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5 Great Ways To Streamline Your Air Travel Experience

Capital One

By Jennifer Brunton

A terrific trip by air should be about delighting your senses with new and amazing experiences. It shouldn’t be about managing logistics. 

Tackle the details in advance, and you’ll be on your way to an enjoyable getaway that’s as hassle-free as possible.

Here are five tips to add ease to your itinerary.

Plan, plan, plan

Keeping a list of your pre-travel to-dos can be a great way to smooth your trip. Use a trip-planning app or just good old paper and a pen. 

You might want to organize your list by timeline, separating do-now, save-for-later and departure-related tasks. Or else you can organize it by categories: lodgings, travel, what to bring and so on. 

What should be on that list? 

Excellent planning can encompass a variety of factors. But the Luxury Travel Expert flags a few trip prep aspects for special consideration. 

  • Be sure to apply well in advance for necessary documents, like passports and visas. 
  • Book flights, ground transportation and accommodations as early as possible. 
  • Carefully map your itinerary.

You might also want to learn a few basic phrases in the native language of your destination. This can facilitate friendly interactions with the locals. It may also be helpful if at some point you can’t access a translation app.

Experienced travelers know that doing your research and sweating the details early frees you to have fun.

Pack thoughtfully

Keep in mind the typical weather at your destination and the activities you plan to do. Sticking to a couple complementary colors and no-wrinkle fabrics could make things easier for you. 

Put important documents and go-to toiletries in your “personal item,” where you can get to them with little effort. And stack outfits together, so you don’t need to dig around. 

If you’re going from cold to warm, you can use space-saver bags to fit bulky outer layers in your carry-on. In any case, be ready for temperature fluctuations by dressing in layers that you can take off and put on as needed. 

If you check luggage, tuck extra socks and underwear in your carry-on. Stow any liquids in a quart plastic bag, so you don’t get tripped up during the security screening process.

In a nutshell, thoughtful packing means leaving behind unnecessary items. Be strategic about those things you do bring on your journey. 

Deploy your tech options

Travelers these days can rely on a wide variety of gadgets, apps and time-savers to simplify and improve every phase of travel. 

The first of those you’ll want to use is your smartphone camera, to photograph your important documents, including your itinerary, hotel address and room number. Email those files to yourself so you’ll have a way to retrieve all that information—even if you lose your phone or your battery runs out. 

Signing up for mobile check-in and flight notifications can help you avoid missing announcements about terminal and departure gate changes. 

“Always check whether your flight has an on-time departure, in case a flight is delayed or canceled,” the Luxury Travel Expert advises. 

Using a mobile charger or smart luggage can help ensure continued access to those updates and apps. And when you see tech-charging ports between flights, consider whether you need to use them. 

Take advantage of available services

For many people, dealing with airport lines and things like connections are the most dreaded aspects of travel. But you can manage these stressors. 

Simplify check-in and fly through security and immigration lines by subscribing to one or more convenient, efficiency-boosting services. Depending on which you choose, you might tap into such luxuries as priority lines and boarding—or expedite certain security and boarding procedures. 

Book lodging and travel to and from the airport via sites that offer perks, savings and advantages. Or go old-school and use a travel agent to handle the small stuff, so you just get to enjoy. 

And consider travel insurance. Chances are you won’t need it. But it might be a lifesaver if someone gets ill or injured while abroad, or if you have to change or cancel your trip. 

Some Capital One cards include travel insurance coverage.

Be mindful about self-care 

Remembering to keep yourself and your family as well-rested and hydrated as possible may be one of the most important strategies for a pleasant trip. 

Invest in eyeshades, earplugs, a neck pillow and a reusable water bottle. With these tools packed in an accessible spot, you’ll be on top of your health game for the duration. 

Load up on filtered water at airport bottle-filling stations and sip regularly. And try to grab a snooze on any longer leg of your trip.

Next time you’ve got a special voyage on your agenda, be sure to front-load the effort by taking care of a few key elements before you go. And don’t forget to make savvy choices en route, too. 

With a little extra attention, these tips will have you traveling like a pro, pronto.

A former academic turned freelance writer and editor, Jennifer Brunton lives and works in Vermont.

Our content is not intended to provide scientific, nutritional, dietary, medical, physical fitness or financial advice. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, consider talking with a qualified professional.