Unlike what many travel blogs, magazines and popular opinion have to say about travelling, in reality travelling is never always a fun and exciting experience. Everyone always manage to keep out the long waits, the gruelling security checks, the overpriced sandwiches; somehow there are no glossy pictures about the other side of the story. Ask a frequent flyer and he/she will tell you that for travelling you need to arm yourself with a list of frequent flying tips that will keep you calm and relaxed along the way. FYI, here are a few,
Travel documents
One of the crucial things to keep in mind when travelling is that your documents are the most important. Making a backup of your documents on a pen drive is a great idea or has it stored in an accessible place. Make copies of your passport, visa, other travel documents, along with that it’s also handy to keep a list of important addresses, phone numbers that might come in use in the new place. In fact as soon as you get your boarding ticket, it’s a good idea to click a picture and save a screen shot, you never know when you may need it.
Second passport
Passports are important, and if you have any problem with it, chances are you will be stuck for a while. The problem is that passports can take a while to process as well, unless you have a reliable passport service agency, which can give you quick and reliable service.
Upgrade please
Ask and you shall receive, is the best way to put it. If you want an upgrade ask for it. More times than not, the economy class is packed, while the business and the first-class go without filling a few seats. So be open for an upgrade. A soon as you see it on your screen when you are booking a ticket, say yes to it, and when you are at the check in desk, don’t shy away from asking, keep in mind it always helps to be a little polite and it doesn’t hurt to be charming. It also helps if you have a good reason like being tall, pregnancy, on a honeymoon or anniversary or birthday. But remember to ask.
Booking flights from elsewhere
Did you know that prices also change when you change the country of origin? If you think that pricing of tickets are the same everywhere you are terribly mistaken? This will require you to have a few tricks up your sleeve, but basically flight fares change when you are booking from a country that the airline is trying to get into, offering a competitive price. You will have to keep in mind that the price will be offered in the different currency, so make sure you do the math right.
Don’t be shy to try something new
It can be a new airline or an unfriendly hour; you can save on more than a few pounds by just shifting your time of travel or date of travel by a few days. Sometimes taking indirect routes are great money savers. If you are up for it, flights with stopovers can not only save you a few hundred pounds but can also be a fun way to explore new cities.
Loopholes
Every industry has loopholes and when it comes to the airline bureaucracy there is a catharsis that comes with finding a way to beat them at their own game. This is somewhat of a serious hobby for some people, who go to an extent of tracking ticket anomalies and putting codes to get cheaper fares and posting them online. So keep on the lookout for such sites, which post codes.
Browser cookies
Air fares and the internet are a tricky combination and it is true what they say about dynamic pricing. But no matter how much you refresh your computer the ticket fare is not going to change. Some people try to evade it by using the incognito window, but the way to combat it, is by clearing your cookies.
Carrying a duffle bag
There is nothing permanent in the airline industry and keeping up to date with what should be in and what should be out is important if you want to save yourself the trouble of any grievances along the way.
The latest addition to the restrictions while packing is the size of your carry-on luggage. Forget the cumbersomely rigid bags that you could trolley into the aircraft, now with the varying sizes of overhead cabins its best to take a malleable bag which can morph into any size to fit.
Parking slot
Car parking can be a major hurdle at airports. Airports see a huge amount of traffic and don’t get started on the race to find a parking space. If you are a business traveller, you know how important it is to have everything in its place so that you don’t miss out on precious time. Parking facilities can be confusing with multiple levels and serial numbers. So a map is always a handy tool, so that you know exactly where you are heading.
Lounges
If you are not already a gold member of an airline you are lagging behind. Loyalty clubs are a great way to get free lunch, breakfast, dinner, booze wherever you have access to the lounge. While some are exclusive, some can be really pricy, but all that can be waved off when you are member of an airline club.
There are examples that will may inspire you as well, like the anonymous man in the Chinese media, who got a refundable first class ticket and used it to have lunch at the lounge and did this for over 300 times before being discovered.
Tell the world about it
And if you are a frequent traveller it always helps to share your story with the world, and while you are at it why not make some money out of it. Today travel blogs and stories attract readers from all walks of life, some looking for inspiration, some looking for a good read and if you have a good reader following, there are many brands out there that are ready to support your travelling expenses, or your stay at the new place. All you need to get started is a good blogging site; there are some very cheap web hosting services out there and a website builder.
Once you get the ball rolling, travel blogging can get you freebees that you dint think of. There are many success stories out there where people have quit their day job because of the money their passion for travelling has gotten them. Start by first documenting your travel with few pictures and interesting stories both your own and people you meet.
