Traveling doesn’t have to be painful

Traveling can either be fun and exciting or a true pain for some. But following some of these useful tips from airline employees can prove useful the next time you have to fly.

• Save space in your suitcase – It is no secret that there are various ways to fold and pack to make more room. But when you can make more room, you are able to carry more or be able to bring back those extra goodies on your next trip.
• Get a cheaper upgrade – We all love a good deal. And we all love the opportunity to be upgraded – especially when we fly. While it is not an exact science and not every airline will do it, you may be lucky if you show up to the gate early and are there when they announce the opportunity to upgrade. These day-of-upgrades don’t always happen but if you are able to take advantage of it, go for it!
• Don’t miss out on being upgraded to first-class – the illustrious first-class is something many of us strive for when we travel but can’t always afford it. There may be instances when you are getting ready to fly where you can get an upgrade. If you are able to upgrade reasonably to first-class – take advantage of it.
• Iron your clothes faster – While not everyone is on board with this, one hack to ironing your clothes quickly and on the go is by using a flat iron.
• Get help when you need it – Let’s face it, things happen when we travel. And it is not always good things that happen. But if something goes wrong – get help! Be kind and courteous about it. Being sweet and understanding will get you much farther than being rude and demanding.
• Earn free perks – Not everyone might be able to do this, however, if you can, join an airline credit card. It helps earn more points and can give you access to more perks than a standard ticket would.
• Get your luggage first – You might be wondering how does that work? Well, if you check your bag at the last minute, you are more than likely going to have your bag offloaded to baggage claim first. Think of it like this: last one on, first one off.
• Got more attention from your flight attendant – some people think that sitting at the front of the plane is a better idea. However, your flight attendant may not be as attentive if you are upfront as opposed to the back. The further you are from the flight attendant station on the plane, the further they have to go to assist you.
• Get an extra vacation day for free – Once again that four-letter word we all love has come up. There will be times when airlines look for volunteers to take another flight. And when that happens there is always going to be some kind of compensation. Take advantage of it if you can. Compensation can include travel certificates, meal vouchers, and hotel stays.
• Are you sick? Maybe you should sit this one out – While this should be a given, some people like to power through and still travel. If you are sick, avoid traveling, you would be surprised but flying can damage your hearing if you have a cold.
• Save your money. Don’t by water at the airport – instead, bring a water bottle that can easily be filled up after going through security.
• Avoid delays – the general rule is that later flights are more prone to being delayed than early morning flights.
• Get free stuff by doing something nice for the airline staff. Something as simple as a piece of chocolate and a thank you can make a big impact on how you are taken care of.

For more tips and tricks from airline workers, feel free to check out the full list here: https://bit.ly/2QXwCfk