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Everyone seems to have their own travel horror story. There’s the friend who was caught in an airport during a huge storm, and ended up sleeping on a bench with only their carry-on bag for a pillow. The family whose first flight was delayed so long they missed their connection, and who got stuck in wintry Chicago with luggage full of the beach clothes they packed for vacation. The business traveler who couldn’t close a deal because they missed a meeting after their plane was grounded due to a mysterious “technical malfunction”.
These tales of travel issues can have even the most seasoned traveler quaking in their boots. Luckily, bright minds have done deep thinking about how to get around some of the travel challenges that plague the modern traveler. Here are a few tips that can help prevent your worst travel nightmares from coming to life:
- The early bird catches the worm
Getting up at 4am to catch an early flight may not be your idea of a good time, but a recent study shows that the earlier you fly, the less likely it is that your flight will be delayed. This has a lot to do with the fact that planes make multiple trips in a day – so if a plane is delayed on its first trip, that delay often impacts other flights it is scheduled to make on the same day.
Image source: Flickr
- Patience is a virtue
Airlines are increasingly clever about charging you for the travel extras. Fewer airlines offer food, baggage fees are climbing, and even choosing a seat ahead of time can cost you. Some of these issues are avoidable – on domestic flights, you can easily bring food from home, and traveling carry-on gets you out of baggage fees (with most airlines). However, the seat selection fee is a little trickier. A couple savvy researchers found that if you are willing to wait on a guaranteed seat placement, your patience can pay off. This happens because most travelers are not willing to pay the pricey fees for seats towards the front of the plane. If you hold off on choosing a seat, you have a better chance of being placed in the more roomy seats – and you won’t have to pay the extra fees, because you didn’t technically “want” the extra legroom. This is no guarantee of a better seat, but if you want to save on flight fees it might be your best bet.
Image source: Ali’s Adventures
- The best travel health tip ever
Ok, so maybe this one isn’t any big secret. But one key component to every travel experience is staying hydrated. Water is good for your body all the time, but when you’re in a car, train, bus or plane, you can get dehydrated more easily because of a lack of moisture in the air. Staying hydrated might not keep you from getting stuck in traffic, but it will keep your brain and body prepared to deal with stressors as they come up.
Image source: Misadventures with Andi
Have any foolproof tips to get around travel challenges? Share them with us in the comment section. Gaba Travel agents can take the hassle out of travel planning – contact us to help make your next trip even smoother.
Sources: airfarewatchdog.com, business.time.com,
decisionsciencenews.com, latimes.com, vox.com
