The one lesson I've learned from my mom being a Flight Attendant is that traveling is a magical experience. Her job allows me to fly (on standby) for free anytime that I want. This is a blessing, however, sometimes things seem to crumble before my very eyes. Over all the flights I've taken and the experiences I've had--both good and bad--I've come up with some helpful tips, tricks, and traveling essentials to help!
Check, double check, and triple check
Make sure you have everything you need. Boarding pass, ID, toiletries, underwear, etc. are just a few of the essentials you need when traveling. Without these things your traveling experience will not be the same, or it might not even happen if you lose your ID (boarding passes can always be reprinted). Double check the terminal and gate that you're flying out of, and always do a bag count to make sure you have every piece of luggage before leaving home/the airport. One time I walked about half a mile from one gate in Denver Airport to my next one on a connection that was only 30 minutes long, and realized I forgot one bag on the plane when I finally sat down to wait to board.
You don't have to arrive to the airport 2 hours before your flight
It's fake news that you have to show up to the airport 2-3 hours before your flight. What it really boils down is how comfortable you want to be when traveling. I've showed up to the airport an hour before my flight, still had time to buy my venti iced caramel macchiato with almond milk, and get to my gate with plenty of time to spare. Sometimes security can be difficult, but most airports have an approximate security wait time on their website. When deciding how early you want to arrive at the airport, just think about how much cushion time you want to give yourself for the unlikely event of something going wrong. Personally, I like to live life on the edge. Keep in mind weekends are busier!
Be nice to your flight attendants
This is pretty self explanatory. Be a good person, flight attendants spend sometimes weeks at a time away from home. They're just as irritated as you are, and trust me, they want to yell at you as much as you want to yell at you.
Turbulence is no big deal!
According to my mother, planes are built to perform better in turbulent conditions. Get those nasty thoughts about the wings of the plane snapping off out of your head--it simply won't happen.
Getting hot on the plane?
Take a walk to the back of the plane near the bathroom, there are cool air vents back there!
The journey is just as important as the destination! Traveling is a wonderful experience and every time you fly it's a new experience. You have to find what works best for you, but these tips are what I've always found most helpful!
