The Travel Checklist by Airport Tips - HTML preview

Part 2: Toiletries and extras

What to bring

Aside from medications, this is the area of packing with the least repercussions if you forget something behind. Almost every hotel gives you soap, shampoo and conditioner – and if you need to buy something like hairspray or shaving gel, that’s a pretty minimal purchase. Here are some basics you should bring with (adjust to your gender/needs accordingly):

Shampoo and conditioner

Soap

Cosmetics

Make-up remover/cleanser wipes

Moisturizer, sunscreen, and any lotions you use daily

Toothpaste

Toothbrush

Dental floss

Tweezers

Emery board (not a pointy nail file!)

Nail polish remover wipes

Tide stick or a stain removing stick or wipe

Pre-moistened towelettes and/or hand sanitizer

Travel pack of tissues

Comb or hairbrush

Pocket mirror

Shaving cream

Razor

Q-tips

Sample-size ibuprofen or aspirin

Deodorant/antiperspirant

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If I’m bringing a carry-on bag, I’ve …

made sure to follow the 3-1-1 rule: all liquids and gels have to be in three-ounce containers and everything has to fit into a quart-sized, clear plastic Zip-loc bag.

packed my prescription meds (along with documentation) in with my toiletries.

remembered to leave any potential weapons (nail files, scissors, plastic explosives) at home.

If I’m checking my bag, I’ve …

(mostly) followed the 3-1-1 rule, but only to save space. I can bring larger containers, but why would I? More volume means more potential for spills.

kept my prescription medicines (and documentation) separated to bring in my small carry-on or laptop bag. If I have too much medication to carry-on, I’ve put two or three days’ worth in a pillbox and packed the rest.

made certain not to pack any valuable jewelry or electronics, as they have a way of disappearing in-flight.

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My laptop and/or handbag contains …

any and all jewelry.

anything I plan on reading in-flight.

all electronics – laptop, phone, camera, etc.

chargers for all my electronics.

a printout of my itinerary, e-tickets and emergency phone numbers.

wallet containing ID, credit cards, bank card, passport (if necessary) and some cash.

a few snacks – since airlines charge you for their miserable food anyway, you may as well bring something edible.

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8 Tips To Help You

Avoid Unexpected Bag Fees

1 Read your ticket. Sounds like a no-brainer, but some airlines (cough, Spirit, cough) are even charging passengers to stow a bag in the overhead compartment!

2 Weigh your bag. Even if it’s carry-on, if it’s a fatty, you’re going to pay.

3 If you’re carrying anything out of the ordinary – musical instruments, camera equipment, etc.– check with your carrier and make special accommodations for it.

4 Measure your bag and be sure it conforms to your airline’s requirements.

They tend to vary by an inch or two.

5 Pack light! You can always rinse your underwear and rewear the next day. But if your bag is rejected for being too heavy, you’re SOL.

6 Kindness counts. You aren’t the only one put out by the airline industries annoying new austerity practices – imagine doing three jobs instead of the one you were originally hired to do. Though charm doesn’t always work, a “please” and “thanks so much” can go a long way and might just get you onboard with an extra pound of souvenirs from your journey.

7 FedEx is your friend. Especially if you’re going on a longer stay, it might be worthwhile to ship most of your belongings to your destination ahead of time. Or if you use your time between meetings to do some retail therapy, you can even have the store ship your purchases back home.

8 Rewards programs can come in handy. Not only can they eventually garner you free trips, they can also save you money on baggage fees.

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5 Extras No Traveler Should

Leave Home Without

1 Tide Stick – invaluable for lipstick smears, condiment drops, and most any other contained laundry calamity.

2 Zip-Loc Bags – the quart-sized will hold your toiletries, the gallon-sized will hold your formal wear, and the little ones can help organize your jewelry.

3 Safety pins – these punk-rock staples can temporarily solve almost any wardrobe malfunction.

4 Disposable cleansing cloths – they’re no substitution for a hot shower after a long flight, but they will do in a pinch.

5 Notebook and pen – your laptop and smartphone are great, but batteries can lose their charge and signals can get crossed.

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Beginning Your Journey

A lot can happen between the time you zip your bag shut and the moment you board the plane. Passports and ID can be left behind!

Zippers can break! Flights can be cancelled! But if you follow this checklist … well, we can’t guarantee a flawless flight experience, but we can guarantee that any errors won’t be your fault.

