Tips for a Better Flight

This article is meant to give you tips on how to ease your way in airports, in flight and on the ground. It's meant to help you keep your cool when everything is going to hell around you.

Let me be the first to admit that I've been guilty of becoming the 'ugly passenger'. Like, last evening when at midnight, in the pouring rain, in order to avoid the very long taxi line, a Chinese couple hijacked my limo at LaGuardia airport . The driver explained they just said 'yes' to all of his questions and did not really understand him.

No, I did not keep my cool with them or the driver. But I did get a good chuckle later when I realized they understood every word I screamed at them, in English!

This is why the driver must absolutely, without question meet you at baggage claim with a sign in hand, with your name on it. Every time I do it a different way it always causes trouble.

Always book your car for the return flight before you leave on the trip. You will forget to do it by the time you are returning and if you did not program the car service phone number into your phone, along with the account number you will be ------ out of luck and standing in a taxi line.

Always take with you a type written address of the hotel you are staying at. You will avoid misunderstandings with taxi drivers due to language barriers, accents,and poor handwriting.

keep the hotel phone number handy as they can give directions if you need them.

Keep your confirmation number on hand when you check in to prove you really do have a room to the 18 year old at the desk at midnight when you arrive. Based on where you are staying make sure to look for your free breakfast coupons in your key folder when you arrive.

At the airport I always like to leave the night before rather than the morning of since the security lines are shorter.
You will need about 25,000 miles on your airline membership before you can get 'priority access' and use the first class lanes at security and in the boarding process.

Be sure to pack light, keep your tubes and shampoos to less than 3.0 oz bottles. Put all tubes and creams in a clear zip bag before you leave the house.

These go in the tray along with your jewelry. Your laptop goes by itself in a tray. Take off your coat and shoes.
Some airports want shoes on the conveyor, some don't mind them in the bin.

Keep your boarding pass handy to show when you walk through the metal detector.

Once you are through please move your stuff to the very end of the table before you put your shoes on.

If you can choose your seat on line and print your boarding pass before going to the airport you will be in better shape.

If you have priority access then your seat selection won't matter. If you have checked all your bags try to pick a seat in the front of the plane so you can get off faster.

If you have a carry on then you'll want to choose a seat in the back of the plane. They board by group number. If you are group #1 you will definitely get overhead space for your bag. If you are in the front of the plane and it is fully booked you may end up having to check your bag since the space fills up fast.

Late night flights the back is nice because its usually empty. I happen to like it back there very much.

I hope these tips can help you in your travels. Be Safe!