Whether one is traveling for work or personal enjoyment, regardless of the destination, the actual traveling process can often be stressful for many individuals and include a variety of challenges. Even the most frequent travelers sometimes experience difficulties, though they are typically able to adapt quickly and offer useful advice to those who board planes less often.
Houston-area resident Darla Hogaboom, who travels (both domestically and internationally) an average of six or more times each year, said one challenge she often faces when venturing to different places is managing connection times.
“Long or short connections can be a double-edged sword,” she said. “You ideally want a short connection time, but it’s always a risk that your incoming flight is not on schedule. Long connections are draining. Even with lounge access, you’re still waiting around just to be on another flight.”
Hogaboom said she also struggles with jet lag from time to time, depending on where she’s going.
“You just have to hit the ground running when you arrive at your destination and not go to sleep until it’s bedtime there,” she said.
But then there are the benefits that come with being in the air so often. Dallas resident Dan Sullivan said he works in a role that requires intermittent travel, usually on a monthly basis, allowing him to experience certain advantages.
“I enjoy the change of scenery and becoming familiar with new towns and cities,” he said. “And let’s be honest, it’s rather nice being able to expense meals—a meal tastes a lot better when you’re not paying for it. The hotel and airline points are a significant perk, as well.”
For those who only pack their bags every once in a while and aren’t seasoned fliers, former Dallas resident and current Denver resident Wesley Sheridan, who travels approximately 47 weeks of the year, has a wealth of wisdom to offer, including that one should invest in noise-canceling headphones, pay a little extra to have TSA PreCheck, always have charging cables handy, find clothes that are easy to maintain, stick with one airline company and one hotel company and not book through a third-party site, and use the laundry bag hanging in the hotel closet for repacking dirty clothes. He also advised that when one gets on a plane, that individual should treat the situation as if he or she is going on a hike in a somewhat unfamiliar place.
“Bring some water and snacks in case you end up sitting on a tarmac for two hours unexpectedly,” he said. “Don’t worry about more than that—you’ll get in the air eventually.”
Sheridan also said it’s best to go all in when arriving early to the hotel for someone hoping to eek his or her way in prior to the standard check-in time.
“Get there as early as possible,” he said. “If you show up at 8 a.m., you’ll likely get a room that was vacant the night before. Show up at 2 p.m., and you’ll be in line with everyone else.”
Hogaboom noted that it’s important for a person to be realistic when packing and only take what he or she is actually going to wear.
“Think through your trip, and visualize yourself in every outfit before you put it in the suitcase,” she said. “You’d be surprised how many days you can actually fit into a carry-on—thus, avoiding baggage claim, which can eat up nearly an hour after you land.”
And there’s one piece of clothing Hogaboom almost always makes sure to include.
“Don’t forget compression socks,” she said. “I wear them on all flights over two hours. They really do make a difference.”
For Sullivan, ensuring that there is adequate room for his carry-on is a key concern, and he’s found a way to be more worry-free in that regard.
“I typically avoid reserving a seat in the rows close to first class because those get filled up by the million-miles club types, who always board first,” he said. “So, by the time I’m boarding, there’s often no overhead space left in my row, which is terribly annoying.”
Frustrations can certainly grow in travel situations, and various employees often take the brunt of people’s reactions. However, as Sheridan points out, those individuals are people, too, and deserve to be treated as such.
“Everyone you talk to—whether it be an Uber driver, ticketing agent, TSA agent, tram operator, restaurant hostess, gate agent, flight attendant, etc.—has his or her own stuff going on, too. And lots of people are jerks most of the time. If you make it a point not to be one, you’ll likely be taken care of.”
And that kindness includes those working while on the plane.
“Flight attendants are there for your safety—nothing else,” he said. ”So, be nice because they have the ability to ground the plane if you’re an ass or grab you one more scotch before initial descent.”
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