Hi, my name's Megan and in today's video
I'm going to be sharing 50 airport and airplane hacks
so your next flight can be your best flight.
Mm, yeah that sounded better in my head.
If you're new here don't forget to Like this video
and Subscribe for more content.
Let's get into it.
(fun upbeat music)
Do not pay for water at the airports.
Bring an empty bottle through security
that you can fill up on the other side.
My personal favorite is the Platypus
because it flattens down into nothing
and doesn't take up any space
in your luggage when it is empty.
If you like ice water
another option is to freeze a bottle of water
the night before you go to the airport.
As long as the liquid is frozen,
you can actually take this straight through security
and drink it on the other side.
Buy a luggage tag that hides your personal information.
You do not want your address and your phone number
on display when it is very clear
that you're about to leave the country.
When you get to the security line, turn left.
Most people tend to go right
because it's their dominate side.
So if you go to the left,
the line is often going to be shorter.
I tested this out, it's true.
Put all of your valuables, like your keys,
your headphones, money, into an inside jacket pocket
and then when you get to the security line
you have to take your jacket off anyway.
So you can take your jacket,
it all stays together, put that in the bin
and everything will go through so you won't forget
anything on the other side.
When you get through the security line,
go directly to your gate
and make sure you know exactly where it is.
I once almost missed a flight waiting at Gate G10
for a flight leaving from Gate G12 only to realize
that G12 was actually a 15 minute walk away.
If your carryon luggage is overweight,
take the heavy items out and put it into the backpack.
Generally the gate agents will not weigh it.
Take a shopping bag from the airport or bring one with you
and fill it with your extra stuff.
You can have your carryon on your back,
your rollaway carryon with you
and a shopping bag 'cause it looks like
you just picked something up at the airport.
When you're choosing your luggage don't buy black.
Buy something colorful that you're going to be able to see
and find and identify quickly.
If you do have black luggage or other generic colors,
try investing in a luggage sleeve.
Not only does it identify your bag for you
but it also will keep it closed
and make sure that no one is getting into that bag
while you are not with it.
Adding the fragile sign to your luggage
means that it's actually gonna be put on top
of all the other luggage.
Which will usually have it coming out first
when you get to your destination.
Some airlines will actually compensate you
if you've been waiting a long time
once you get to your destination
to receive your checked baggage.
Delta actually gives you 2,500 SkyMiles if you wait
25 minutes or longer for your luggage.
Put a tracker into your checked baggage.
I personally use the Tile Slim which is less than $30
on Amazon and will track from a GPS on your phone
to show you where your luggage is anywhere in the world.
Finding plugs is always a struggle.
So bring one of those compact plug extenders with you.
Even if you don't need all the plugs,
you can probably make some new friends.
Nothing is worse than being about to board a long flight
and realizing that you have 2% battery left on your phone.
If you forgot to bring a charger with you,
head to the lost and found.
Generally, any items that are left here for 90 days
or more are up for grabs.
I've gotten quite a few new phone chargers
from the airport lost and founds.
Take a picture of where you park.
You may think you'll remember but after a week on the beach,
coming back late at night, you can be overtired,
who knows, take a picture.
If you need to take a taxi, Uber, Grab or Lyft
do not book it from the airport
as there is a surcharge for doing so.
If you simply walk 10 meters away from the airport
or across the street and then call your Uber
you will be saving up to 20%.
If your flight ends up being delayed or canceled,
get in that long line along with everyone else
waiting to speak to the gate attendant.
But also call the customer service agent for the airline
on the phone while you're standing there
and see which one you get to first.
The agent on the phone will be able to do everything,
if not more, than the gate attendant that is at the airport.
For the best experience while you're still in the airport
check out sleepinginairports.com.
It's gonna tell you the best places to get some sleep,
like airport chapels, which I never would have thought of.
Best places to eat.
Where to find power plugs and so on.
Make sure you check-in online
and select your seat before you board.
If the airline doesn't give you a detailed map
and you want more information on your seat selection
check out seatguru.co.
They'll show you for the exact plane that you're flying on
where you're gonna get the most leg room,
where the plugs are gonna be and so on.
Let the gate agent or flight attendants or both,
know if you have a short layover after the flight.
They'll likely move you up to the front of the plane
which is priority, economy plus or even business.
I almost always do have short layovers,
but I have never been asked to show proof of this.
When they call you up for general boarding,
don't jump, board last.
If you board last, you're actually able to scope out
all of the free seats and have your pick.
When do put your luggage up,
make sure it's up directly above you or in front of you.
If you stow your luggage behind you,
you're gonna have to wait for all the people behind you
to get off the plane to go back there and get your luggage.
When you get to your seat, empty the seat back pocket.
All those magazines and booklets that are in there
actually take up way more space then you would imagine
and by putting them in the top
with the rest of your luggage you're giving yourself
an extra couple of inches of leg room.
Keep in mind that the window seats are colder.
The front of the plane gets you on the plane
and off the plane the fastest.
