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| Did you know that this airline gives you free and unlimited air travel over Norway during summer, for just a few hundred Euro? There you go - an awesome Nordic air travel life-hack |
During my years spent commuting by air, and lately working as
professional adventurer, at times I have spent up to 100% of my time living out of a cabin bag. So here are some lifehacks for
the air travel - I have divided them according to the natural phases: booking, packing, and being at the airport. However, all of them merge at some point, so enjoy this wall of tips and tricks!
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| Pulse goes up just by looking at this? Don't worry, I got you covered. |
Booking:
When booking flights and comparing alternatives, you need to take some time to check and compare the international rating of the company, for instance here (link), before you buy tickets. Sometimes (more below) it’s worth
those few dollars to travel in comfort, get better service, more food choices, and
be treated with more respect. In this post, there are plenty of examples of how "low-budget airlines" will treat travelers differently. Whether an airline is premium, normal, or low-budget may change over time (just look at how low SAS has fallen). Keep yourself á jour.
Don’t know the company at all? Google them. If the first
suggestion is “lost luggage” or “cancelled flights”, you may take the hint.
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| A great airline company delivers safe and secure travels, along with the well-being of passengers. The ethical treatment of staff is tightly connected with the requirements above. Do you reading about any current inequalities, stuff complaints, ongoing or past strikes, and related ratings! |
When travelling with "low-cost airlines" in non-European
countries, I always recommend to sign for that dodgy extra “insurance”. In case you don’t, you
basically have no rights. You may be rebooked to another flight, your luggage
maybe delayed for a long time, all that kind of nuisances that regular
civilized airlines will cover for you – those may and will happen, and nobody
will even consider apologizing. It is not a coincidence that when seats are
double-booked or a plane is late, the passengers with “extra insurance” are
given priority.
For all destinations, check your visas first, even if only
transferring – I cannot stress this enough. With no valid visa, you will not be
allowed to board at home airport. Also, check your passport expiration date.
You should get a new one before it hits the magic 6 months before the
expiration. Even countries that do not require visa from your origin may want
you to have 6 months left, and that’s from your planned departure date to go
back home.
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| Unfortunately, this does not exist on all flights. An alternative is an eye fold with "wake up for meals" on one side and "do not disturb" on reverse, in several languages. I own three of those. |
I like to receive the meal on board as soon as possible, so
I can sleep for the rest of the flight (usually the best thing to do
considering jet lag and coming/past adventures). Sometimes it takes a long time
before the food cart reaches my seat, and I’d rather be dining and the
sleeping, than waiting. However, most of the times the attendants do not bother asking if the passenger wants a meal or would rather be sleeping, and it's no fun to wake up starving in the middle of a 12-hour flight and having to go ask for a sandwich. So, there are two things to remember here when booking the
ticket:
One is that the further back you sit, the less choices there
will be when the food cart arrives. What’s worse, the choices left are going to
be what the rest of the passengers did not want. It may pay off to get at seat
closer to the nose. That will definitely shorten your transfer times, too.
The other lifehack is that if you choose a special meal
while booking, you get served first! So bring it on and become a vegetarian, or
get your stuff gluten-free or whatever. Myself, I find those choices more
healthy, too.
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| Sometimes, airlines do a great job catering to your food (and entertainment) needs... This was my extra early Christmas eve, flying with BA. Could not have asked for a better Xmas while traveling. |
If you have any meal allergies or diet at all, and there are
no such choices while booking the ticket, do not trust the airline to be able
to cater. Bring your own stuff. I’ve seen airlines unable to produce anything
without flour or sugar, or ignorant of what vegetarian/vegan food is.
Lastly about the booking: when travelling in Scandinavia, I never print my
tickets. It’s usually very easy to use the e-tickets, check-in online, and scan
the code directly from the phone when passing to the gate. Most airports in the
world function like that - you just present your code in the machine. Make sure you have both wifi and battery though. I usually take a print-screen of the boarding code and don't bother with local internet. The alternative is to check in at the airport, where usually only your booking number (check-in machine) or passport (check-in at the desk) is needed, and you will receive the boarding card with the code, no need for further paperwork. However, in some developing countries, you will be
prompted for printed bookings, and there will not be any online check-in. What’s
worse, budget airlines will force you to print the boarding cards, otherwise
fees may follow. Read the fine text carefully when you book!
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| Airport committee in Fiji welcoming the travelers by creating a relaxed atmosphere. This is on the opposite side of the Earth from Sweden, and very far from the Scandinavian ways... |
Packing
If you can avoid it, never check in your personal
items. I like to travel light, and I avoid checking in luggage altogether. The
more transfers there are, the more likely the luggage is to disappear. But
sometimes it can happen even on a direct flight, and there is no guarantee that
it will be found, or reimbursed – the insurance rules are usually limited to a
maximum of a few hundred euros, and several days of waiting. You do not want to
get stuck in the Arctic with lost luggage and your ride to the wild North
leaving soon, like I did here. Ideally, your cabin bag should fit under
the front seat, so you can have use of everything you brought with you, without
having to climb over people to reach it.
