Things You Didn’t Know That Occur While Traveling

Whether you’re a first-time or frequent flyer, there’s a lot left to learn about the process of flying. From curb to check-in to sitting in your seat and taking off, the following 5 tips — and the below infographic, chock-full of information — will make flying easier and more transparent.

1. Checking in is Important

Unless you’ve chosen — and, potentially, paid for — your particular seat on the plane, you must be sure to check in before you actually head to the airport. A few years ago, airlines were found to have blocked off up to 40 percent of seats so that customers would have to pay a premium to get them.

Of course, not everyone is willing to pay an extra $20 or more for a particular seat, so the hidden or up-charged areas could potentially become available at a normal price to those who check in fastest. If that’s not incentive enough, checking in saves you face time at the airport, since you don’t have a see a gate agent to receive your seating assignment.

2. Buy One Ticket at a Time

Imagine that you’re traveling in a group of four and searching online for four airline seats. If the travel site you’re using only has three free at a discounted rate and another at a normal fare, guess which price you’ll see for all four?

That’s right. Most airlines will present a boosted fee if your request includes more than what they have available at the lowest price. Next time you fly, book each ticket individually so that you all get as much of a discount as possible.

3. Plan Your Trip on the Airline’s Schedule

It probably comes as no surprise that flights on Friday incur higher travel fares than other days of the week. When it comes to flying, the cheapest days to book your flight will usually be Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.

You can take this a research a step further by applying it to your next round-trip voyage, especially if you’re planning to take a nice, long vacation. Price-wise, it’s smartest to leave on a Thursday and return on Monday — it’s typically 20 percent cheaper than flying out on a Friday and returning on Saturday.

4. You Can Make Security Faster

There’s nothing quite as daunting as arriving to the airport on a time crunch and seeing a sprawling line for security. Fear not if you have obtained your TSA Pre-Check clearance, though, as it allows you to step into a separate line for pre-checked customers.

The program costs $85, and your clearance lasts for five years. By submitting the required documentation, receiving Pre-Check and inputting your personal TSA ID number when purchasing your tickets, you will have a special mark on your boarding pass that allows you certain privileges not given to traditional flyers. For example, you can keep your light jacket on as you pass through security.

5. Don’t Wait for Lost Luggage

We don’t mean that you should immediately give up on a bag that doesn’t show up on the belt. Instead, don’t waste any time in reporting your missing baggage to airline personnel.

In most cases, airlines have very strict policies regarding lost and stolen baggage, which means you have a very small window in which to report your goods as gone. Giving word right away means that they will be more likely to maintain their liability and reimburse you for what’s lost.

Obviously, these aren’t the only tips and tricks to know next time you board an airplane. However, knowing these five little behind-the-scenes hints might make you feel more ready to take to the skies — and less likely to have the airlines take you.

Now share our very useful and informative list of flying hacks to your loved ones. Happy trails!

Source: Stsintelli