15 Easy Air Travel Tips For Your Cruise

Air travel tips for a better cruise

In this episode of the podcast we offer up 15 air travel tips for your cruise to help your trip go as smooth as possible. If you’d rather read than listen, continue on below.

1. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, and dress in layers. This is one of our best air travel tips for getting off to a great start. If possible, consider wearing slip on shoes to save time when you pass through security. Also, if you’re packing light, consider wearing your most bulky clothing on the plane, such as jackets and heavier shoes.
2. Check in early. It may seem obvious, but we’ve heard dozens of stories of people starting their long awaited trip on a stressful note because they arrived at the airport too late and were denied boarding. Check your airline policy on flight check in times, but usually for international flights, it’s best to get to the airport 2 hours or MORE before your departure time. 
3. Travel with a wristwatch and set your watch to the destination time immediately when you get settled on the plane.
4. Do everything you can to get some sleep on the flight. If you’re not the type to fall asleep on command, you might talk with your doctor about a prescription Sleep aid, or try something more mild, like over the counter melatonin which you can get in pill, chewable, or liquid form. It’s wise to Try out the sleep aid BEFORE your flight to make sure it works for you and that you don’t have an adverse reaction. If you’re able to sleep you’re more likely be able To acclimate to the new time zone by staying up to normal bedtime when you arrive at your destination. Some travel experts even recommend requesting a special meal in advance on a long-haul flight. The reason surprised us, but makes total sense. Special meals are served first, and allow you to try to sleep sooner, especially on a red eye. 
5. Carry a pen or two for customs forms on the airplane. If you’re feeling especially organized, pack one for your neighbor or travel companion as well. You may not need it, but nothing is worse than having to hunt for a pen on a  long flight, and often, the airline staff doesn’t have enough to go around. 
6. Hydrate on your flight. These days, you can bring your own water bottle and fill it up in most airports at water stations. Your flight attendant will also be happy to either fill it for you, or bring water to fill the bottle early in the flight as well. Not to sound preachy, but if you want to feel great when you land, be careful what you drink. Alcohol will dehydrate you and mess with your sleep patterns. So, if you choose to enjoy alcohol, double up on the water to re-hydrate. This is one of our air travel tips that might be easy to overlook, but don’t.
7. Pack a sleep mask and travel pillow for your flight to block light. If you don’t have a neck pillow, don’t worry, every airport sells them. If you’d rather not buy a neck pillow for whatever reason, A neutral wrap or heavyweight scarf goes a long way. A wrap like this has about 5 uses- pillow, warmth for upper body, Lower body, warm a child, cover your head – then use it at your destination for some sassy style!
8. If you’re looking for air travel tips to save money, then this next one is for you. Research whether it’s best to get cash at an atm or in the airport or prior to your trip. You can check with your bank or credit union on exchange rates, but most likely, an airport ATM will give you the best exchange rate. Head straight for an ATM before you leave the airport. If you’re visiting multiple countries on your trip, it may be less of a hassle to order a small amount of currency from your bank or credit union, then get more when you are in the country. Just watch out for exchange counters- they are often NOT your best bet for a healthy exchange rate.  
9. Let’s talk about water again…if your flight offers it, use the free bottled water on the plane (extras) to get you through the first few hours at your destination. The flight staff  likely won’t mind giving you an extra bottle to take along. Unfortunately, not all airlines will hand you a full bottle, but it can’t hurt to ask.
10. Traveling with kids? If you fly with kids you’re probably always on the lookout for good air travel tips. Here’s my favorite. It’s always a good idea to pack snacks. I don’t know a kid who can survive hectic long haul flights on pretzels. Granola bars, beef jerky, and nuts can be great options. If your airline allows it, fruit and veggies are also nice to have on hand, and keep little one’s digestive systems on track after prolonged periods of sitting.
11. Invest in premium economy or “main cabin extra” if you can. The extra legroom, and sometimes early boarding make it worth the extra cost.
12. Download some movies, podcasts, music or entertainment on to your tablet or phone, just in case you don’t like the in flight selection. You’ll want to do this well in advance at home, or somewhere with Wifi. 
13. Pack portable device chargers. Chances are your flight will offer in seat chargers, but in case they don’t, it’s best to be armed with your own.
14. Get up and walk around every few hours. And if you can, stretch.  It’s relatively easy to stretch your neck from side to side while seated, and when you get up to walk, taking a few extra moments to stretch your legs and body feels SO good. 
15. Pack a change of shirt and a toothbrush, and some deodorant to freshen up right before you get off the plane. It’s amazing how much better this can make you feel after a long flight.

If you have questions or comments about our air travel tips, you can email us at podcast@cruisetipstv.com. We’d also LOVE if you’d leave a review where you listen to this podcast, and screen shot the show and share it on Instagram using the hashtag #cttvunplugged. Download our shore day bag checklist, and more cruise packing and planning checklists & videos by joining the CruiseTipsTV Academy. We have a special discount code for our podcast listeners. To redeem the $5.00 discount on our master class enter code UNPLUGGED at https://academy.cruisetipstv.com

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