Escaping the cold this holiday? From getting through security faster to saving money on your trip, travel expert Jennifer Weatherhead-Harrington joined Global’s Kim Sullivan to share travel tips that can make your trip a breeze.
1. Book with a tour company
When you book with a tour company or organized tour group, you book one thing and every detail is covered for you. They take out all of the guesswork and offer incredible destinations. They’re also a great way to gift travel.
2. Pack a carry-on
One of the biggest stresses when travelling is if your bag gets lost or delayed. Save yourself the anxiety, time and money that comes with checked bags and do a carry-on. If you need to check a bag, make sure you have your basic essentials in your carry-on or personal bag, such as a change of clothes, toiletries, special or expensive gifts, so if something goes awry, you’ll be okay for a few days.
3. Remember self-care
Be kind to yourself. Little things like combating the dry airplane and winter air can also help. To combat dehydration, fly with eye drops, face masks and products to help with hydration. If you’re feeling tired and dehydrated you’ll be more irritated, so take care of yourself first.
4. Stay on top of delays and changes
An app like Tripit will house all your reservations and give you up-to-the-minute alerts of flight changes, cancellations, delays and even gate changes. That way you don’t show up at the airport only to find out you’re five hours delayed.
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5. Fly on off days
Look at booking flights on off days and even look at flying on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. These are often very quiet flights. Bonus: the airport is often quiet, too. Flying out on a Wednesday or Thursday evening can help save on flight costs because most people will be flying on a Friday or Monday on a long weekend or holiday. Another great option is to book the first flight, no matter how bleary-eyed you are, at 5 a.m., on Friday or Saturday.
6. Book on Sunday or Tuesday
If you’re looking early in the week to snag a good deal for the weekend, according to Travel and Leisure, it’s good to note that airlines often discount flights on Sundays and Tuesdays for travel dates later that same week. This would be the key time to look for last minute deals when it comes to flying out of town during the holidays.
7. Track flight deals
If you are looking to book something last minute, apps like Hopper or Skyscanner are great for scouring for the best flight deals so you don’t spend tons of time looking at dozens of sites.
8. Use your points
So many people collect points, whether that’s on a credit card or through a booking site. This is a great time to use your “free night stay” or use points for a last-minute rental car, hotel stay or to book a flight. Flight prices will start going up, so snag a seat with your points to save costs.
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