More travel tips:

Get/Bring:

* TSA Global Entry and Pre-Check

* AirTags for your bags

* A sticker or luggage tag to make your bag stand out

* A dedicated set of travel-sized toiletries. Never unpack them, they live in the bag. Replenish after each trip. Huge time saver when packing and unpacking.

* A few bandaids, and blister-pack single doses of Sudafed and Ibuprofen in your toiletries bag

* Wrinkle release spray

* Dress clothes packed in dry cleaner plastic bags to minimize wrinkles

* Travel packs of disinfecting wipes

* Packing cubes

* Dedicated indoor hotel slippers

* Noise canceling headphones or earbuds

* A power bank

* A dedicated set of chargers and cables for travel. Never unpack them, they live in the bag.

* An extra-long charging cable. Hotel outlets are in weird places sometimes.

* Airline loyalty membership. Have a strategy - favor one airline alliance (e.x. Star, OneWorld, SkyTeam) for status perks and miles, or favor direct flights, or cost.

* Hotel loyalty membership. Have a strategy - favor one hotel chain (e.x. Hilton, Marriott, IHG) for status perks and points, or favor location, or cost.

* Car rental loyalty membership. Skip the checkin line!

* Some combination of a travel credit card, an airline credit card, and a hotel credit card. Make a spending plan to maximize the rewards you care about (e.x. airline status, points, cash back, free hotel nights at resorts).

* At least one backup credit card incase your primary is lost or stolen. Keep it separate from your wallet or purse.

* For work trips: your work’s travel agency number saved in contacts.

* An international roaming plan, Google Fi, or a pre-paid international eSIM (e.x. Airalo)

* A water bottle

* Your entertainment of choice for flights: An iPad, Kindle, paper book, Nintendo Switch, laptop, melatonin gummies, etc.

* Apps: Airline, hotel, rental car company. TripAdvisor. FlightAware24, Loungebuddy, Terminal Buddy, At Your Gate. Microsoft Translate with offline language downloaded. Kindle, Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu, etc. with offline downloads. Google Maps with offline maps downloaded.

* At least two devices logged in to your accounts (your phone, and then a laptop, iPad, backup old phone, etc). Also, give a travel buddy Account Recovery permissions. Don’t get locked out of your accounts if your phone is lost, broken, or stolen.

* A pop socket or kickstand case for your phone

* Photos of your drivers license and passport saved offline

Do:

* Charge all of your devices the day before you trip

* Download offline maps, books, movies, trip itinerary, tickets, reservations to at least two devices before your trip

* Fill your water bottle as soon as you’re through security

* Drink lots of water on flights. Airplanes have very dry air. The dehydration can give you headaches on long flights.

* Minimize or avoid alcohol on flights, especially long flights. You will get dehydrated. Save the drinking for when you land.

* Switch clocks to your destination time zone as soon as you get on the plane

* Get up and stretch every few hours on planes. Don’t get DVT.

* Unpack as soon as you get to the hotel room. Hang clothes and spray with wrinkle release immediately.

* Sleep and wake on your home time zone if possible (especially for domestic travel).

* Plan a list of restaurants to try. Especially for work travel: You won’t have time or energy once you’re there to research, and will fall back to junk food or the hotel bar if you don’t have a better option.

* Have a plan for laundry. For short trips, I bring enough stuff not to do laundry. For longer trips, I avoid cotton, bring detergent and a clothes line, and wash in sinks daily.

Other tips:

* Earlier flights are on time more often than later flights.

* If an early flight gets canceled, you have a lot more rebooking options than if it’s late in the day.

* Booking direct means direct help. Expedia/Priceline/etc don’t have a help desk in the airport. Sitting on hold on the phone after your flight is canceled while other people scoop up all of the open seats is a bummer.

* If your flight for work travel is canceled, your work travel agent can easily book you on other airlines. The airline’s help desk might not be as willing to do this.

* Don’t check bags, if possible. If you have to change flights after going through security, it gives you way more options. Also, no risk of bag being lost and it saves a bunch of time on arrival.

* Many travel credit cards have rental car insurance. If you rent often, get one.

Sources

* https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelHacks/comments/1067y0t/new_to...