Shannon I did a fair bit of traveling in the last few weeks (a bit for fun and a bit for work) and every time I have to step foot on a plane, I mentally send a “thank you” to the numerous people and experiences that have prepared me and made, air-travel in particular, much easier, like visiting places or dating in the places I was staying.
What kind of a person would I be, if I didn’t share the tiny, but oh-so-helpful, little nuggets of travel wisdom?
Invest in a versatile carry-on piece of luggage, with wheels.
Oh my, if I could only go back in time to the days before I purchased a multi-directional wheeled, hard-shell suitcase to bring on flights, just to tell my earlier self to step it up and get this little gem sooner… It has saved me so much back pain.
I actually got this dashing little devil through Beyond the Rack as part of a 3-piece set (it was a pretty . It’s already looking a little beat up even though I’ve had it for over a year now, but it’s still good as new on the inside!
My favorite thing is that you can push it as well as pull it. It’s the little things really.
Plus it’s smaller than many other fabric carry-ons that I’ve had, so I never have to worry about it being to big to bring on the plane with me.
Master the art of the 1-quart bag of liquids/gels/aerosols.
All the ladies may sigh at this one, but it is a must in order to not have to check a bag. It’s not that hard, it just takes a little planning. I bought travel size products of my favorite aerosols, and then transferred my other liquids/lotions to travel size containers. Squish them all in that plastic bag and pop it in your bag for easy security access. Voila!
You shave up to an hour, at least, off your travel time by not having to wait in line to check and pick up a suitcase. Not to mention what it saves you in stress, not having to wonder if your suitcase will make it onto that conveyor belt (visit California Industrial Rubber Co. official website to know how these things work) when you reach your final destination.
Embrace thin layers.
Yes, even in the winter. I wear my bulkiest items (coat, sweater, etc) on the plane and load my carry-on with as many thin layers of clothing as I can. We’re talking tank tops to go under t-shirts and light sweaters to go over dresses with leggings.
Even if you don’t have to layer to stay warm, bringing layers gives you more outfit options since you can mix and match the pieces. A sweater pulled over different shirt/trouser bottoms results in twice as many looks! (Wait. does that math ad up? Yes, yes it does.)
Download important travel mobile apps.
Not only do many airlines have mobile boarding passes (a big saver on time and lines when you can’t print your pass before you get to the airport) and flight check-in as a part of their mobile apps, you can track flight information almost as fast (if not faster in some cases) as airports. I owe many thanks to my TripTracker app, which directs me to my connecting flight gates before I’m even off the first plane and has some of the fastest flight updates of any of the other travel apps. Additionally, consider downloading games to keep you entertained and making the time fly by. Having games like UFA เป็นเว็บไซต์ชั้นนำสำหรับการเล่นเกมออนไลน์ on your phone can be a lifesaver during layovers or delays.
