Since the airlines are imposing higher and higher fees on checked luggage, many people are opting to just do carry-on for their trips. It is also not unusual that airlines are running out of room on the planes for all of it. If you suddenly are told you have to check what youd hoped to carry on with you, be prepared!

One of the things you can do is have the really important items like prescriptions and valuables packed in a much smaller bag inside your carryon. That makes it really easy to just take it out and put inside what you are allowed to take with you. Unfortunately, even airline approved sized luggage is being checked now without warning so if youre carrying a laptop make sure the case is large enough to take a few extras items in it. Also make very sure that your carryon is properly tagged in the event it is checked. You dont want it lost because you thought youd be carrying it and wouldnt need tags on it. Sometimes late checked luggage isnt going to end up on the carousel at the other end. It will be put on the jetway after landing where you can find it. What all this really means is that you need to think harder when packing and factor in all the things that could happen. Traveling isnt as easy as it used to be but the prepared flyer can usually make it without undue stress.

Be at the airport in plenty of time so if there is a problem you have time to deal with it, do your research a head of time, and above all be polite if you have to deal with airline personnel about checking your carry on. Anger will get you nowhere except maybe that carry on being lost! cheap flights to dubai

For people who travel alot on business or even for pleasure, one of the things that make airports easier to deal with are the airline VIP lounge. Generally, it takes being a member of their frequent flyer club or paying a steep day rate, but these places can be havens from the chaos of most airports.

Airport lounges range from ultra-nice to somewhat bleak but they are always better than the main terminal. Each airport is different, but they can be a quiet have away from it all and that can be important if you got a long layover or flight delay. Most all of them have business centers, free wifi, bars with free drinks (sometimes) and plenty of decent snacks. The atmosphere will be nice and the seats will be a lot plusher than out in the terminal and the spaces usually afford a certain amount of privacy. The really posh airlines will even offer free food buffets and a couple have swimming pools for use. If youre flying first class and not a member of a club, you may find yourself in another type area. There are lounges specifically for those traveling first but most airlines just let you go to their members club. Today, many airports are creating generic lounges for which you pay a one time fee for use. It can save a harried traveler and is well-worth the money just for comfort and quietness.

In a VIP lounge, you can expect the announcements to be in a nice tone, up to date and very efficient. Its just a little extra money for making at least the airport portion of your journey a bit more pleasant. The next time you fly, look into the lounges. cheap flights - detroit to las vegas

How many times have you gotten to the airport only to find yourself either lost trying to find long term parking or not being able to find a place once youve gotten there. It happens to everyone and its a frustrating way to start out a trip.

With a little planning, you can make life easier on yourself. Do a little online research about the airports parking facilities and youll come away not only with some good knowledge but maybe some good deals too. Usually, you can find out what all of your options are and what companies have parking lots. Check each one to see if anyone is running specials or discounts. Chances will be that they are. If you travel a lot, loyalty often pays off with some parking companies offering nice reduced rates for those who use them frequently and remember that just because a lot is farther away from the airport doesnt mean it isnt a good. Especially if their shuttle service is excellent. Also, by poking around online you can see which companies seem to be the most automated and which ones are the most convenient and even how often their shuttle buses run. Some of them are even offering oil changes or a car wash before you pick the car up again! If theyve gotten more high-tech, you will know that once at their lots, it will be just the swipe of a card rather than shuffling around papers to prove your reservation. And that can be helpful if youre running late and dont need additional hassle.

Parking off site from the airport may seem like it will take longer, but you can be assured that you would probably spend more time driving around looking for a space rather than booking into an off site lot and taking the shuttle. Besides, youll save money that you can spend during your trip instead! cheap flights to zimbabwe

If you dont fly a lot, then you dont normally keep up with every rule and security change for flying. So when you do fly, the first question that many have is just how early to they have to get to an airport. Is it really three hours in advance of a flight?

