5 Things Only Frequent Travelers Will Understand

Ask anyone online for advice on how to overcome your doldrums, and they’ll say: “Why don’t you take a trip?” It seems that now, more than ever, people are using travel as self-medication. A survey of social media shows that travel has done wonders to improve their public image and their self-esteem with it.

  Many of these Instagram photos don’t include in the difficulties of achieving those ventures. Your cousin’s photos of their summertime Atlanta real estate are impressive, but they leave out the multiple flights from California to Georgia. Rather than the usual “traveling hacks” populating your news feed, this article is going to fill you in on five things only frequent travelers understand.

Booking

  Booking websites serve as middlemen between you and the airline, aggregating the best possible prices. Their prices can vary based on your current region.

  Don’t book one round trip flight. Instead, book two one way flights to and from your destination. Sometimes you can get the best deals by booking straight through the line of your choice.

Documents

  Losing your passport during an overseas flight would be devastating. As would losing your credit cards, itinerary confirmations, and other important documents.

  The first thing to do before leaving, besides packing, is to scan these documents. Make print outs for home, but also keep them on a flash drive to take with you. You can also upload them to a secure cloud storage system like OneDrive.

Security Clearance

  Getting through security is often used obstacle for people refusing to fly. The hardest part isn’t so much the procedure, but the long wait to get to it. Ignore the long lines, and look for that security agent screening the carry-ons at the monitor. If they’re working fast, then the line will move fast.

  You could also make easy on you and security agents by applying for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. All you need is a clean record and processing fees ($85 & $100) to be approved.

Cash

  You could use credit cards on your trip, but there’s less risk with cash. Big-ticket transactions with credit-such as hotel stays-need to be carefully documented so you don’t pick-up any fraudulent charges.

  Cash, on the other hand, is easier to count and can be discreetly packed away. If you travel abroad, then you may have to exchange them for Euros (excluding African and Central American nations). Keep the receipts of your currency exchanges to declare.

Food & Drink

Current flight regulations prohibit bringing liquids in excess of 3.4 ounces as a carry-on. Once you get past security, buy a big jug of water to keep you hydrated on the flight. Other drinks may be served in-flight, but in small quantities.

  The same essentially goes for food. Airlines understock on food to decrease waste. It’s wise to order a specially prepared meal (kosher or vegan, for example) ahead of your flight. Two-hour flights may not serve meals, so buy sandwiches and snacks from the airport’s food court.