Tricks of the Trade: Airport Edition

Being “Jacks of many trades,” Devin and I pick up on little things that can make life so much easier!  Whether you’re at the beach, doing your make-up or hopping on a plane, we are going to share our little secrets with you through our new segment, “Tricks of the Trade.” I came up with this the other day when I realized how fast I am at getting through the airport. So here are my 12 tips to make your airport checking/ boarding, which can be extremely stressful at times, as smooth and pleasant as possible!

1. Pack a carry-on plane bag with the essentials, socks, eye/sleep mask, lip balm, hair tie, head phones, a book, and moisturizer.
2. At home, download movies or a few episodes of our favorite series on your mobile device.
3. Weigh your bags at home to avoid opening your suitcases in front of nosy strangers!
4. You definitely need to arrive to the airport for Domestic flights 1 hour before the flight, but for International you only need to arrive 90 minutes beforehand (airlines usually suggest 2 hours).
5. When you check in, ask how many people are on the flight. If the flight is not full, kindly ask to be put in a row where no one else is sitting, so you can have it to yourself to lay down or to spoon your best friend, like Devin and I do when we are in desperate need of sleep!
6. Always check for offers and upgrades once you have arrived at the actual airport. Some airlines will offer you business class for a fraction of the price if it is available to make extra money.
7. If your bags are slightly overweight take out any jackets or clothing that you can literally wear on the plane. (I am always frustrated by airlines trying to charge you for an overweight bag, forcing you to take items out of your bag which you will technically take them on the plane anyway! This  doesn’t make sense!)
8. When you are headed to security follow the signs, not the crowds.  I have walked past so many long lines of people that just get in a line, because there is a line, but don’t realize there is an empty lane!
9. For security check in, take off your shoes, jackets, jewelry and anything out of your pockets. Remove your laptops or iPads from their cases and put them in a separate tray. This is all you need to do to avoid being yelled at by the hostile airport security staff.(Insert annoyed face emoji here)
10. Buy your own  food and healthy snacks for the plane before you board. Plane food is rarely good for you and is filled with salt, so you are sure to be bloated when you arrive at your destination if you eat it.
11. Do not be the first to board the plane. The first reason is you have an assigned seat and no one will take it, so there is no rush. Secondly, you will be on the flight for hours so walk around and stretch/ stay out of the plane as long as possible. Thirdly, if you are worried about room for over head baggage, relax! If there is no room left when you board, the cabin will check your bag for free! Lastly if you wait for “final call” at the gate and are one of the last persons to board the flight you can see what seats are free and sit wherever you like, even before take off!

Some of these tips might be new to you and some might be obvious, but trust me if you follow these tips you will have a stress free trip to what we hope is a tropical paradise ; )

More to come soon and if you want to suggest a “Tricks of the Trade” article tweet us @abikiniaday