Download playlists and podcasts off of Spotify
Bring noise canceling headphones, eye mask, and a neck pillow
These three items, ESPECIALLY if you have a red eye are an absolute necessity. I have had far too many experiences sitting next to the chatty couple or the crying baby on an early morning or late night flight. You may look slightly extra wearing all three items, but at least you will have a better of falling asleep. As an added bonus, download some meditative music playlists off of Spotify to really get you in a sleepy mood.
Print your boarding pass AND have it on your phone
Nothing is more important to your holiday airport success than having your boarding pass ready to hop on that plane. Having two different option for boarding passes avoids the stressful situation of you losing your printed boarding pass or having your phone die as you go through TSA. While you are at it, double check that you have a form of identification (license, passport, etc.) as you go through security.
Get to the airport AT LEAST two hours early
The holidays at LAX are not the time to play the game “How late can I get to the airport without missing my flight”. With never ending security lines and crazy travelers running into you, getting to the airport at least two hours ahead of time ensures that you can leisurely go through security and grab a coffee inside rather than sprinting to your gate at the last minute.
Dress for (airport) success!
The key to the perfect airport outfit is comfort over style. Wear your heavy oversized sweater not only to make your suitcase lighter but to have your sweater double as a blanket on the plane. Those comfy sweatpants and leggings allow you to curl up in that window seat without the restriction that jeans and skirts would give. Slip-on-shoes allow you to glide through TSA rather than spend 5 minutes untying the laces of your Nike Airs.
Pack snacks for the airplane rather than buying overpriced airport food
While I am all for buying that oh so necessary Starbucks inside the airport, I try to avoid having to buy the overpriced airport snacks by packing my own in my carry on. My favorite airplane snacks are Skinny Pop popcorn, dried mangos, and ANYTHING from Trader Joes.
Schedule your Uber or Lyft Ahead of Time
If you are planning on using Uber or Lyft to get to the airport, I would highly recommend scheduling your ride ahead of time. There is a feature on the Uber app where you can schedule a ride for a ten-minute time window in advance. I use this feature for two reasons. First, scheduling a ride is wonderful when you know that Ubers and Lyfts will be on high demand especially going to LAX. This feature is also great if you an obscure drop off time such as between the hours of 2 am and 7 am. I needed to be at the airport for Thanksgiving at 5:15 AM, so scheduling my Uber ahead of time gave me one less thing to worry about.
Bring makeup on the airplane
I have a couple situations where I need to rush to a party or event the moment I land at a destination. If you have a family reunion or a festive holiday party an hour waiting for you, I would recommend bring a few of your makeup essentials (in a quart sized Ziploc bag of course) in your carryon for the plane. In that last half hour before you land, blend in some concealer, fill in those eyebrows, put on mascara, and pop on some highlighter before your big event.
Use your airplane time to unplug and unwind
Rarely do we have the opportunity to truly take a step away from social media and texting. Despite the wifi and texting options on the plane, I would highly recommend using the few hours of your flight to avoid your screens as much as possible. Read a book. Journal while looking outside the airplane window. Maybe even get ahead on that homework. I will still listen to music or a podcast while flying, but other than that, I will set my screens down. This is one of the only times you have a real excuse to not be on Instagram or not reply to that obnoxious group chat so take it! Truly unplugging for a few hours can be so valuable is a great way to refresh, especially before the hectic season of the holidays.