The first thing to do is be familiar with getting to the airport, knowing how long it will take in whatever traffic there during the time of day youll need to go there, and knowing where youre going to park. All of these things can be researched online and sorted out long enough in advance that youll know what youre doing. If you have friends who travel alot out of the same airport, ask their advice too. They might even know some shortcuts or tricks they can tell you about. Since the TSA often changes rules based on terrorists alert levels, pay attention to the news for a few days or consult one of the many websites that give information on airport wait times. The bigger the city and the bigger the number of international departures and arrivals, the longer youll need to be there in advance. Its just a fact of life now that you add on time to get through security but if you familiarize yourself with the latest regulations and are ready to get those shoes and belts off, it will go faster. If the lines are long, just take a deep breath and smile. Anger wont make the line or the security clearances go any faster at all.

As long as you go with the attitude of expecting the unexpected and allow time for it, your trip will come off as planned or at least youll make your flight. These days thats about all people hope for. Avoid the mess. Plan ahead! cheap flights to hong kong

Whether youre just leaving on a flight to go away or headed home, having a few hours to kill in an airport is not always fun, but if you happen to be in one that offers good shopping, its a lot easier to find a way to kill all that time.

All airports have some kind of shopping these days. Many of the shops are the same chain names from one to another whether you are in Hong Kong or Tucson Arizona but in the larger airports, things are getting better. The shops are usually very over-priced because theyve got a captive audience with money in their pockets. Dont expect to find sales and deals because there arent many, but there are some interesting things to look for. Many airports are now including more local merchants amongst all the chain names. and those are the places to find interesting things that might be worth the prices charged. For instance, in Hong Kong there are a couple of shops that sell wonderful silks and theres no price gouging there by law. At Heathrow in London, Harrods has opened a two story store which is huge and stocks all sorts of regular merchandise.
In Paris at Charles de Gaulle, The Galeries Lafayette, a famous Paris retailer, has a large store and their prices are duty free. Thats not bad! The smaller the airport, the more likely you are to find local wares. In Nova Scotia, buy salmon, in Edinburgh buy biscuits and tartans, in Portland, Oregon buy northwoods style comfort clothing. Its much more regional now.

Layovers and delays are never fun but airports are working to make things a little more interesting. Check out art exhibits, gardens, movie theaters and more. It might just be that you end up filling in the time doing something fun! cheap flights canada

Your flight was cancelled and theres no choice but to book yourself into a hotel room for the night. Most airports are now surrounded by hotels catering to those who are in the same predicament as you are or for people who have early flights and prefer staying close by the night before.

By and large, most airport hotels cater to business travelers and theres a reason for that. They use the hotels more than tourists or the infrequent traveler. This isnt a bad thing because airport hotels have improved dramatically thanks to demands by these road warriors. Airport hotels were for a long time places you only stayed in if you had to. They were all about function and had few amenities but finally the hotel chains woke up. These days they need the profits so theyve added many things to entice people to use them more and it is working. They are now offering many of the same things that great hotels offer like free wifi, spas, fitness centers and very good food. Even hotel names from the high end of rates are improving their airport locations. Intercontinental is leading the pack by offering rooms - at high rates however - with many of the same amenities people pay for in downtown areas in major cities. Business travelers are welcoming all these changes by opting to use the hotels for more nights so everyone is happier. These hotels are creating little sanctuaries of peace and quiet, good wine lists and fluffy bathrobes.

Things have changed so much, it might be that you wont even be so upset if you end up in an airport hotel. Now thats a change we can all like and live with! Just in case, do a little research on hotels before your trip. You might want to know. cheap russian flights

Doesnt matter if you are a seasoned traveler or just going on vacation. With todays tight airline schedules, weird connections and airports that have terminals miles apart, everyone engages at some time with what is known as the airport steeplechase!

Heres how it works. As the plane is landing and you start to hear the gates announced for connections, your heart starts to pound. If you have no clue about the layout of the airport, you feel lost. If you do know the airport and know how far that next gate is and realize that you have little time to get there, you start tightening your shoe laces for the race of your life. All this is one reason to have done a little research on the airports youll be using. It doesnt hurt to have a little home printout of the airport terminal maps.
They will tell you where gates are, show the avenues youll be using and will show you any possible hazards on the way. Sometimes the airlines will have agents at the gate to help passengers with tight connections but with cutbacks this is something you dont always see. Plan to be on your own. Have your things ready to go, arrange them so you can carry them while running and take off the minute the plane door opens. No one wants to be pushy, but if youre going to miss your connection youll lose all civility in no time at all. This is one time when you are going to wish you werent trying to do all your luggage as a carryon because the weight will slow you down. Forget the people movers because people tend to not leave enough room for you to get by them if youre actually running. Become adept at saying things like excuse me, sorry, and out of the way because youll use them over and over as you trample anyone in your way. The airport steeplechase isnt a fun game but you need to know how to play - just in case. cheap flights from uk to pisa

