20 tips to improve your air travel experience

We all have seat preferences. Rather than holding your breath before a flight to see if you landed the seat of your choice, select it ahead of time to ensure you’re sitting where you want. This is especially important when you’re flying with other people. 

There are certain times when our luggage has to be away from us, like once it’s checked or during the flight. To make it easier to retrieve your luggage, purchase some that are easily identifiable, whether by its print or a unique feature. 

If you have to check a bag, be sure to weigh it before you go to the airport. You can use a scale at home or purchase a special device that weighs luggage. It’ll help you avoid extra costs for overweight bags and allow you to rearrange your luggage in a more relaxed setting. 

One of the worst parts of traveling by air is having such a constraint on how much you can bring with you. Make the most of your space by using packing cubes. They somehow magically make more than you’d expect to fit inside your suitcase. 

TSA is more than likely going to ask you to take the liquids out of your bag. Make the ordeal easier by just packing them at the top of your bag. That way, you won’t have to dig for them. You can grab them and plop them in a tray.

If feasible, only pack a carry-on item. You won’t have to deal with checking a bag or wait for one at the end of your trip. You’ll also avoid the anxiety of wondering whether your bag made it with you to your final destination. 

If you have to check a bag, only pack items in it that can be replaced when you arrive at your destination, like clothes and shoes. Keep essentials in your carry-on, like your chargers, medications, toiletries, and anything else you need for your trip. 

Be a savvy traveler and make the most of your personal item. As long as you can squeeze your personal item underneath the seat in front of you, you can take it on the plane. Use one that’s got plenty of space inside for essential items and devices to make your flight more enjoyable. 

Traveling well is all about strategy. Keep essential items — your wallet, passport, pen, etc. — in a belt bag and wear the belt bag around your chest. It’ll be easy for you to access these items, and they’ll be much safer against thieves. 

You don’t want to spend more time than you have to in an airport, so, if possible, travel on low-traffic days. Wednesdays are one of the best days for air travel, while the weekends are the worst. Everything will go much quicker when there are fewer people in the airport. 

The earlier your flight, the quicker things will go, too. If you book an early flight, you’ll get through security faster, get to your gate sooner, and have more time in the airport to prepare for your flight. 

If you can afford to and it’s an option, upgrade your seats, especially on a longer flight. You’ll have more space and better service. On certain short flights, it might not be worth the money to upgrade your flight, but most of the time, you’ll be glad you did. 

If you have a long layover, consider purchasing a lounge pass. You’ll have access to a private room where there’s food and space to veg out. Many airlines offer temporary passes to their lounges — just check with the employees.  

Security can be a nightmare, especially at a major airport. Skip the lines and avoid all the hoops by getting a security pre-check. There are multiple routes you can take for a security pre-check, so choose which one is most feasible for you. 

The more you fly with one airline, the better your experience will become. You’ll accrue points and be able to garner certain perks for free. If you don’t travel that often, this won’t make a huge difference. But if you’re a frequent flyer, you’ll want to stick with one airline. 

Be sure to download the mobile app for the airline you’re flying with. It’ll make your experience much smoother and offer you pertinent information more quickly than the airline staff can, like potential delays and gate changes. 

There aren’t nearly as many amenities at a regional airport as there are at an international airport, but regional airports will give you way fewer headaches. Security will be way quicker, and you won’t have to walk nearly as far to make it to your gate. 

Almost everyone needs something to do during their flight. If whatever you want to watch or listen to requires the internet to access it, download it ahead of time so you’re able to utilize it while your device is on airplane mode. 

TSA isn’t going to let you bring a gallon of juice from home onto your flight, but you can bring snacks. If you get hungry during flights or want to save money on airport food, pack a few snacks. 

Be sure to bring a reusable water bottle to the airport, too. Don’t fill it, of course. TSA will make you dump out your liquids. But have it with you so you can refill it whenever necessary, and you don’t have to pay ungodly amounts on airport water bottles.