With the holidays coming up and the excitement over Thanksgiving and Winter break in full swing, it is time to get ready to travel. Unfortunately, I have had the worst luck with traveling. I’ve gone home twice so far this year and considering I come from Arizona, the only transportation I will take back home is an airplane. So far, every journey home has been loaded with obstacles.
On my first fall break home, my ride to the airport was fraught with anxiety as I believed I was going to be late to my flight. I arrived in the nick of time only to find that my flight was delayed. That delay was not the worst part of the trip, as I missed my connecting flight and had to spend a night alone in Dallas, Texas. On the following trip home, I booked a shuttle to Indianapolis from Follett’s. The shuttle drove off while I was only a few feet behind the bus. I ran after the bus, dragging my suitcase behind me, spilling my cup of tea all over my outfit. As I am short, the driver did not see me and did not stop. I made several panicked calls to friends with cars to attempt to catch the shuttle before it left the last Lafayette stop. Fortunately, a friend responded and took me to the last Lafayette shuttle stop at the Marriott. Fiasco after fiasco in my travels home, I’ve come up with a couple of tips that might help with future trips.
1. Do NOT be late for the shuttle
Get to the shuttle stop 10 minutes early because once you’ve missed the shuttle, it’s gone. I was literally right behind the shuttle that I could have touched it! Still, I was left behind. So be early!
2. Get to the airport early
Even though you have time and delays may happen, get to the airport early enough to avoid the stress of missing or potentially missing a flight. Most airplanes do not have Wi-Fi on board so I like being able to sit at the gate and get work done while I wait to board.
3. Bring or get some snacks for the flight
On my second trip home, I was stuck on the airplane on the tarmac for over an hour, just waiting for takeoff. Not all airlines provide inflight snacks like pretzels or nuts.During that hour I had no food and was incredibly hungry and anxious to go.
4. Bring something to do
Whether you’re waiting to board or you’re already in the air, it’s always nice to have something to do. If you’re like me and cannot sleep while inflight, have something to keep you occupied. Time seems to pass at a faster pace when you’re doing something. I always bring my laptop with me when I travel so that I can get some work done or watch a movie. American Airlines provides inflight entertainment and if your cell phone carrier is T-Mobile, you can get an hour of free Wi-Fi for your phone, including texting.
Hopefully by following these tips, your travel experience will be positive. However, if you encounter problems along the way, just remember that everything eventually works out.