second time in seven years .

Preparing for the eclipse: The most important thing you’ll need is eclipse glasses — here’s how to get them and avoid buying fakes . If you want to capture the magic of the moment, check out our guide for photographing the eclipse with your phone. Here’s what to expect in terms of cloud cover and eclipse traffic .

The science: This eclipse may be especially dramatic because the sun is at its most active period in two decades. In the past, solar eclipses have helped scientists learn more about the universe . Here’s everything else you need to know about the solar eclipse.

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‘The Plane Is Fine’: An Airline Course Looks to Overcome Fear in the Skies

Anxiety when flying might not seem so unreasonable these days, but a British Airways program seeks to reassure the lightly nervous and the abjectly terrified alike.

By Sarah Lyall

No sooner had British Airways Flight 9240 roared into the air over Heathrow Airport than the cabin air was pierced by a sharp, scary noise, like an alarm or a siren. The power surged and then seemed to falter, and the plane became worryingly quiet. (Too quiet?)

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What was it? Images of catastrophic scenarios — birds, engine failure, parts falling off, total systemic breakdown — pinballed through the passengers’ imaginations as the plane seemed to struggle to find its equilibrium. Unease gripped the cabin. But then a disembodied voice wafted soothingly over the public-address system. “Everything’s normal,” the voice said. “The plane is fine.”

This emotional roller coaster of a flight, a 35-minute loop in the air that started and finished at Heathrow, was the culmination of the airline’s “Flying With Confidence” course , aimed at people who are afraid to fly — the lightly nervous as well as the abjectly terrified.

The course includes a deep dive into the mechanics and operation of an airplane. There’s also a section on how pilots are trained to deal with various scenarios — including cabin depressurization, malfunctioning landing gear, holes in the fuselage and sudden gusts of wind on the runway that force what is called a “go-around” — when a pilot suddenly aborts the landing and sends the plane barreling straight back into the sky. The day ends when the attendees — or at least those who didn’t leave early — board an actual plane for a real-life flight.

As many as 40 percent of all airline passengers have at least mild apprehension about flying, experts say, and people with serious aviophobia fall roughly into two groups. About 20 percent have “an underlying anxiety that manifests as fear of flying,” said Douglas Boyd, an aviation researcher who runs a fear-of-flying course in Houston . Another 70 to 75 percent, he said, “think that something bad will happen to the plane — there will be a fire, the engine will fall off, the pilot is drunk, it’s going to crash.” (The rest have a hybrid of worries.)

Flying is objectively low-risk, and 2023 was the safest year for jet travel ever, according to the International Air Transport Association . But fear of flying hardly seems irrational, what with reports of aircraft malfunctions, overworked air traffic controllers and the sense that climate change is making turbulence worse .

For instance: On Jan. 5, a door plug — a door-sized panel on the side of an aircraft — blew off the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines jet as it made its ascent, depressurizing the cabin and exposing passengers to open air thousands of feet above ground. Also in January, five members of the Japanese Coast Guard were killed when their plane collided with a Japanese Airlines jet on a Tokyo runway and both planes burst into flames. (Everyone — 367 passengers and 12 crew members — on the Japanese Airlines flight survived.) Boeing, the manufacturer of the Alaska Airlines plane and other planes that have experienced various mishaps, has faced particular criticism for neglecting safety .

Such incidents loom large in the heads of passengers, but Mr. Boyd said that people tend to ignore how rare they are. “You have to look at objective measurements,” he said. “In the last 15 years we’ve had only two fatal accidents with a U.S. carrier, and that speaks volumes.” (Those were when a Continental Airlines flight crashed into a house in Buffalo in 2009 , killing 50 people, and when a window blew out after an engine exploded on a Southwest Airlines flight in 2018, killing a passenger who was partly sucked out of the plane.)

Nobody wants to go through a flight racked with fear or beset by emotional upheaval, and airlines have an obvious interest in calm, unterrified passengers. A number of airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa and Virgin, offer fear-of-flying programs, but B.A.’s has been operating for more than 35 years and is considered the most well-established.

I — an occasionally nervous-in-turbulence but not prohibitively terrified flyer — joined an October session, paying the fee of 395 British pounds, or about $508.

My fellow attendees represented a spectrum of ages and professions and suffered from a range of anxieties.

Duncan Phillips, a high school science teacher, said that he had not set foot on a plane since his honeymoon, two decades earlier. Imogen Corrigan, a medieval history lecturer, said that she had a “generalized dread of the whole airport experience,” exacerbated by a traumatic flight some years earlier in which her seatmate, incorrectly interpreting the plane’s post-takeoff noises as systemic engine failure, rose to her feet and yelled, “We’re not going up!”

And a 28-year-old man who asked that his name not be used because he works at Buckingham Palace said that his problem was claustrophobia — he once got trapped in an elevator — but that he was committed to overcoming it. “I just don’t want to be afraid anymore,” he said.

Listening to the captain

Standing onstage in a conference room at a hotel at Heathrow and using props like slides, a plastic plane and a replica of a human ear to explain how airplanes work, Capt. Steve Allright, the B.A. pilot who led the program, provided his go-to anti-anxiety tip.

“I want you to breathe out for four seconds and then breathe in, while squeezing your largest muscles — your buttocks,” he said. “What you’re doing is taking control of your mind and your racing thoughts. Don’t sit and suffer. Breathe and squeeze.”

