Top 5 Ways to Simplify Holiday Travel

Well, the holidays are officially over. I’m back to work, and the craziness, the busy-ness, the traveling around from house-to-house and ‘vacation away’ meant to relax me despite the hectic nature of the holidays – are over! And what I learned this year, I want to share with you, dear traveler.

Traveling over the holiday season, no matter if you’ve been naughty or nice, can be stressful. Inclement weather, delays, the middle seat, the incessant chatterbox glued to her cell phone next to you can all make you wonder if this really is the most wonderful time of the year. This year, I pulled out all the stops, to make my travels go more smoothly and seamlessly. When traveling from A to B during the holidays, I think it’s best to approach the process with a “get in and get out” mentality. So listen up!

1. Skycaps may just be the most undervalued people in transportation. Savvy travelers know to skip the swelling lines indoors and go straight to a skycap that will check-in your bags curbside, check your ID, usually know if your flight is scheduled on-time and send you to your departure gate. Don’t forget to have a few small bills at the ready to expedite things quickly; they work for tips and a dollar or two per bag is average.
2. Now more than ever, when more airlines are increasing checked baggage fees, you can save time and money by traveling with a well-packed carry on. This time of year, consider sending gifts in advance of your trip to avoid checking (and potentially losing) additional luggage. If you must travel with gifts, avoid wrapping them–security might have to unwrap them anyway (read: per Murphy’s Law, if you wrapped them, that will definitely be the time security wants to see them), so stash a few gift bags in your suitcase.
3. The roads are busy, weather is spotty and soliciting a friend to drop you at the airport seems just plain cruel. Parking in the airport lots (and surrounding satellite lots) can add up quickly (and is even less fun to pay upon your return). This year, Collette introduced complimentary round trip sedan service that takes you from your home to the airport when you purchase an air-inclusive Collette tour. I hate worrying about getting to the airport, so this service worked out perfectly for me. If you’re traveling on an escorted tour, see if the company can do this for you. It’s a time saver and a cost saver (even gratuities were included).
4. Slip ID and tickets into pre-board organizer to avoid fumbling for essentials while juggling bags and going through security whether traveling by air or rail. Also, if traveling by air, choose function over fashion and wear comfortable, slide-in shoes without laces.
5. Finally, it might be too late to replace that black suitcase everyone else also seems to have, but make luggage retrieval easy by adding a quirky tags, or jump into an easy DIY (Do It Yourself) project and make your own.

---

posted by Travel Bug
Nicole Sullivan, Supervisor of Branding & Communications
Collette Vacations

Tags: Airport, Holidays, Packing, Travel Tips

•