My Top 3 Tips For Frequent Travelers
From a woman who’s been traveling for over 4 decades.
Photo by Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash
In my first career, I traveled nearly every week for work. It was fun at first, being young and unattached and going all over the U.S. and sometimes overseas. It became a grind as I got older.
I’ve experienced insane travel delays. I’ve been stranded in cities overnight. My luggage was misplaced by the airlines multiple times. I’ve been on flights that had to be diverted due to medical emergencies. And I was once on a plane that was struck by lightning. The stories are just as crazy as they sound.
In the last decade, I transitioned into professional roles that allowed me to travel far less. But travel is forever part of my DNA now and the process will be like riding a bike.
If you’re a frequent traveler in the U.S. (note: traveling internationally has its own set of nuances), here are my top tips from the many lessons learned over the years.
Tip #1: Carry On Instead of Checking Luggage
I checked my luggage for the first decade of travel and fought the idea of carrying on. As a woman, I was carrying a lot of clothes, shoes, and liquids. When the regulations changed after 9/11, it blew my mind that any woman could carry on.
Over time, I learned I was making a super inefficient decision, considering I was usually gone only 3 nights a week. When I checked my luggage, I had to wait at the baggage claim. There were too many times I waited over 2 hours! In addition, my luggage was misplaced by the airline on at least a dozen occasions. I got it back every time, thankfully, but it created panic. I often had to shop for emergency clothes and toiletries until it was returned, which a few times took 2–3 days.
But the most important reason to carry on is the time you’ll save. You can grab your luggage and then get the heck out of Dodge, not waiting at baggage claim. You can order your rideshare as you’re deplaning and it should be waiting for you by the time you get to the appropriate area of the airport.
If you’re a woman who feels you have too many clothes, shoes, and accessories, I recommend you rethink your strategy. Do you really need 3 pairs of pants for 4 days? Three pairs of shoes? If you’re regularly traveling for work, you can do more with less, I promise. If you’re traveling for a special occasion, sometimes there are one-off situations that require that you check your luggage. But learn to carry on as much as possible.
There are travel accessories that will help you switch to a carry on:
packing cubes to compress clothing space (highly recommended)
leakproof containers that are less than 3 ounces so you don’t have to carry full-size liquids
solid versions of toiletries
travel-sized umbrellas
thin, packable jackets and more!
Biggest advantages of carrying on: time saved during packing and travel. Also, no fear of the airline losing your luggage.
Pro tip 1: I went to the Container Store and purchased a ton of leakproof containers to meet U.S. carry-on requirements. I have 20+ containers that take care of all of my hair, skin, makeup, and body needs. I used to refill them every week as part of my packing routine.
Pro tip 2: you can buy several toiletries in the solid form now. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, etc. are just some of the options. The store Lush provides an amazing array of choices, and with all-natural ingredients.
Tip #2: Device-o-philes: Pack Backup Power
In my first career, I worked in tech. This meant I was carrying multiple devices on every trip: laptop, smartphone, tablet/e-reader, and noise-canceling headphones, at a minimum. I learned quickly to carry backup power because flights were always being delayed.
If you can, invest money in a good backup battery, and something that has an excellent reputation so it will last for years. I always bought this tech at a discount during Black Friday. Power outlets are still not a common thing in airports. Most planes have them now, but older models still don’t.
I have 2 power bricks that I change out depending on the trip length and devices I’m carrying. One is a larger, heavier brick that can handle up to 8 smartphone recharges. But my lighter, go-to brick has enough juice for 3 smartphone recharges.
The biggest advantage of carrying backup power: prolonged entertainment. As your travel gets delayed (which is inevitable), you can stay productive with work or keep passing the time enjoying your devices. Also, you can feel confident that you have enough juice to place a call to loved ones to warn them of delays, as well as order your rideshare/taxi/car service app once you land.
Pro tip: if your budget can afford it, consolidate your devices. I recommend a tablet if you like a variety of entertainment options. I carry one so I can enjoy movies, eBooks, games, writing, and more on a single device. I do recommend having a separate device from your laptop since you can’t use your laptop during takeoff and landing.
Tip #3: Buy Duplicates
Assuming you have the budget for it, buying duplicates is a time saver for packing. I have a duplicate set of device chargers, flip-flops (my go-to hotel room shoes), AirPods, hair straightener, over-the-counter medicine, and makeup that stay permanently fixed in my suitcase.
Biggest advantages of buying duplicates: time saved when packing, as well as peace of mind. You don’t have to worry if you’ve remembered to bring your device charger from home because you have a second one dedicated for travel.
Pro tip: if you’re staying at the same hotel for a prolonged period, buy a second set of toiletries while on location and ask the hotel to store your toiletry bag for you between visits. Hotels are very accomodating to their regular guests. It also helps if you already have your future hotel reservations booked, as it proves to the hotel you’ll be there for a while.
Tips: Honorable Mentions
Always sign up for frequent traveler programs. And remember to use them. You can maximize your point earnings through corresponding hotel/airline credit cards. You’ll rack up a bunch of points on those cards just through travel expenses. I paid for my entire honeymoon hotel and airfare through frequent travel points.
Pack as you go. On the last night of your stay, start packing. After you use each packed item for the last time, pack it!
Never use the drawers and/or niche storage areas in a hotel room. This is how you leave your stuff behind accidentally. Sometimes that stuff disappears into the forgotten void and you’ll never see it again.
The most popular luggage color is black. Use some kind of colorful decoration on your suitcase (it could be as simple as a brightly colored ribbon) that will help you spot yours in a pinch.
Use silicone travel tags on your luggage with your forwarding address listed in case your luggage gets stolen. Silicon is flexible and doesn’t break or tear.
Keep a separate bag for dirty laundry. When you pack for home, you can use your filled dirty laundry bag as a cushion for any breakable souvenirs.
Keep at least one plastic bag in your luggage. They’re handy for all sorts of stuff and you might have to pack something wet for the trip back home.
Keep a separate bag/container for your shoes. I use packing cubes and there’s usually one size just for shoes. You don’t want all the dirt and bacteria on your soles to rub onto the other items in your suitcase.
As long as you feel comfortable with giving over your fingerprints/biometric scans, speedy check-in services are generally worth the time saved waiting in security lines at the airport. However, you will not be able to reap their benefits at every airport in the U.S.
Carry snacks. Airport snacks are expensive. And, it can take a while to work up to lounge access for airline membership programs (where some food is provided free for elite travel members).
In the time of COVID-19: pack at least 2 disposable masks — 1 for the outbound trip and 1 for the inbound trip. The types of bacteria you’ll be exposed to at the airport and on planes are not worth recycling. Most airports provide disposable masks now in case you forget yours. At the time this post was written, masks are required on planes.