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By Susan
Breslow Sardone
Have you
flown lately? From buying tickets to boarding a plane, it's a
new world out there. Increased security, fewer flights, earlier
check-ins, luggage limitations: Even if you're not a fearful
flyer, getting from point A to point B still can be stressful.
Here's what I did to make a recent trip easier. Consider taking
some of these steps the next time you fly:
1. Buy
Tickets Online
Unless you
have a complicated itinerary, where you require the help of a
human travel agent, it couldn't be easier to book a flight yourself
online at a major Web travel agent (Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia).
Have questions or prefer to book offline? These sites also offer
800-number service. If you need to save money on a flight and
have a flexible schedule, also check the online discounters (Hotwire,
Priceline.)
2. Select
Your Seat Online
Depending
where you purchase your tickets, you'll be shown a schematic
of the interior of the plane with available seats indicated.
Click on the one you want, and its location is recorded. That
way, you won't arrive at the gate without a seat assignment and
end up in the middle seat.
Avoid
the middle seat by buying your ticket early and selecting your
seat location online.
3. Opt
for an E-Ticket
It's really
not a ticket in the old fashioned sense; it's simply a pass code
with letters and numbers that you present (either to a check-in
machine or a human) at the airport to receive your boarding pass.
I bought my e-ticket from Expedia. If I'd wanted a paper ticket,
I could have had it mailed for an additional $14.95.
4. Print
Out Your Boarding Pass Before You Leave Home
Since I
was flying on Northwest Airlines -- the first airline to offer
this amenity -- I went to the Self-Service
Check-In page on the airline's site, keyed in my e-ticket
pass code, and printed my boarding pass from my home computer
30 hours before take-off time. The boarding pass bears the traveler's
name, flight information, and a bar code the flight attendant
scans at the gate. Since I had no check-in luggage, having the
boarding pass ahead of time spared me from waiting on a check-in
line or at the gate to acquire one.
Bringing
a downloaded boarding pass to the airport can spare you from
having to wait in the check-in line.
5. Take
Carry-On Luggage -- and Send the Rest Ahead
One of the
stressors of flying -- especially when you must change planes
-- is worrying whether your luggage
will arrive the same time you do. If it's a short trip, pare
down to the bare essentials and just take a wheeled carry-on
that meets your airline's size requirement. In most locations,
you can buy what you need when you arrive. If you must bring
more stuff along, consider sending it ahead via FedEx. It won't
save you money, but it will give you peace of mind -- and free
you from dragging that suitcase everywhere.
6. Remember
to Bring Government-Issued Photo Identification
At check-in,
at security, and at the boarding gate you will be asked to show
this with your boarding pass. Have both pieces handy so that
you don't have to dig for them each time.
7. Hire
a Car for Your Trip to the Airport
Parking
at an airport can be expensive. And asking someone else to drive
you there can be inconvenient. In many cities, mass transit is
non-existent or impractical for someone with a suitcase. Although
I could have hailed a taxi on the street where I live, I instead
arranged for a private car the day before. The driver arrived
a few minutes early in an immaculate black sedan and helped me
with my luggage. I was able to put the $50 charge (which included
toll and tip) on my credit card, helpful for record-keeping.
The
driver arrived a few minutes early in an immaculate black sedan
and helped me with my luggage.
8. Arrive
at the Airport on Time
That means
well before your flight departs. For my domestic flight, 75 minutes
was recommended. If you're departing from a large airport, add
15 minutes to that. Longer if your flight goes overseas.
9. Prepare
to Go Through Security
Although
the security checkpoint line I joined at LaGuardia Airport was
long, it moved quickly. Understand that you will need to separate
your electronic devices (cell phone, PDA, computer, etc.) and
put them in a bin supplied by the security person. They will
be x-rayed separately. Random checks of passengers take place.
If you are one of the unlucky ones pulled from the line, expect
to have your body scanned with a wand and your luggage opened
and inspected. You will also be asked to remove your shoes, so
save time by wearing slip-ons rather than tie shoes.
10. Bring
Something to Eat from Home
With a few
first-class exceptions, airline food always has been notoriously
bad. It still is. Now there's less of it. Fewer and fewer airlines
are offering sustenance on shorter flights. That means you may
get a free beverage and a small granola bar -- or just a drink.
If your flight becomes delayed and you haven't eaten, that makes
for discomfort. Consequently, airport vendors, from Starbucks
to Burger King, are doing tremendous airport business. So much,
in fact, that lines can be long and passengers risk missing a
flight to acquire victuals, which can be low in nutritional value.
The solution: Pack your own "care package" before you
leave home.
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