It’s that time of year again. When the lineups are long, the TSA security check lines are rife with cranky passengers and the winter weather wreaks havoc on travel schedules everywhere…yes it’s holiday travel time! Yay! Fear not! Here a few handy travel tips and apps that can help alleviate your travel stress this holiday season.
-Stay organized: TripIt is a free app that organizes all of the details of your trip (from car rentals to flights) in one concise itinerary.
-Kill Time: If your flights do get delayed use GateGuru, an app that tracks flights and has information on airport amenities.
-Stay for cheap: For long unexpected layovers, the Hotels Tonight app will help you find a last minute discounted place to stay.
-Give yourself enough time: Arrive early at the airport. Check in online before you head to the airport and print your boarding passes at home.
-Dress smart: Pack your keys, coins, belts etc. so you’re not dragging all your metallic goodies through airport security.
-Don’t Christmas wrap gifts: Security officers may have to unwrap gifts to inspect them. Save time and paper by not wrapping them until you arrive at your destination.
-Pack a survival kit: we’re talking snacks, empty water bottle filled once you go through airport security, portable devices with lots of entertainment on them, Bose noise cancelling head phones, books, magazines, crossword puzzles whatever keeps you entertained during flight delays, layovers.
-Stay productive in the air: Access to wifi in the sky is a growing trend. There are more and more connected planes these days so take advantage of this time to get some stuff done. Gogo – which is one of the leading providers of inflight internet service – has more than 2,000 connected aircrafts. This is a great service for travelers who want to stay productive as they fly. They can research their destination, shop for those last minute Christmas gifts and stay connected with friends and family at 10,000 feet. Check out this cool app called Glympse. It allows you to send your friends and family a Glympse of where you are in your flight and when your flight might be arriving. This is helpful during the holidays when you are meeting friends and family at the airport.
-Embrace the Zen. Stress has a lot to do with attitude so be fluid and remember “life is water.”
Have a safe and happy flight this holiday season!
