Whether you're a frequent flyer or travel once in a blue moon, getting through the airport can be stressful - even for the savviest of sun-seekers! That's why we've rounded up the top 8 travel hacks to help make your experience as smooth and satisfying as possible, starting from the moment you leave for the airport.
We've got plenty more travel hacks up our sleeve, find out the top ways to have a cheap holiday and have even more to spend on fun in the sun...
CATCH A QUICKER COMMUTE
Ditch the 4am party-cab and find a quicker commute to reach the airport
in time. Trains are usually a faster and less expensive mode of
transport, which will also spare you the serpentine traffic at rush hour
and the anxiety of missing a flight. Be sure to check-in online
(especially if you're not checking in bags) as this will save you heaps
of time once you reach the airport and you won't have to worry about
scrambling for a spare seat!
PICTURE WHERE YOU PARK
The excitement of reaching the airport can often leave us in a bit of a
frenzy - all that matters is getting on that flight! If you're driving
to the airport, you can make life a little easier for you upon return by
taking a picture of where you've parked before legging it to duty-free.
Google Maps can be a great help with this, now allowing you to save and
pin your parking location - no more parading around for hours after you
land!
FORGET YOUR TROUBLES & GET APPY
There are bundles of travel apps out there that let you plan your holiday down to a tee, including our own NusaPedia Travel App, naturally. But if you're searching for a couple of pre-airport helpers to take care of things while you're waiting to board, NusaPedia Convex and NusaPedia Priority are
good choices. You can check your seat configuration, look out for extra
legroom and even request a seat close to a charging socket before you
fly - plus you can discover what amenities are available in each of the
terminals in advance, too. Doing your research means you can take
relaxation to the max!
Finding the most affordable flight and hotel, while making sure you’ll have plenty of spending cash during your trip, can be a little tough. Check out these travel booking apps to be a master planner. You’ll also need some directions, once you’ve arrived, to make sure you get to your hotel and see everything that you want to see.
Finding the most affordable flight and hotel, while making sure you’ll have plenty of spending cash during your trip, can be a little tough. Check out these travel booking apps to be a master planner. You’ll also need some directions, once you’ve arrived, to make sure you get to your hotel and see everything that you want to see.
CHOOSE RED-EYE FLIGHTS
Red-eye flights, named for the potentially eye-reddening effects of a
sleepless night in the skies, offer a way to get to an eastbound locale
without losing many daytime or business hours. Since flights typically
aren't labeled "red-eye" on airline websites, finding them is simply a
matter of searching for late outbound flights.
Booking an overnight flight is beneficial for a variety of reasons, especially if you're jetting off on a luxurious long-haul holiday. Besides scheduling in an extra snooze, travelling at night means you'll avoid rush hour en-route to the airport, experience shorter queues during check-in, have a larger variety of cheap seats to choose from and save on holiday expenses too, by cutting down the number of overnight stays in your hotel. Want to sleep, save and have a stress-free start to your holiday? Take the Red-eye.
Booking an overnight flight is beneficial for a variety of reasons, especially if you're jetting off on a luxurious long-haul holiday. Besides scheduling in an extra snooze, travelling at night means you'll avoid rush hour en-route to the airport, experience shorter queues during check-in, have a larger variety of cheap seats to choose from and save on holiday expenses too, by cutting down the number of overnight stays in your hotel. Want to sleep, save and have a stress-free start to your holiday? Take the Red-eye.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE AIRPORT LOUNGE
If
you travel frequently, your accumulated airmiles can get you entry into
the airport VIP lounge - complete with plush seats, complimentary
snacks and drinks, TVs and more. Most of the lounges will let you buy a
day pass, which is great if you're travelling with family as you can
herd the tiny tots into a private area to play. It's also possible to
pay for VIP lounge entry (which will set you back around £25pp) so you
can enjoy an indulgent airport stay without splashing the cash - the
snacks alone will save you money on grabbing a bite in a restaurant
before you board!
STASH EXTRA LUGGAGE IN YOUR SHOPPING BAG
It's
safe to say we've all witnessed an overfilled suitcase or two while
standing in line at check-in, the embarassed owner awkwardly layering up
on extra jumpers - am I right? If you've purchased something from
duty-free, the trick of the trade is to sneak some of your bulky
suitcase contents (within reason) into the shopping bags. Since you're
allowed to board with the shopping bags you've accumulated after
security, you'll stroll through without paying for an extra carry-on -
plus you'll save face in front of thousands!
SAVE GOOGLE MAPS OFFLINE
It's
a neat idea to have a map of your destination handy for when you land,
as you can't always guarantee your transfer vehicle will know where
you're heading. Before you fly, look up a map of the area and save it
offline for future use. You can do so by typing "OK maps" and the map
you see visible onscreen will be saved for offline use. If you've
decided on a few things you want to see and do while you're away, do the
research before and it will save any unwanted data roaming charges you
may recieve while navigating from one destination to the next!
BYOB
Bring
your own, bites. Airport food can be costly and if you've got a
particularly long wait before you board, keeping hunger at bay can be
difficult. Wet foods are a strict no-no on an aircraft, but nothing
prevents you from bringing nuts, biscuits and candy bars to munch during
a delayed flight or a long stopover. Similarly, it's worth carrying an
empty bottle with you and filling it up once you're through security
checks. Better still, if you wanted to carry fruit juices or any other
liquids with you that exceed the limit, simply freeze them and pop then
in your hand luggage.