A few hours before leaving for the airport, I’ve made sure to …

download a flight-checker app for my smartphone or tablet.

(FlightView, FlightWise, and FlightTrack, are a few you might choose between.)

check the app to make sure my flight is on time and hasn’t been cancelled.

check the airline’s website to find out what kind of entertainment is provided. This way if it’s lacking, I have time to upload movies onto my computer or dig up DVDs.

double-check my rental-car, hotel shuttle, or cab reservation, or investigated public transport options from the airport through AirportTips.com

placed the following either in an easy-to-access place in my carry-on bag or jacket pocket:

Passport

Tickets

Other travel documents

Wallet containing driver’s license, credit cards and some cash (international currency if I’m traveling abroad).

tracked down a pen and notepad to tuck into my carry-on.

charged my phone, laptop, and any other electronics I might use in-flight.

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The Getting-

to-the-Airport

Checklist

Depending on where you live and

where you’re going, getting to

the airport can take as long as your

flight and cost close to as much.

To make sure you have the

optimal in-transit experience, ask

yourself if you’ve …

re-checked to make sure your flight is still on time?

looked up which terminal you’ll be departing from?

done the math and figured out the most cost-effective way to get to the airport? Long-term parking can get expensive, so if you’re traveling with family, friends, colleagues, or a cushy expense account, a cab might be the way to go. If you’re solo, or paying for it out-of-pocket, look into your public transport options.

considered using public transportation if you’re leaving during rush hour, even if you are traveling with others?

allowed yourself more time if you’re checking bags?

allowed yourself enough time to be at the airport three hours early if you’re flying internationally; two hours if domestically?

rechecked that you have all your travel documents and ID?

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The Once-You’re-At-the-Airport

Checklist

Checklist for Navigating the Dreaded Security Line Nobody likes going through airport security. The long lines, the senseless shoe removal, the intrusive patting down … security is probably the second-worst thing about airplane travel (first is the food). So to make sure your trip is as pain-free as possible, we suggest you do the following.

As soon as you get in line you …

take your boarding pass and ID out of your pocket so you’re ready to show them to TSA Officer #1.

try to determine the shortest, quickest-moving line and maneuver your way into it.

take a deep breath when that line then immediately becomes the slowest-moving line.

start unlacing/unbuckling your shoes, if you were unfortunate enough to wear non slip-ons.

high-five yourself for remembering to wear socks as you watch a fellow traveler step in puddle of mystery liquids.

grab at least three plastic trays for your things.

put your shoes in the first one and slide it down the conveyer belt.

place your laptop – removed from its case – in the next one and push it behind your shoes.

squeeze your laptop bag and small-carry-on purse/murse in the next tray and put it in line.

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grab a fourth tray if you’re wearing a coat – by now you know the drill.

give yourself a pat-down to make sure you’ve removed anything that’ll set the metal detector off – jewelry, watches, belts, exotic piercings (no joke!), and pockets full of change.

wait for the security agent to give you the signal to go through the metal detector.

follow the agent’s instructions.

If the TSA gives you the all clear, you …

grab the bins containing your things, and move aside.

put on your shoes first – don’t bother to tie laces, you want to keep moving.

put on belt, jewelry, and redeposit change back into your pocket.

put on your coat.

slide laptop back into bag and secure it.

make sure you have laptop bag and carry-on(s) with you.

stack the bins and return them to where they belong.

proceed to your gate.

If you’re selected for additional screening, remember to …

avoid panicking, it’s nothing personal.

follow instructions carefully.

avoid saying anything stupid! (See sidebar) AirportTips.com

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5 Ridiculous Things

the TSA has Confiscated

Along with loaded handguns, dynamite and box-cutters, airport security confiscates a lot of, well, stupid crap. Like plastic swords, bowling pins, fuzzy handcuffs and, in Washington State, one agent reported relieving a passenger of something called a “Sit ’n’ Putt,” which is a golf club you can use on the toilet. Um, what?!

Here are five more notably ridiculous things the TSA will take from you if you attempt to bring on board:

1 The Olympic Torch – This was classified by San Francisco TSA officers as a "slow burning explosive device,” and both the torch and its holder were denied passage.

