TravelTips
EIGHT TIPS TO TRAVELING
SANITY
By Stacy Dreyfus
Dreading holiday flights?
Use the Girl Scout motto and be prepared for Midway mayhem and OÕHare overload
with these sound suggestions:
- Pick your seat wisely. If you drink a lot of water—or another $4
beverage of choice—booking an aisle seat is smart. Aisle seats are also a
great idea if youÕre single, just in case you want to chat to that attractive
guy across the aisle (guilty!). But, if youÕre a snoozer on flights, book a
window seat to keep from being bothered in the midst of an Ambien-induced
dream.
- One wordÉZIPLOC. ItÕs not even an option now, but IÕd advise packing toiletries in plastic baggies regardless of
the new travel rules—keeps your Fekkai shampoo from opening and spilling
on your suede Ferragamo boots.
- Do NOT wrap any gifts youÕre
carrying onboard. Most online
shopping sites and stores generally offer complimentary shipping for the
holidays (Extra tipÉshipping often saves you money on paying tax). Try
www.bluefly.com, www.shopbop.com or www.eluxury.com.
- Ship your luggage in
advance. The airlines are losing more
bags than ever these days. If you have lots of bags, or are making several
connecting flights, shipping is practically a necessity. Visit www.fedex.com,
or, if you prefer additional packing Ōhelp,Ķ www.luggagefree.com
- Arrive at the airport early. At
least two hours prior to domestic flights and three hours for international
flights. (I know, you keep hearing this, but more than anything, arriving early
keeps your stress level down.) Extra tip after you arrive early: Take the money
you saved on shipping and paying no tax on tip #3 and treat yourself to a
membership with Continental Airlines PresidentÕs Club, www.continental.com.
TheyÕre one of the few airline clubs that offer complimentary wines and
spirits—cheers!
- Keep jewelry to a minimum. Or, at least stash it in your handbag so the alarms
donÕt delay you. Plus, this way you wonÕt accidentally leave your jewels and
baubles at the security machine (guilty again!) in your haste to catch your
flight (should you have not followed tip # 5).
- Wear socks. Expect to remove your shoes - even flip-flops - so wear
socks. Then your tootsies wonÕt have to touch the germy airport floor. Also a
good idea if you didnÕt have time to get a pre-trip pedicure!
- Bring your own blanket. If you tend to get cold on flights and donÕt like
using the blankets the airlines provide (understandably!) check out
www.cuddleblanket.com. They make the perfect compact fleece wrap with a front
pocket to hold your Ipod or MP3 player, and a foot pocket so you donÕt have to
touch the carpeting on the airplane (a moot point if you followed my rule about
socks in tip #7).
Hotel/travel expert Stacy
Dreyfus is the president of Orchid, a sales, marketing & partnership agency.
Working to promote and open new hotels, Stacy spends about 10 days a month
jetting from Chicago, to New York, London, Miami and Los Angeles.
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