Avoid Hassles at the Airport

With greater discounts and incentives being used to entice more people into travel coupled with delays and fewer and fewer flight options, airport travel has never been more stressful. Here is a list of some common sense tips and maybe a few things you didn't know to ensure your trip goes smoothly.

Shopping for Discounts

Travel Zoo is a really great resource to not only find last minute deals, but last-minute hotel, air or cruise packages. When using discount web sites, always make sure you understand the terms before pressing the "accept" button. Items to look out for, include refunds and cancellation fees. Some sites like Travelocity may offer some steep discounts, but you can't alter your plans once you've booked the trip. Also check to see what the policy is if a flight is cancelled.

Suggested sites:

www.travelzoo.com

www.lastminutefarefinder.com

www.airfarewatchdog.com

Fly Nonstop

While this isn't always an option, if you can, try to get a nonstop flight to wherever your destination is.

The more stops you encounter to get to your location, the greater chances you have of either your flight being canceled, you being bumped from a flight or difficulties with your luggage.

While some people say, it's safe to fly out of a major airport because you'll have greater number of flight options if your flight is delayed, a lot of the smaller airports (like Ontario and Long Beach), are the ones that are offering the direct flights (not to mention less stress and traffic because they are smaller).

If you do have to book a flight that has connections, make sure to book with the same carrier or company. If the connecting flight is delayed or missed, it makes the resolution a lot easier if you are dealing with one company.

Suggested site:

www.ifly.com

Online Check-In

If you haven't already discovered the joys of online check-in, look into it. It saves you a lot of time, because you can do it 24 hours in advance of your flight. Mind you, this isn't an excuse to show up at an airport 30 minutes before your flight though (as a side note, carriers like Jet Blue stop checking people in 30 minutes before take off).

The only downside is that if you book through a discounter, such as Travelocity or Expedia, you sometimes don't get the necessary confirmation number needed to do the online check in, so keep that in mind. In that case, you would have to go about the normal routine check-in.

Going Global

If you are leaving the country, always make sure that you're passport is up to date.

New rules require citizens to be carrying a passport when traveling to Mexico or Canada (this rule goes into effect in the summer). So, now would be the time to get a passport if you are doing summer travel because the passport process can be a lengthy one.

Suggested site:

www.travel.state.gov

Parking

Parking can be a nightmare, especially if you are already running late. There are web sites that will allow you to make reservations so that you are guaranteed a spot, but the service is only available at major airports.

If you don't want to reserve a space, or don't have the option, make sure you understand the parking situation and the various lots that you have the option of parking at. Also, if you want to save money, the remote parking lots are always cheaper, and the airport will usually offer shuttle service from the lot to the airport (you just want to make sure you allow yourself that extra transport time).

Seating

The seating situation is annoying. While some people don't care if they're not sitting with the rest of their party on a short flight, in some cases it does matter. Oftentimes, if you check-in early, you obviously are assigned a seat, or (in the case of Southwest) assigned a boarding number that indicates at what point you will be allowed to board the plane and find a seat. There's nothing more annoying than being sandwiched in-between two complete strangers, one constantly sniffling and the other nodding off and onto your shoulder - even if it is for an hour.

Suggested sites:

www.seatguru.com

www.seatexpert.com

Payment

Always pay with a credit card, which is usually the standard option anyways. If you are not provided with the services you charged on your card, you will be refunded the charge by the card company.

Checking In

Don't play dumb when you go up to check-in your baggage. If your luggage is exploding with junk you just bought on your vacation and it obviously can't close, then don't get into the check-in line until you've decided how to close your luggage. We've all seen the jerk that holds up the check-in line because he/she has an overstuffed suitcase.

Additionally, the acceptable weight of luggage being checked in is 50 pounds. Any more than that and you will most likely have to pay a fee.

Also, make sure you educate yourself of the additional costs charged by some carriers for an extra bag or for the first bag in some cases. If you're traveling on a budget to begin with, you'll obviously want to keep know of this additional cost.

Bright, bright, bright

The majority of people traveling do so with black luggage making it a real task to have to decipher a suitcase from the sea of other black bags going around the carousel. It may not be chic, but it's definitely smart to get luggage that's loud (say, canary yellow or fire engine red or anything else distinct). It makes the baggage claims visit much more efficient. And if you're married to your black luggage, tie the handle with something distinct (like a thick piece of colorful ribbon).

Additionally, never put anything of value in your luggage and always label your bags and keep information about your luggage (brand, or any other identifiers) should it come up missing.

Suggested site:

www.delsey.com

Paperwork

Always make sure that you have your travel plans and other necessary paperwork with you. Don't leave it in your suitcase. What good will it be if you need to refer to it in order to board the right plane? If you booked an entire flight/car/hotel package, you definitely want to print out your itinerary, package confirmation and important phone numbers should anything go wrong.