2 Play-Doh – One minute your baby’s unwrapping Play-Doh from Santa, the next minute the security scrooges at the NOLA airport are pulling it out of your child’s sticky little hands.

3 Snow Globes – Though at first glance these might look like somewhat tacky, but innocent, souvenirs. Look a little closer and it becomes clear that they’re actually a grave risk to national security. Especially the ones where the “snow” is substituted with glitter.

4 Baby Food – This has happened a bunch of times – once after a jar of food tested positive for explosives! (The officers explained they get lots of false positives, but dumped it just the same.) Pre-pumped breast milk has also proven problematic. No wonder there are always so many screaming babies on flights – they’re hungry!

5 Exotic Piercings – This happened in Lubbock, Texas and yes, the woman had to remove the piercings in question. One of them even required a plier for removal. Enough said.

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5 Stupid Things People have

Said to TSA Agents

(And Been Arrested Over!)

1 “I’ve got a bomb.” British student Samantha Morson probably thought she was being cheeky when she joked with the officer inspecting her bag. One pair of steel bracelets, four nights in the pokey – while looking at a possible 15-year sentence – wiped the smile right off her face!

2 “I’m Al Quaeda. I’m with them. I’m here to blow things up.”

Cabbie Asfaw Ermiyas is another wiseass who decided to have a little

“fun” at the airport after agents questioned him about the “Dubai”

sticker on his luggage. Oops.

3 “No.” Don’t want your child patted down by TSA agents? Tough luck.

Nashville resident, Andrea Fornella Abbott learned that when you say no to them, you say hello to jail time.

4 Via Twitter: “Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!” Brit Paul Chambers was frustrated by weather-related travel delays and took to Twitter to vent. A few days later, the police stopped by his office to interrogate and arrest the man.

5 “#$?!%&@ YOU! Go ahead – arrest me!” When tipsy Jack Jordan II, of New Hampshire, drunkenly slurred that challenge to airport officials, he probably didn’t expect them to take him up on it. He was wrong.

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How to Make the Most

of Your Layover

Does anyone actually enjoy layovers? You’re usually halfway to wherever you’re going to or coming from, and anxious to just get there already.

But sometimes they’re a necessary (i.e., money-saving) evil, so you may as well make the most of the time you have. Here are ten questions to ask yourself before you arrive at your half-destination: Allowing at least an hour to re-clear security, do I have enough of a layover to make standing in that TSA line again worth it?

If so, am I anywhere near anything worth seeing? Amsterdam, yes; Albany, probably not.

Is there rail travel available out of the airport? Because it’s generally less expensive and there’s less chance of a traffic delay.

If I’m staying put, have I checked AirportTips.com to see the eating/

drinking/leisure activities in my airport?

Does my airline have a “luxury club” in this airport? If so, it may be worth it to buy a day pass (usually around fifty bucks), to take advantage of the comfortable seating, complimentary Wi-Fi, and relative calmness.

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Minimizing the Chances of

Missing Your Connecting Flight

Sure, sometimes there’s an hour or two scheduled between your flights, but with delays and cancellations becoming epidemic, the window of time you need to get from one gate – or terminal – to another can get very small, very quickly. Here are some ways to ensure you don’t wind up watching your connecting flight take off without you.

Make sure you have plenty of time between flights. Waiting an extra hour in the airport is a whole lot easier than rebooking a flight.

Keep carry-ons to a minimum. Twenty bucks is a small price to pay if it means you make your next flight by running unencumbered.

When you’re at the gate, tell the clerk that you’re going to be on a connecting flight to see if she can move you closer to an exit.

Also ask her to double-check your connecting flight’s gate.

Log onto AirportTips.com to see how far it is from your arrival gate to your departure’s gate.

Stay calm. If you’re mid-air and it looks like you’re going to be cutting it close, tell the flight attendant – she may be able to get you off the plane first or find out if your next flight’s status.

Double-check that you have an easily accessible copy of your itinerary.

Write down your airline’s customer service numbers – don’t over-rely on your smart phone.

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Too Late!

What To Do When You Miss

Your Connecting Flight

If someone’s picking you up at the airport or expecting you on the other end, let them know you won’t be there.

Talk to customer service. If it’s the airline’s fault that you missed your connecting flight, they’re obligated to get you on the next one.

(This only works if both flights are through the same carrier.) If you missed a different airline’s flight, and the first airline can’t help you re-book, find customer service for the connecting carrier and ask them for help.

