Travel Tips Part II: Airports, Airplanes, Air travel
A.K.A: Travel mishaps and misadventures
In my last addition of “travel tips” I told you everything you need to know about road trips. Now that my time is worth more than the difference in price between a bus ticket and a plane ticket it is time to write an air travel addition. If you count layovers and connections I’ve been on 14 flights in the last two months, and have visited such exciting destinations as Phoenix, AR, Cleveland OH, and Charlotte NC, as well as the more mundane Denver CO, Miami FL and Cancun Mexico. In this time I’ve learned some interesting things about air travel.
1) The Wedding Part I, Catching Your Flight
When they say you need to check in at least 30 minutes before your flight leaves they actually mean it. Electronic ticket machines won’t work if you show up 29 minutes before your flight. However if you are luck, and ask the people at the check-in counter really nicely, they will let you slide in with 20 or 25 minutes to go. I recommend the line “Please, please, please! If I don’t get on this flight I’ll miss my [father/sister/bother’s] wedding.” It also doesn’t hurt to say you are a bridesmaid / groomsman. In my case the wedding excuse worked twice, once on the way to the wedding and once on the way back. (Luckily these both occurred prior to the ‘scissors’ incident.)
2) The Wedding Part II, How to Pack
Airplanes are typically very dry places. Bringing (and drinking) a large bottle of water can help prevent headaches and jet lagged caused by dehydration. However if you do bring a bottle of water DO NOT put it in the same bag as your clothes. If you do you might find that your bottle of water has leaked, causing ink stains on your backpack to transfer to all of your clothes. If you don’t find this out 30 minutes before you are supposed to attend a wedding consider yourself lucky.
3) The Wedding Part III, Transportation
Renting a car is a surprisingly easy way to get around once you get to your destination. I’ve gotten several good deals from Enterprise. In addition they are one of three or four agencies that will let you rent a car when you are under 25. They do force you to pay for the extra insurance option, but this isn’t a bad idea if you are driving somewhere new.
4) Cancun Part I, Getting In and Getting Out
International flights aren’t much different than domestic flights. There is typically a short customs form to fill out on the plane into Mexico so don’t forget to bring a pen or pencil in your carry on bag. Getting back into the US is inevitably more difficult than getting out. Make sure you keep your Mexican tourist slip (which you receive on you way into the country.) Without it you will have difficulty leaving. On arriving back in the US, plan on allowing at least 45 minutes to go through customs.
5) Cancun Part II, Saving Your Back
I know the suitcases with the little wheels look kind of dorky, but you will regret being so fashion conscious after lugging forty pounds of baggage around for hours. In the long run your back will suffer far more without wheels than your ego will suffer with wheels.
6) Cancun, An Aside
I spent 10 days in Cancun in August, and I have to say it was the best vacation ever. If you go in the off-season (May to November) you can find some wonderful deals on hotels (cheap accommodations went for under $45 a night, and nice rooms could be found for under $80. I highly recommend Ambiance Villas on the north side of the island. This side has gentle seas since it is in the lee of Isla de Mujuras and several excellent snorkeling locations. It is also next to several delicious Mexican food places, which give you more than you can reasonable eat for under $4 a meal. This section of the island is also less Americanized than the rest of Cancun and close to town.
7) Business Trips Part I, Confirming Your Itinerary
You might expect that if someone tells you to fly directly from you vacation in Mexico to Florida, and if they subsequently decide to cancel the trip, they’ll give you at least 24 hours notice so you can make arrangements. This is an unreasonable expectation. I found this out after arriving in Miami and checking into the hotel. (Of course this really wasn’t such a bad thing. I did get a day in Miami Beach out of it.)
8) Business Trips Part II, Enemy of the State
Don’t piss off airport security or make fun of Bush/Chaney/Homeland Security in an airport. Also, don’t forget a pair of nail scissors in your carry on bag or fly using one-way tickets. Apparently this is a sure sign that you are plotting the destruction of the peace, freedom and the American way. I have now been searched five times in a row. Airport security tries to keep you on your toes by changing the type of search each time. Thus far they’ve used a metal detector wand and done a hand search of my carry-on bags three times, done a drug/bomb check twice, and on my last flight implemented the ‘full body pat down’. For those uninitiated in the suspected international terrorist club here is what to expect…
a. When you receive your boarding pass look for a string of letters (sometimes S’s) on the bottom center or right hand corner of your ticket. This means you have been flagged for a search. If you have a one-way ticket, or are flying a ‘suspicious route’ (e.g. Mexico to Miami with one day or less in Miami) expect to be flagged and give yourself at least an extra 30 minutes to get through security.
b. When you go through security you will usually be directed to the special search line. This means your baggage will be inspected by hand (as well as the x-ray machine) and you will be swept with a metal detector rod. After removing your shoes and showing that you don’t have explosives strapped to the bottoms of your feet you will be asked to stand on a mat and ‘assume the position.’ Try to avoid wearing jeans with metal rivets or long dresses. Every time something beeps (which means every rivet in your jeans) airport personnel will play touchy-feely. Also, beginning on Monday airports nationwide added a full body pat down to detect non-metal threats.
9) Entertainment
Always bring a book, music or magazine to entertain yourself when you are traveling. You can only spend so long exploring the Charlotte NC airport and writing down travel tips.
