20 Plane-Travel Hacks And Etiquette Rules To Make Your Journey More Enjoyable, As Shared By Frequent Flyers Online

We never run out of travel advice. We have a list of what to do and what not to do. Also, we have this “how not to be a jerk” thing when visiting tourist destinations. By the way, want some airport memes? And before you knew it, we just stuffed a lot of hyperlinks in front of you, like how your mom used to give you stuff before your trip.

#1 Take A Reusable Water Bottle And A Kool-Aid Concentrate

My personal favorite is taking a sturdy, empty, reusable water bottle and a bottle of Koolaid/Mio/etc concentrate. That way you have something yummy to drink, the concentrate is small enough to get through TSA, and you’re not paying for expensive drinks past security.

Source: Geekprincessia

#2 Study The Terminal Maps Before You Get To A Connecting Airport

Image source: [deleted], Konstantinos Koukopoulos

Study the terminal maps before you get to a connecting airport. Knowing where you’re going – especially with limited time to make a connecting flight – is a godsend.

#3 Do Not Stop In The Red Zone

Image source: theREDdot-, Avinash Bhat

The white zone is for loading and unloading only.. Do NOT stop in the red zone

#4 Take A Bus 3 Hours Prior To Your Flight

Image source: FrenchWoodChesse, Simon_sees

If you are taking a bus to the airport, and there is one that gets there 3 hours before your flight, and one that gets there half an hour before your flight. Take the one that’s there 3 hours before and just have time to relax, and you don’t have to worry about your bus being late/stuck in traffic.

#5 People Should Get Out Of Their Seats By Alternating Rows

Image source: A2134263148a, Mark Hillary

For the love of god, if everyone could learn that people should get out of their seat by alternating rows, de-boarding would be so much easier.

#6 Take The Stuff Out Of Your Pockets Before Getting To The Security Checkpoint

Image source: MyKidsArentOnReddit, Dan Moyle

Take all that stuff out of your pockets before you get to the security checkpoint and put it in a small compartment on your carry-on. Now you have one less thing to juggle while trying to keep your belts-less pants up after going through the x-ray machine.

#7 Screenshot Your Boarding Pass And Keep Your Id In Your Front Pocket

Image source: [deleted], Nate B

Screenshot your boarding pass and keep your ID in your front pocket makes security as simple as possible. EVERYTHING goes in your bag before you even get in line (wallet, keys, belt, shoes).

Edit: Turn the brightness on your phone ALL THE WAY UP when presenting your boarding pass in security lines or when you board the plane.

Lock the orientation on your phone, with the QR code open, and place your phone about a foot above the scanner. Push the phone down onto the glass scanner, and then raise it back up. This is the best way to scan that QR code… those scanners can be finicky.

#8 Take A Picture Of Your Passport And Luggage

Image source: Leabhras, sean hobson

1. Take a picture of your passport. Keep a copy on your phone and a hardcopy in your luggage.

2. Take a picture of your luggage. If it is lost, showing the picture to the lost luggage person helps a lot.

#9 Take Early Morning Flights If Possible

Image source: wwb_99, Steve Lynes

Early morning flights FTW — a lot less can go wrong with the first flight of the day, that plane is typically there overnight so you aren’t waiting on crew or equipment. Security lines are shorter. Traffic to the airport sucks less.

Reclining, especially in steerage, is a moral failing and should be avoided at all costs.

#10 Pack Half The Clothes And Take Twice The Money

Image source: [deleted], Todd Porter

Pack half the clothes and twice the money.

If you have to check a bag, keep changes of underwear with you in your carry-on.

Over-the-ear headphones are much more comfortable for long haul flights than on-ear or buds.

Start doing stretches to limber up your hips and back a few weeks before a long flight.

Don’t use public wifi. If you have to, use a VPN.

#11 Always Check The Location Of The Gate To Avoid Missing Your Flight

Image source: FuglytheBear, Keenan Pepper

It doesn’t matter how much time you think you have before your flight, find your gate first, and confirm it is the right one for your flight. Then, set an an alarm on your phone to give you plenty of time to get back in time to board.

Missing your flight because you don’t realize how far away your gate is will be a mistake you only make once, but better to not make at all.

#12 Bring An Empty Bottle Through Security And Fill It Up Inside The Terminal

Image source: alexja21, oatsy40

You can’t bring a bottle of water through security, but you can bring an empty bottle through security and fill it up once you are inside the terminal.

#13 Don’t Stand Up As Soon As The Plane Lands

Image source: Danvan90, Edward Simpson

Once the plane lands and the seatbelt sign is switched off, just…chill. Stay comfortably in your seat until people start exiting the plane. There is no point standing with your head hitting the overhead locker for five minutes – it’s not going to get you off any sooner.

#14 Tuck A Blanket Under Yourself To Hold Your Legs Together, It’ll Allow You To Relax Without Bumping Into Your Neighbors

Image source:  s3rpic0, Jay Cross

If you get stuck in a middle seat, you can put a coat or blanket over your legs and tuck it under you to hold your legs relatively close together. This will allow you to fully relax your leg muscles without bumping into your neighbors.

#15 Don’t Put Your Armrests Up If Your Neighbor Asks You To

Image source: jasonf_00, Tom Mascardo

Late to the discussion, but… If you’re a smaller person and a large person sits next to you, do not say “yes” if they ask to put up the arm rest between you. I feel a little bad for them because they are crammed into a small seat, but the most miserable flight I’ve ever had was having 1/3 of my seat taken by another person.

#16 Drink A Ton Of Water Before A Long-Haul Flight

Image source: BowmanTheShowman, faungg’s photos

I learned the hard way my first time flying overseas: drink a s**t ton of water while you’re waiting on your layover. Just bring an empty canteen or aluminum water bottle to fill up at fountains.

I know you don’t want to get up to pee all the time, but on a long haul flight you’ll get sick, bloated, headachey, and dried out if you don’t hydrate. Drink up. You’ll thank me later.

#17 Check What The Airport You’re Going To Has To Offer

Image source: [deleted], whity

After traveling to the same cities multiple times, I make sure to know what each airport has to offer in case I have extra time there. For instance, Portland has a great little free theater with local short films. Many airports have massage places. Midway has a free use yoga studio. Sitting around being bored is for suckers.

#18 Pack Medicine And Extra Clothes In Your Carry-On

Image source: 42of1000accounts, Francisco Antunes

Not a frequent flyer but in my experience frequent flyers say try not check bags if you can help it. If you have to, try to have medicines and a change of clothes in your carry on if they lose your checked bag

#19 If A Person Has Headphones On, Don’t Try To Make Small Talk

Image source: Maj_Prismatic, Sascha Kohlmann

This one is pretty general, but from experience I guess it still needs saying: If a person has headphones on, earbuds in, *whatever,* don’t try to make small talk. It’s nothing personal, but some people have really long days at airports (Can’t tell you how many red-eyes I’ve caught after waiting standby all day) and just *don’t want to talk*.

Follow-up, for the flip side of this instance: If you’re listening to music, be reasonable about the volume. The people around you shouldn’t be able to hear your tunes.

#20 Make Sure To Pet The Plane Before You Get On

Image source: thetailofdogma, Derral Chen

Make sure to pet the plane right before you get on and tell it that it is a good plane. I do that every time and the plane never crashes.