I travel a lot. I first started traveling for business in the 1980s but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that I began traveling consistently. While there are plenty of people who travel more than I do, over the years I’ve picked up some tips and strategies on how to make travel fun. Following are four ways I try to make travel fun.
1. Attitude: It is key to having the best experience possible.
I like flying. I’m a private pilot who unfortunately hasn’t been able to fly an airplane nearly as often as I’d like. I enjoy being on an airplane up in the air. I look out my window at the wing of an airplane and marvel at the fact that a small bit of vacuum (Bernoulli’s Principle) can hold up tons of weight. But, a lot of things have to work right in order for an airplane to get from one place to another.
I marvel at people who get visibly upset when the pilot comes on the PA system and announces that there is a “mechanical problem.” Now, I understand just as well as the next person that I’d like to get to the place I had planned reasonably close to the time I expected. But, I also really don’t want to be on an airplane that isn’t working correctly.
Maybe as a pilot I know more than most, but the same attitude applies to weather problems. If there’s a thunderstorm rolling over the airport, I’m not very excited about being aboard the first airplane to try and weave its way through nasty weather.
Things will go wrong. Weather is unpredictable. Mechanical parts break.
Your expectations and attitudes will go a long way to helping you navigate through the unexpected. And if there’s anything I’ve learned in my years of travel, it is to anticipate the unexpected. A friend taught me a phrase that has been very helpful in these situations. When something goes wrong I now ask myself, “What does this make possible?” It’s amazing how thinking about the answer to this question can change your attitude.
2. Kindness: You’d be surprised how much it helps.
It’s no surprise to anyone that the airline industry has going through massive change over the last several years. It’s also not surprising that there are airline employees who are not happy with these changes. However, I discovered that most want to help when they can.
It’s amazing how a smile and a kind word in a stressful situation can go a long way to making your life easier. You see, the gate agent does have a lot of flexibility in how much they can help you get to your destination. When you are kind to them they may be a little more willing to go out of their way to help you. But, also recognize that sometimes they literally just can’t do anything.
I experienced this earlier this year when I was trying to get from Minneapolis back home to Nashville. This winter has been especially challenging as numerous winter storms have played havoc with the airline schedules. My question to the gate agent was, “What options are available?” And as he began searching I made the comment that it must be especially stressful given the weather conditions that week. Everything was booked but he was able to find me flights to Memphis. I rented a car and drove the three hours to arrive home that night.
3. Strategy: Think ahead about your options
Having a strategy and knowing your options ahead of time is an important aspect of making travel fun.
I start checking the weather the day before I’m scheduled to leave on a trip. If it looks like weather will be a factor on the trip I start looking for alternate options that might be available in case there’s trouble. Sometimes that means getting to the airport early and trying to catch an earlier flight. Sometimes it means changing my routings to go through a different city. Sometimes there’s nothing I can do and I just have to hope for the best.
This is when not checking luggage becomes a valuable strategy. It is much easier to jump on another flight when you can take your luggage with you.
4. Proper Tools: Access to information is vital.
Access to accurate and up-to-date information is especially vital on the days you are traveling. Smart phones — and the apps you can get on them — have completely changed my travel experience. While I will reserve a more detailed explanation of the applications that I use during my travel for another article, here is a short list of the apps that are key to making travel fun.
TripIt.com: A web-based service I’ve used for a number of years to help me track my travel arrangements. I forward confirmation emails for my airline flights, rental cars, and hotels to the website. It parses the information from the confirmations and creates a detailed itinerary for my trip. The site automatically monitors flight status and sends me notification of any changes.
FlightTrack: This app syncs with the information at TripIt and provides another way to track the status of my flights during my travel. I often get notification of delays and/or gate changes prior to them being posted by the airline.
FlightAware: This app allows me to track a specific flight number. If my flight is a continuation of another flight I can track when the flight is due to arrive at the airport. It can be very helpful to track the status of the inbound equipment.
Airline Apps: My phone also has apps for American Airlines and Southwest – the primary airlines I use. I have used these apps for information and to book tickets. You can read how useful these apps can be in my article The Power of Mobility in Everyday Life.
Whether you travel a lot or just a little, incorporating these four strategies into your travel plans can help make travel fun for you also.
What strategies do you use to take the stress out of travel?
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