(Yes, Captain Allright has seen the film “Airplane!” in which Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Peter Graves play two pilots whose names — Roger Murdock and Clarence Oveur — lead to “Who’s on First”-style amusement when their colleagues bark “Roger, Roger!” and “Over, Oveur!” at them. Captain Allright knows that his name, too, sounds fictional. It is not.)

He invited the group to identify its specific worries. “How many of you have not flown for more than 20 years, or never flown?” he asked. “How many are regular business travelers, and it’s getting worse? Mums and dads who had children and it suddenly made them aware of their own mortality?”

He peered into the crowd. “Who doesn’t like the takeoff?” he added. “Who doesn’t like the landing and — everyone’s favorite — who doesn’t like the turbulence?”

One person raised her hand for all the categories.

Among the points made by Captain Allright and his team:

The wings of planes can’t just snap off.

The plane has sufficient stores of fuel and will not suddenly run out of gas. “Those Hollywood scenes where they’re circling around yelling that they’re going to run out of fuel and the plane is going to ‘land on fumes,’” Captain Allright said, “that’s not going to happen.”

The thing that sounds like the engines have suddenly ceased functioning after takeoff? It’s an auditory illusion created by the reduction in power after the plane becomes airborne; the plane needs more power to take off and less power when it gets into the air.

Those movies in which pilots are “wrestling with the controls and sweating profusely during turbulence” are totally fake, Captain Allright said. “Turbulence is uncomfortable but not dangerous.”

When you hear a strange beeping noise in the cabin, it is not a secret pilots’ signal meaning that “we have an emergency, but don’t tell the passengers.” In fact, “all airplanes make different noises,” Captain Allright said, and what you’re hearing could well be something like the “barking dog noise” that people say they hear on some Airbus jets, attributable to the planes’ hydraulics.

No pilot would ever unlock the cockpit door and let in a bunch of hijackers, even if the hijackers were threatening to kill the flight attendant with whom the pilot was having an affair, as in the TV series “Hijack,” starring Idris Elba.

The presentation seemed to allay some of the passengers’ fears. Charlotte Wheeler, an agricultural company executive still spooked by a childhood in which her acutely phobic mother would drink to excess and become obstreperous and hysterical on flights, said she appreciated Captain Allright’s willingness to journey through the weeds of her apprehension.

“That whole ‘wings not snapping off’ thing was amazing,” she said. “And I appreciated what he said about the fuel not running out.”

Ms. Corrigan, the lecturer, said she was particularly soothed by Captain Allright’s discussion of “the bit where they’ve just taken off and you don’t think it’s going to make it.”

B.A. 9240 is boarding

The hard-news presentation was followed by a segment on fear, anxiety reduction and relaxation led by a psychologist, Dr. Jan Smith. But, eventually, it was time to get on the plane, minus several unnerved people who left during the lunch break and never came back. Divided into small groups, each led by a B.A. employee in a high-visibility orange vest, the remaining passengers moved tentatively through the airport terminal. The boarding passes listed the destination as “Fictitious Point,” because the plane was both departing from and returning to Heathrow.

There was a brief setback. The first passengers boarded, only to find that they had to get off because an unspecified glitch had failed to register their existence when they scanned their boarding passes.

“This is not good,” one passenger said.

“Is this part of the course?” said another. “I have a fear of stampedes.”

Several people fretted by the door and failed to board the plane. One woman successfully got on but quickly got off, sobbing. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Everyone else took their seats: 120 customers intermingled with about 20 B.A. personnel, pilots and psychologists whose job was to provide emotional and occasionally physical support at this most delicate part of the day. People were hyperventilating, reciting inspirational mantras, folding into themselves and, in several cases, openly crying. A woman in the front row cranked up her headphones and tried to distract herself with the Lee Child thriller “No Plan B.”

“I really, really don’t like being up in the air,” she said.

The plane took off and the power surged on and then ratcheted down, as Captain Allright had explained. The collective anxiety level rose to 11. “Everything’s normal,” he said. “The speed is stable. The pilots are happy and relaxed. This would be a good time to do your breathing and squeezing.”

The plane flew around for a bit as he talked through the sights and sounds — the Millennium Dome, Gatwick Airport, the London Eye, the wing flaps, a little chirping noise signifying that autopilot had been switched off.

“That means that Nigel’s now controlling the aircraft manually,” Captain Allright said, referring to the pilot, Capt. Nigel Willing, who was at the controls and who, yes, has another name that sounds like he’s a character in a movie. “It’s perfectly normal. Let’s all make a conscious decision to squeeze our buttocks.”

As the plane began its descent, some of the passengers, genuinely amazed that they had made it this far, took proof-of-flight photos out the window.

“I’m just glad I didn’t throw up,” the “No Plan B” reader said. “I could really use a cigarette.”

The plane came to a stop and Idris Guest, an IT worker who had not been in the air since a horrific 2016 experience involving turbulence and a flight attendant with a bleeding head wound, pronounced himself if not cured, then at least not in a fetal position.

He vowed to fly again. “I’m on a massive high,” he said.

“Everything’s normal,” Captain Allright said. “Give yourself a round of applause, people.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Read by Sarah Lyall

Audio produced by Sarah Diamond .

Sarah Lyall is a writer at large for The Times, writing news, features and analysis across a wide range of sections. More about Sarah Lyall

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