The middle of the plane by the wings
is gonna be the least turbulence.
But the back of the plane is gonna be the best service
because you have easy access to all the flight attendants.
If you're booking as a couple try to book the window seat
and the aisle seat on a row of three.
Best case scenario, no one books that seat in the middle
and you have the row to yourselves.
And if someone does, unfortunately,
have to sit in the middle,
they will gladly switch with you for the window
or for the aisle so you can still sit together.
If you're looking to get some sleep on the plane,
pick the window seat that's on the side
that you normally sleep on if you were in a bed.
Make sure you download your music, podcasts,
eBooks or even some Netflix you can now download
and save shows on your laptop and your iPad.
Do this before you get on the plane because, obviously,
you won't be able to at that point.
If are in a couple
and you will be sharing your entertainment device
with someone else, invest in a $1 headphone splitter.
This way you can each have your own headset
and not have to do the one ear in and one in theirs.
If you were too late picking a seat
and ended up in a terrible spot check out expertflyer.com.
You put your flight details in
and it will send you a notification
when anyone goes on and changes their seat.
This way you'll know right away
and you can go and grab the new seat.
Airport lounges are the best, because they give you a place
to relax, there's free food, the Wi-Fi's fantastic.
However, they happen to be very expensive.
I recently found out with my credit card
that I get one free lounge access per calendar year.
So check with your credit card to see
if you have any additional perks
that you did not know about.
Another option is to check out Craigslist, eBay, Kijiji
or any of these online marketplaces
as there are many people that are selling one time passes
on them for incredibly cheap prices.
If you're not able to get into the lounge,
at least sit outside the lounge and steal their free Wi-Fi.
If it's password protected, there's a great website
by foXnoMad that actually lists all the user names
and passwords for airport lounges around the world.
When you go to book your flight or when you check in,
consider ordering a special meal.
Not only are they higher quality,
but you will be served first,
which can be up to 30 minutes faster
than everyone else on the plane.
No more cold, last-choice pasta.
Consider packing some of your own snacks, as well.
I usually bring my own instant coffee, tea, oatmeal
and soup because you can get hot water both in the airport
and on the plane for free.
If you do decide to bring any nuts or dried fruit with you
make sure you throw them out
before you get to your destination
because they will not be allowed through security.
If you have a sensitive stomach,
avoid drinking carbonated beverages
when you're on the plane.
The air bubbles will actually expand in your stomach
and with the altitude changes
and this can lead to a lot of discomfort.
Take gum with you and make sure you're chewing it
during takeoff and landing to avoid
that clogged feeling that you get in your ears.
Consider bringing a toothbrush,
toothpaste and some face wash.
This is especially helpful if you're on a long flight
to feel refreshed and ready to go when you land.
Make sure you dress in layers because airlines
still insist on keeping their airplanes
at subzero temperatures.
Also, check out a pair of compression socks
'cause they'll not only keep your legs warm,
they'll improve the circulation on a long flight.
A few of the things I bring with me would be sunglasses,
even if it is cloudy when you get on the plane,
as soon as you get above those clouds
if you wanna look out the window it is gonna be so bright.
I bring melatonin to help me sleep,
as well as, an eye mask and ear plugs.
Another option is one of those pillows.
If you wanna bring the inflatable one to save space
make sure you don't inflate it all the way up
while you're on the ground
because with the changes in pressure
it's going to expand and then it may pop.
Similar note, if you have one of those water bottles
that you press a little button
and there's a straw inside of it,
make sure that you take the lid off
and let the pressure out once you're up into the air,
because if you click that button
you will have a little fountain
coming out of your water bottle.
You can always bring an empty pillowcase with you.
You can then stuff it with your extra clothes
and use it as a pillow.
But my back generally kills
on these uncomfortable plane seats.
I usually ask the flight attendant for an extra pillow
and I will place it between my lower back
and the back of the seat.
Airplanes are one of the worst places
for picking up bugs from other people and getting sick.
The best way to combat this is to not touch your face,
use hand sanitizer or Wet-Naps, frequently,
and probably bring some cream with you
because your hands will be very dry after all of this.
Leave the air vent above you open to help circulate air
and, this is the big one, never, ever eat directly off
that tray table that is in front of you.
This is considered to be the dirtiest place on the plane
and it is not cleaned nearly as often
as you would think it is.
I've personally seen people changing baby's diapers
on these tray tables and then closing them back up, bah.
Last tip is just to be nice.
Be a generally good, patient human being.
Because I can guarantee that those flight attendants
and gate agents are just as tired
and just as stressed as you are.
If you need some extra incentive
it generally helps to be nice to to those people
that have a discretionary effort
to improve your flight experience significantly.
And those are my 50 best flight hacks.
If you have of your own that I didn't mention
or if there's any that you would like me to test out
I am flying from Canada all the way to Thailand next week
and I would be happy to give them a go.
Please give this video a Like if you enjoyed the content
and I will see you next Tuesday.
Thanks, bye.
(upbeat music)