Perpetual Work in Progress

Photo by amlusch (via flickr)

This is really just an assortment of travel tips I picked up over the past 10 years of flying.  There are many times that I fly out in the morning and back in the evening, or if I need to stay it’s usually overnight.  I rarely have more than an overnight trip so I never check bags.  Oh wait, I do check my larger bag sometimes on the way home if I’m travelling to a place that has craftbeer that I can’t get back home.  I despise checking bags otherwise as it takes FOREVER to get them once you get to your destination, and I’m all about getting in and getting out.  The key for frequent travelers is to get comfortable with an airline, a rental car company, and a hotel chain and familiarize yourself with their rewards programs.  Learn to use these to your advantage.  Hopefully some of the tips below start to show you this as well as  provide other helpful tidbits of info.

1. If you fly Southwest all the time, get a Southwest card.  Many times they run a “get two free flights when you sign up” special.  You get bonus points for booking the flight with the card, and you get more points for taking the flight.  Finally, you get points for any charge you make on the card.  I use mine for all of my business expenses instead of a corporate card.  Last year I racked up over 56,000 points that I then turned into about $650 in Amazon, iTunes, and other assorted gift cards for holiday shopping in their rapid rewards program.
2. Hotel and car points are your next perks.  Sometimes these also have gift cards for point plans.  Or you keep the rental points for #3
3. If you are driving to your destination and have rental points saved up- rent an economy car that gets good mileage on your points- then pay for gas out of pocket so you can take the mileage expense instead.  It’s usually decent money and it doesn’t put wear and tear on your vehicle.  I think I spent $26 with the $1.54 for the car rental (sales taxes) and the remainder in gas, but made $70 on one trip.  This is usually cost effective for 100mi or more trips.  If the total trip mileage is less than that, it’s usually more of a hassle than just driving your own car.  I love renting cars, because it gives me a chance to realize how much I like the car I have at home.
4. Stay at hotels that provide breakfast, and have McDonalds or something similarly inexpensive (and preferably healthy) for lunch.  Usually I am so busy during the day all I have time for is a small lunch anyway so I save all my meal money for the big dinner.  Eat well at dinner.  Usually my per diem is around $50 -$65 so it makes for a really nice dinner.
5. Use the plastic bag hanging in the closet for your dirty clothes so you don’t have to wash all the clean stuff you didn’t wear when you get home.  If you like to run and take shoes- put them in a couple plastic shopping bags.  If you have large bottles of shampoo/conditioner put them in heavy zipper freezer bags so they don’t leak all over your bag.
6. Use hertz and pay for the gold membership.  It’s worth it for the free upgrades and bonus points.  And you go straight to your car instead of standing in the line of people waiting at the desk.  WAY faster.
7. If you are late getting to the airport, flying Southwest, and afraid you won’t make your flight, spend the $15 to upgrade your ticket to business select.  You get more points that way, and it lets you go through the first class/priority boarding lane so you don’t have to wait in line with everyone else.
8. Hand sanitizer; Use it on the rental car steering wheel, and any time you get on or off the plane.  Make it a ritual but don’t OCD on it.
9. Don’t look at the magazines in the seat pocket- germ city.  If you must, make sure you do it at the beginning of the month.  That’s when they put the new magazines in there.  Or – sometimes if someone took the magazine from the seat you are in, they will put a new one in there.  If it looks new it’s probably okay, but if they solved the Sudoku, stay away
10. Don’t use the air vent on the plane, or if you do, don’t blow it right on your face.  This is just a phobia of mine but I feel as if I’m being forced to breathe filtered germs.  I usually have more sinus issues after doing this than if I just leave it alone.
11. If you park at a place that has uncovered versus covered rates, and they give you a little thing to show you parked uncovered, save it and pay the covered rate- just once so you have the uncovered stub for that special trip where you leave your car there for a week while you’re off in Maui.
12. For guys, don’t bother taking toothpaste if just going for one night.  Take your toothbrush and use their mouthwash in the room.  That way you have no little baggies of liquids or travel sized things that have to be 3oz in size, or it frees up room for THREE airplane sized alcohol bottles  (maybe this one is TMI)  I say “guys” because girls usually have other things that require them to have the extra baggie of stuff.  It’s just one more thing I would forget once I make it through security.
13. Speaking of security, prep before you get in line.  Sure everyone else is getting in front of you, but at least you will have an easy time putting your stuff on the belt while they struggle.  Get rid of big water bottles, get your baggie of liquids out (if you don’t know about this rule you need a completely different blog post that I’m not providing at this time), loosen the laces on your shoes if you have them (I prefer slip on), unbuckle your bag with your laptop in it so it’s easily accessible, and take everything out of your pockets and put them in your coat or bag (btw- I really hate the scanners where you put your hands over your head).  You really don’t need your car or house keys on your trip so they could stay in your bag till you get back to the airport parking lot anyway right?  I actually keep my belt on.  Little known fact that cheap belt buckles are not really made of metal- they are some kind of composite with metal plating that is barely a blip on the metal detector.  I make it through with my simple buckle all the time.  Of course if they tell you to do it, or you are headed to your next PBR series rodeo, take it off.

I know there are more- and maybe I will add my own comments below from time to time, but if you have any others I would love to hear them!  Just fill in that box below.