Last month, I made a list of air travel hacks, and, honestly, 12 commenters came in and shared 12 brilliant little tips that I feel like more people need to see.
1. "I always take an empty Ziploc bag in my personal item. As I’m approaching the line toward TSA, I remove all items (except for cash) from my pockets, my belt, watch, etc. and place them in the Ziploc. The Ziploc goes in my personal item. This way, I am prepared at the tray table, and I only have to take off my shoes. The Ziploc makes it convenient to retrieve and replace the items on your person once you clear security."
2. "I always pack a piece of paper with my name, address, etc. and my itinerary inside my checked bag. If my luggage gets lost and my tags get detached, the airline will still have a way to reach me."
3. "I take a Thermos-type bottle with water (keeps it cool), empty it before I get through security, and then get a to-go coffee in it to take on the plane. It tastes better and is cheaper than getting coffee on the plane. Then, I use the water bottle to have cold water with me when I'm in a hot country."
4. "I use the sweater bags from the dry cleaner to pack one outfit for each day. This ensures that I never forget an important garment for an outfit, and at the end of the day, I put the dirty clothes back in the bag. It makes packing to go home soon much faster, and the dirty clothes don’t smell up my luggage. I was a frequent business traveler for over 20 years, and with this method, my clothes were always fresh and wrinkle-free. It also helped ensure that I didn’t over-pack or under-pack."
5. "If you couldn't fit a couple things and have to carry an extra bag that you haven't paid for, go through security with it first. Once you're out, buy something small from the duty free shop and fit your extra bag in one of theirs. The airline can stop you from bringing on an extra personal bag, but you can have as many duty free shopping ones as you like. I've done this for two years with no issue!"
6. "When traveling with kids, have dad take the kids and mom take the bags. Dads get more sympathy and understanding with kids than moms do."
7. "A girl I worked in travel with told me to look for my own air fares just before Christmas. Not many people buy at that time so you’re more likely to get a bargain. It works!"
—Rachel Smith, Facebook
8. "IPhones have their own built in white noise that still works through airplane mode. Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Background Sounds."
—Richard Paul, Facebook
9. "To save money on cab fare, take the free shuttle from the airport to a hotel that is nearest your final destination. Then, take Uber/taxi from there!"
—Judy Beveridge, Facebook
10. "Tie a distinct ribbon around your luggage handle. It makes it a lot easier to spot amongst all the others. Plus, it's helped us catch people trying to steal our luggage before."
11. "Budget airlines make you pay to choose your seat. We found this out by accident, but if you check in when they first open check-in 24 hours before, you'll get allocated a middle seat as these are the first to go. If you wait until the morning of the flight (or as long as you can before setting off to airport), then chances are you'll get an aisle or window seat, sometimes even the extra legroom emergency row seats. I've done this for every budget flight I have taken for the past five years."
12. Finally, "I used to work for a travel agency, and we always said, 'Tuesday is the cheapest day to buy, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly.' Always book on a Tuesday. New flight info is released on Tuesdays so it drives existing flight prices down."
—Kristina Mosiurchak, Facebook