Most air passengers get to their destinations and their luggage appears on the carousel.
Of course, youve held your breathe waiting because these days so many pieces of luggage are lost. Whether its the airlines or the new security regulations, it doesnt matter if suddenly the carousel is empty and so are your hands!

If this has never happened to you, it wouldnt hurt to know the ropes. Theres a way to work at getting your luggage back or compensated. The second you realize your luggage isnt there, dont waste time wringing your hands. Go straight to the closest claim counter. You may have to wait in line with others so be patient. Dont spend the time complaining to others. Be looking around for the next option like where youll have to go next if they find out your bag didnt make it. If the airline finally tells you that your bag is delayed, breathe a big sigh of relief and get all the information out of them you can - very politely. At least they know where it is. If they say it is missing, thats another thing. Most bags are found within three to five days but what do you do in the meantime. If youre not at your home airport but at a destination, youre likely eligible for compensation. Get a tracking number so you can check online, but youll end up calling so get names, direct numbers and any other info you can find. Ask for one of their overnight kits and start negotiating right then and there on your other items. They may seem to turn a deaf ear but it kicks off a long process.

Lost luggage can wreck a trip, but if you have a strategy in plan ahead of time, it will help! cheap worldwide flights

Its almost easier to identify the best airports because theyre huge, well-known and their merits are obvious. If obvious were the main criteria, then war torn cities like Bagdad would be one of the worst, but it doesnt work that way.

When polls are taken of travelers, there are more personal yet obvious things that factor in like cleanliness, comfort and convenience. The top of the list is surprising as it is in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris is the winner. Unfortunately, one of the first things you notice are hundreds of homeless people who sleep in the airport, and they are nothing like the Tom Hanks movie, Terminal. They smell, do inappropriate things and while they might not bother passengers, they are still disconcerting. As for the terminal, in the winter it is cold and in the summer, it is like an oven. They cant get it right. Seats in many of the terminals are hard as rocks and if you are stuck, its better to walk around alot rather than sit for any length of time and become sore. On top of the complaints, customer service takes a real beating, and it doesnt even matter if you are American or not. The staff likes to berate the French as much as anyone and they like to make everyone wait, wait and wait some more. Average time to change a flight at the counter: three hours.

Fast on the heels of DeGaulle are the airport in Delhi and the airport in Moscow, both of which get some pretty terrible reviews but on this particular list America is not ignored.
JFK in New York and LAX in Los Angeles both make the top ten worst of the worst.

How To Sleep In The Airport

Weve all had a flight cancelled. Thats bad enough but if its a night flight and there isnt another one until the next day, its even worse! If the thought of getting a hotel room makes your wallet shudder, then the option is to sleep in the airport. Not a great thought but it can be done.

The first thing to remember is that airport personnel dont like people sleeping in the terminal. Of course, realize they dont bother to keep up with cancelled flights either.
So youll be asked what youre doing there. Be prepared to show your ticket, explain the situation and they cannot kick you out. Then scope out the terminal for what looks to be a quiet, comfortable place to stay. It may be that the next terminal over is nicer so take a walk if things look bleak. Sometimes even the arrivals areas are better than departures. Once you find a likely spot, try and make the seat or the floor as comfortable as possible. Use whatever cushioning - like a jacket, etc - to make things a little less hard. Things like eye shades, ear plugs, your ipod will all come in handy to keep out the light and noise. Sometimes, if the airline is nice, theyll loan you a blanket or a pillow - maybe both if they are generous. Buy a bottle of water and maybe a snack because once you get settled, you wont want to move it all again and you know how airports frown on unattended belongings! If you cant sleep, listen to your music or read the book you brought along for the trip. If you have neither, youll always remember on future flights to pack those things.

Hopefully, youll never have to sleep in an airport, but be prepared! cheap domestic flights