I’m OK at technology writing. But I’m amazing at air travel. I do it so doggone much that I can’t help but become an expert.
Technology
has a lot to do with it, though. In this video, I’ve distilled all my
tricks for painless, speedy plane travel into a brisk, illustrated three
minutes. For your reference, here are the sites and apps I’ve come to
rely on:
Before you fly
Hipmunk. Visual flight schedules. By far the easiest way to plan your trip.
Hipmunk. Visual flight schedules. By far the easiest way to plan your trip.
FlightAware.
See where every flight is in the sky. Maps of altitude and speed. The
high and low prices paid for tickets on that flight. And, most useful of
all: Its average for being early or late.
SeatGuru.
Don’t choose a seat online until you’ve checked it here! You’ll find
out if your seat doesn’t recline, doesn’t have a window, has a broken
TV, and so on. No ugly surprises.
SeatAlert.com.
When you book your flight and find that only middle seats are
available, what should you do? Panic? No — go here and ask to be
notified if an aisle or window opens up. They often do, so you can swoop
in and snag them.
The day of the flight
Your airline’s app. Use the airline’s app to check in — while you’re still at home. That way, you buy yourself a lot more time. You don’t have to be at the airport an hour before the flight; you’ve already checked in. Every major airline except Virgin has an app (and Virgin is working on one).
Your airline’s app. Use the airline’s app to check in — while you’re still at home. That way, you buy yourself a lot more time. You don’t have to be at the airport an hour before the flight; you’ve already checked in. Every major airline except Virgin has an app (and Virgin is working on one).
Passbook.
If you have an iPhone, add your electronic boarding pass to the
built-in Passbook app. Every time you have to show your boarding pass —
at TSA and at the gate — you don’t have to unlock your phone or hunt for
the right screen.
TSA Precheck.
A lot has changed with this program, which lets you breeze through
security without taking off your belt, shoes, jacket, or underwear — and
without taking your toiletries and laptop out.
Ear protection. I’ve tested all the noise-canceling headphones. Bose’s
are expensive, but they’re still better than their rivals. Or, for
something more compact, use Flents foam earplugs. They’re four bucks for
10 pairs, and they do wonders for your ears and your sanity.
