12 Airport Hacks To Help You During The Holidays

“Take a picture of where you park so that when you return from a long trip, you remember. The parking lot at LAX is huge and I hate wandering around looking for my car.” — PlaneShenaniganz

“I carry one of those neck pillows in its neck pillow bag clipped on to my carryon. I put everything in there I want to have quick access to in the flight. My tablet, headphones, cables, and a pen if flying international. That way I don’t have to get up and try digging through my carryon after I’m already seated. Plus I leave that stuff in there and it doesn’t have to touch the inside of the seat back pocket.” — blargh2947

“Consider leaving one ear open when wearing headphones at the airport, or turning down the volume considerably. People have missed their flights because they had their music turned up too high to hear the boarding announcements.” — PlaneShenaniganz

“I learned the hard way my first time flying overseas: drink a shit ton of water while you’re waiting on your layover. Just bring an empty canteen or aluminum water bottle to fill up at fountains. I know you don’t want to get up to pee all the time, but on a long haul flight you’ll get sick, bloated, headachey, and dried out if you don’t hydrate. Drink up. You’ll thank me later.” — BowmanTheShowman

“Wash your hands more than usual. Airports have tons of people going through them and a lot of ways to come into contact with germs.” — tacobellemel

“If you’ve got a long layover — especially if you’re on your own — book yourself into the lounge. The time absolutely flies by, there are drinks and food, and you can chill out on the WiFi in a comfortable seat. Most places will give you three hours, but I’ve never been anywhere that actually checks (unless you’re really taking the piss) and it costs about £25, but it makes an arduous journey a lot less of a pain in the ass.” — Portarossa

“Screenshot your boarding pass and keep your ID in your front pocket, makes security as simple as possible.” — [deleted]

“There are two kinds of bags: those that get destroyed in cargo bins, and those that destroy other bags in cargo bins. Get the second kind of bag. Buy an aluminum-frame Luggage Works Stealth bag, or a Travel Pro. It’s what all crew members use for a reason.” — PlaneShenaniganz

“Travel as an individual. For example, whenever I fly with friends, family or for business. I just tell them…’I’ll see you there.’ I book my flights earlier than needed and leave a fluff (no commitment) day at the end. As a single flier, you are more apt to get bumped (which I do voluntarily) which results in vouchers, upgrades etc.” — beachnudist

“STAND BACK FROM THE BAGGAGE CLAIM CAROUSEL. When everyone stands right next to it, it’s difficult to see ahead to find your bag and also provides limited space and time once your bag is near you to pull it off the carousel without hitting someone else. If everyone stands back a few feet, it’s much easier to see and just walk up right when your bag arrives and you’ll have space should it be a little bit of a struggle to get the bag off the carousel.” — tacobellemel

“Bring ear plugs if sleeping or spending a night are a possibility. Airport PAs are constant and loud, and they seem doubly loud late at night without the background noise of crowds.” — HonoraryCanadian

“If you have a problem with a flight, the person working at the counter is both the one person who can help you and the one person who was in no way responsible for causing your problem. Treat them like your salvation, and don’t let loose on them the anger you have for the airline. If you’re having a bad day, there’s a good chance they’ve dealt with 300 people who are also having the same bad day. If they look like shit, offer to get them a coffee.” — HonoraryCanadian