In my last addition of “travel tips” I told you everything you need to know about road trips. Now that my time is worth more than the difference in price between a bus ticket and a plane ticket it is time to write an air travel addition. If you count layovers and connections I’ve been on 14 flights in the last two months, and have visited such exciting destinations as Phoenix, AR, Cleveland OH, and Charlotte NC, as well as the more mundane Denver CO, Miami FL and Cancun Mexico. In this time I’ve learned some interesting things about air travel.
1) The Wedding Part I, Catching Your Flight
When they say you need to check in at least 30 minutes before your flight leaves they actually mean it. Electronic ticket machines won’t work if you show up 29 minutes before your flight. However if you are luck, and ask the people at the check-in counter really nicely, they will let you slide in with 20 or 25 minutes to go. I recommend the line “Please, please, please! If I don’t get on this flight I’ll miss my [father/sister/bother’s] wedding.” It also doesn’t hurt to say you are a bridesmaid / groomsman. In my case the wedding excuse worked twice, once on the way to the wedding and once on the way back. (Luckily these both occurred prior to the ‘scissors’ incident.)
2) The Wedding Part II, How to Pack
Airplanes are typically very dry places. Bringing (and drinking) a large bottle of water can help prevent headaches and jet lagged caused by dehydration. However if you do bring a bottle of water DO NOT put it in the same bag as your clothes. If you do you might find that your bottle of water has leaked, causing ink stains on your backpack to transfer to all of your clothes. If you don’t find this out 30 minutes before you are supposed to attend a wedding consider yourself lucky.
3) The Wedding Part III, Transportation
Renting a car is a surprisingly easy way to get around once you get to your destination. I’ve gotten several good deals from Enterprise. In addition they are one of three or four agencies that will let you rent a car when you are under 25. They do force you to pay for the extra insurance option, but this isn’t a bad idea if you are driving somewhere new.
4) Cancun Part I, Getting In and Getting Out
International flights aren’t much different than domestic flights. There is typically a short customs form to fill out on the plane into Mexico so don’t forget to bring a pen or pencil in your carry on bag. Getting back into the US is inevitably more difficult than getting out. Make sure you keep your Mexican tourist slip (which you receive on you way into the country.) Without it you will have difficulty leaving. On arriving back in the US, plan on allowing at least 45 minutes to go through customs.
5) Cancun Part II, Saving Your Back
I know the suitcases with the little wheels look kind of dorky, but you will regret being so fashion conscious after lugging forty pounds of baggage around for hours. In the long run your back will suffer far more without wheels than your ego will suffer with wheels.
6) Cancun, An Aside
I spent 10 days in Cancun in August, and I have to say it was the best vacation ever. If you go in the off-season (May to November) you can find some wonderful deals on hotels (cheap accommodations went for under $45 a night, and nice rooms could be found for under $80. I highly recommend Ambiance Villas on the north side of the island. This side has gentle seas since it is in the lee of Isla de Mujuras and several excellent snorkeling locations. It is also next to several delicious Mexican food places, which give you more than you can reasonable eat for under $4 a meal. This section of the island is also less Americanized than the rest of Cancun and close to town.
7) Business Trips Part I, Confirming Your Itinerary
You might expect that if someone tells you to fly directly from you vacation in Mexico to Florida, and if they subsequently decide to cancel the trip, they’ll give you at least 24 hours notice so you can make arrangements. This is an unreasonable expectation. I found this out after arriving in Miami and checking into the hotel. (Of course this really wasn’t such a bad thing. I did get a day in Miami Beach out of it.)
8) Business Trips Part II, Enemy of the State
Don’t piss off airport security or make fun of Bush/Chaney/Homeland Security in an airport. Also, don’t forget a pair of nail scissors in your carry on bag or fly using one-way tickets. Apparently this is a sure sign that you are plotting the destruction of the peace, freedom and the American way. I have now been searched five times in a row. Airport security tries to keep you on your toes by changing the type of search each time. Thus far they’ve used a metal detector wand and done a hand search of my carry-on bags three times, done a drug/bomb check twice, and on my last flight implemented the ‘full body pat down’. For those uninitiated in the suspected international terrorist club here is what to expect…
a. When you receive your boarding pass look for a string of letters (sometimes S’s) on the bottom center or right hand corner of your ticket. This means you have been flagged for a search. If you have a one-way ticket, or are flying a ‘suspicious route’ (e.g. Mexico to Miami with one day or less in Miami) expect to be flagged and give yourself at least an extra 30 minutes to get through security.
b. When you go through security you will usually be directed to the special search line. This means your baggage will be inspected by hand (as well as the x-ray machine) and you will be swept with a metal detector rod. After removing your shoes and showing that you don’t have explosives strapped to the bottoms of your feet you will be asked to stand on a mat and ‘assume the position.’ Try to avoid wearing jeans with metal rivets or long dresses. Every time something beeps (which means every rivet in your jeans) airport personnel will play touchy-feely. Also, beginning on Monday airports nationwide added a full body pat down to detect non-metal threats.
9) Entertainment
Always bring a book, music or magazine to entertain yourself when you are traveling. You can only spend so long exploring the Charlotte NC airport and writing down travel tips.