If you missed the last flight out due to your airline’s error, they should book you on another airline or put you up in a hotel, but they’re not legally obligated to do so. (Boo!)

If you missed a flight of your own volition (Was the fourth quarter of that Knicks game really worth watching? It’s not like they ever win!), you’re most likely going to have to pay a fee to rebook.

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Travel Tip: 10 Great

Airport Restaurants

Though most food you get on the plane (if you even get any food on the plane) is going to be well, gross, there’s no longer any need to settle for the Golden Arches in the terminal. Here are ten great airport restaurants.

1 New York, Deep Blue (JFK) Deep inside the ultra-mod, recently refurbished Jet Blue terminal you can tuck into sushi, duck-confit noodles, lobster … a far cry from Cinnabon, hon.

2 Chicago, Tortas Frontera (ORD) Buh-bye, mall-Mexican from Chili’s, hello, Rick Bayless and thank you for these delicious South-of-the-Border sandwiches.

3 Los Angeles, Encounter Get in the mood for your flight by chowing down on light Cali fare in this saucer-shaped restaurant.

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4 Boston, Legal Seafoods (BOS) Yes, it’s a chain, but you’re safe because the seafood is not only legal, it’s delicious.

5 Stuttgart, Top Air (STR) Perhaps the only airport restaurant in possession of a Michelin star, you definitely won’t find cheese fries, but you will find filet of Wagyu beef, oyster ravioli, and langoustines all the way from New Zealand.

6 Minneapolis, Ike’s Food and Cocktails (MSP) For good ole home cookin’, you go to Ike’s. Turkey dinners with gravy, milkshakes, steaks and plenty of cocktails will fill you up before you fly.

7 Zurich, Runway 34 (ZRH) The serving staff wears pilot or flight attendant outfits and serves up Swiss/Asian/Mediterranean fusion cuisine under the wings of a retired Russian war plane.

8 England, Wagamama (LHR) The UK hasn’t always been known for their fine dining options, but this light, bright, noodle house in Terminal 5, is wildly popular for good reason.

9 Hong Kong, Tian Xia Dumplings (HKG) According to Esquire magazine, Tian Xia’s delicious dumplings are closer to street food than fine dining, but insists that “what it lacks in ambiance it makes up for in flavor.”

10 Amsterdam, Bubbles Seafood & Wine Bar (AMS) Bubbles’ giant salt-water aquarium will keep your eyes occupied as you slurp briny oysters, accompanied by delicate flutes of champagne.

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Checklist for

International Travel

Before scheduling a meeting, buying a ticket or booking a hotel, ask yourself the following questions.

Do I have a valid passport?

yes

no

If I answered yes, do I know where it’s currently located?

yes

I guess I haven’t seen it in a while, but I think it’s in the top drawer of the dresser in the guest room. (Go find it right now. This minute.

We’re not kidding!)

If the answer is no, you don’t have a passport, it’s time to get one. Here are some basic steps to getting a US Passport if you are a US citizen.

You must apply in person if …

you are getting your first passport.

your previous passport was issued when you were under the age of 16.

your previous passport was issued more than 15 years ago.

your previous passport was lost, stolen, or damaged.

your name has changed since your last passport was issued, but you don’t have legal documentation of this fact.

To successfully obtain your very first passport, it’s important that you …

Go to http://travel.state.gov/passport and download form DS-11: Application for a US Passport.

Fill out the form, but DO NOT SIGN IT until you are at the passport office, being instructed to do so by the clerk.

Locate the closest Passport Agency or Acceptance Facility (this may be as easy as your local post office – you can find out on the aforementioned website).

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Bring evidence that you are a citizen of the United States of America.

That can be any of the following:

Certified birth certificate

Naturalization certificate

Certificate of citizenship

Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth Bring a valid form of identification ALONG WITH A PHOTOCOPY OF

THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE DOCUMENT. Among the accepted forms are:

A valid driver’s license

Naturalization certificate

Current government ID (city, state, or federal) Current military ID (military and dependents) Bring the appropriate fee, which can be paid via check, credit card, debit card, money order; the exception being cash. You can find out the price by going to http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.

html.

Provide one passport photo.

Your passport photo should follow these parameters: It needs to be in color.

Has to have bee