Lessons from well-prepared travelers

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The well-prepared traveler
Hello fellow flyers!

I have to fly out of Albuquerque, 90 minutes from my town. So, if I have a 6:00 a.m. flight, I take the shuttle the previous evening, stay at an inexpensive hotel which has a shuttle to the airport. This saves me cost of gas and parking (cost of shuttle and hotel costs less than if I drove myself.

From Albuquerque, I avoid travelling through Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and instead usually go via Phoenix or Dallas-Ft. Worth. I pack a suitcase, and then empty the contents into cardboard boxes and ship them UPS to my U.S.A. destination. ... Yes, it costs $$$, but I don't have to wait in any lines, deal with lost bags or heavy carry-ons or deal with tiny bottles of cosmetics and the like in that 1 quart bag routine.

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... I pack a leather backpack with blanket, neck pillow, pills, camera, something to read, sleeping mask and headphones; Purel, mouth mask: I take a decongestant before boarding to avoid ear problems; I start taking mega-doses of Vitamin C and Airborne two to three days before flight; I always get a flu shot. I pack several protein bars and almonds. Once through security I buy two bottles of water and/or juice ... just in case the plane gets stuck on the runway for hours at a time. Sometimes I toss in a deck of cards, crossword book, etc. just to keep me from getting frustrated waiting for the plane to take off. (If you meditate/pray, this is a great way to use the wait time.) On overseas flights I take a sleeping pill once on board so I get to my destination rested.

I run my boarding pass via computer. Email friends and family with itinerary; email sisters/brothers with any updates to my will/estate plans; with all account numbers, etc.

I don't like to cancel mail or papers; I can usually get a friend to pick those up. I don't schedule any deliveries during the time I will be away.

Since my house has been robbed twice, I have double security systems, timed indoor and outdoor lights. I don't tell hairdresser, nail tech, etc that I will be gone. I board the pets so no one has to enter my house to take care of them. When I had plants, I'd put them in the bathtub with lots of water in the tub. I never lost a plant, even when I was gone for two or three weeks at a time.

I take valuables to the safety deposit box including all checks, credit cards, etc., that I will not use on the trip. Of course, I keep my home insurance up to date; photos of inside and outside of house to the insurance guy and a second copy into safety deposit box. I don't leave any cash in the house nor passport or Social Security card. ...

I don't have young children to travel with, so I can't give hints re kids.

Hope this helps you.
— Justice McCormick, Espanola, N.M.

Pick your hub carefully
My husband and I live in Honolulu since he is stationed here with the Army. We're from Virginia and are heading home for Christmas with a 7-month-old baby.

We chose our flights carefully and steered away from Chicago (possible weather delays) and all New York/New Jersey airports (constant delays). There was no way we were getting stuck in an airport with a baby!

Instead we got a round trip flight from Honolulu to Vegas with a stop over for 2 nights and a round trip flight from Vegas to Virginia. We're also travelling the week before Christmas so we don't get stuck in the thick of the holiday rush.

We travel a lot and try to always book our flights in the middle of the week since it's cheaper and (supposedly) not as crowded.

As for living in Honolulu, I take the bus to work and we don't try to go anywhere during rush hour.
— Stephanie Malon, Honolulu

Add a few days to holiday trips
When I need to travel on holidays, I try to book nonstop flights, leaving early in the morning to minimize the chance of a flight delay.

I also try to avoid the hub airports, if possible, and make bookings to alternate airports instead of the major ones, flying into Providence or Hartford instead of Boston, for example.

Otherwise, I try to leave a few days before and return a few days after a holiday. Being retired makes this possible for me.
— Lee Graves, Houston

Take the train if possible
Avoiding bottlenecks:
1) Take AMTRAK whenever possible.
2) Drive "blue highways" and avoid the most heavily traveled Interstates.
— Jim Whipple, Pittsburgh

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