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| Vacuum bags, the frequent traveler's best friend |
To minimize the size of the luggage and be able to bring it
to cabin, wear the bulkiest clothes and shoes for the travels. And for the rest
of it - use vacuum bags. I managed to get all the Sydney to Hobart offshore
gear, including floatation suit and wet weather neoprenes from
Sweden to Sydney without checking them in! See photo below.
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| This bag, en route to RSHYR, complies to size rules for bringing it as cabin luggage. The full packing list is visible on the photo. |
A bag tag with your address, phone number, and email address
is a must. On all luggage.
I will not go on about bringing sharp objects or liquids
especially when you’re in a hurry – you know it all. But did you know that for
instance Australia will not allow even “Traveler’s edition” on multi-tools,
that is to say the tool without a knife blade? Getting a travelling style
Leatherman was a waste of money since they would not let me in, even after
trying several times and talking to a supervisor. No tools at all are allowed,
knife blade or not. Even a Pocket Ninja, which passes most security checks,
will eventually be found.
Bring a bottle of water to the airport. Re-hydrate by
drinking it in the line to security check. Refill it at a café or bar on
airside. Many airports have drinking water fountains nowadays. Aircraft
ventilation dries you out, so re-hydrate continuously. If your bottled water is
finished, get an extra glass of water with your meal.
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| "Recharging". A traveler captured in an international airport in the US, while I was heading to a boat delivery |
More stuff to bring to the airport: snacks, wet wipes,
book/logbook/drawing pad, chargers, and a power bank.
You may already be bringing a neck pillow and eye mask to
get some sleep on the flight. If you are not in dire need of sleep, you have
not been prioritizing correctly on your adventures! But most people place the
neck support pillow incorrectly, back to the front. You want the thick part
under your chin to prevent your head from falling down, resulting in neck ache.
A jacket can easily serve as a pillow and a beanie or a buff
can be pulled down over the eyes and serve as eye mask. Take off the jacket
before you enter the aircraft, not in the aisle so you block other entering
passengers, or after you are strapped into your seat. Book a window seat to be
able to lean on the wall while sleeping – and to avoid blocking other
passengers from going in and out. Ear plugs or good headphones with offline music
will help you stand out most family flights. Even if there is an entertainments
system, they often turn it off when landing. Book an aisle seat if you travel
light and are in a hurry (or if you happen to be a frequent bathroom user, for
the sake of other travelers).
Generally, you will be doing yourself a favor if you dress
in comfortable clothes and shoes. But if you wear a business shirt, with a tie
or a jacket, you will get an immensely better service in all airports and
checks. Its magic gives you too many free-rides to be ignored or exchanged for
comfort.
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| Eye shades are perfect to hide your sleep deprivation, and business clothes get you a better service in most parts of the world. Here, sleepless in ... whatever airport that is... |
At the airport
If you kill time by wandering around the taxfree, do not try on perfumes, they will be killing you (and your fellow travelers) in the crammed airplane. Instead: try out any moisturizer you can find. This is your chance to take a deep dive into that tiny €300 face cream jar for free, and give your sea&sun-dried skin a treat it deserves. The dry air in the airplanes takes its moisture toll too. Fill up as you leave the aircraft and transfer to the next stop.When travelling in countries where everyone wraps their luggage in plastic (Russia and several others), do the same. Then you will not be sticking out for pickpockets as a tourist with potentially expensive gear, or inviting officers to take a sneak peek into your bag for the same reason.
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| Landed in Sweden, returning from a mountaineering trip to Russian Caucasus. Not only does the bag match the rest of Russian luggage, the plastic keeps the ice axes and steel edges on skis from damaging other people's stuff |
For bringing your passport, tickets and wallet, I highly
recommend the Unipörs. It does not show under jackets, you can easily remove it
in the security check, and will be able to reach your stuff with one hand only
if you are holding on to your cabin bag, or while enjoying that coffee.
Pickpockets do not get a chance – and you’ll be looking elegant, too.
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| Unipörs is a crossover between shoulder holster and secret inner pocket. Perfect for travels and adventures - see more examples here. |
Transfer times in large airports can be long and miserable.
However, most airports have a website where the gates are displayed and the
transfer times are available. Gates usually close 15-20 minutes prior to
departure. Having 55 minutes to transfer is plenty in Swedish Bromma (BMA) or
Latvian Riga (RIX), and in remote places like tiny Greenlandic Kulusuk (KUS) you will be wondering
what to do with all the time. The same 55 minutes would mean that you will never make a transfer in Paris
CDG, or any other airport with several international terminals. In some
transfers, when you need to pass the customs to the landside and enter the
airside again, even 2 hours is on the adventurous side.
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| The Earth's northernmost airport that has scheduled flights. I happen to frequent it, both when sailing all the way to Svalbard and flying back, and when I go there as a guide. |
Try to streamline your airport experience. There may be a
random check in the security, or a last-minute gate change. Do not relax until
you are actually at the gate. I have made that mistake several times and missed
the flight just by minutes…
Lastly: consider a pre-booked pickup, especially in
countries that are less developed. The hassle of getting a decently priced ride
is usually not worth the price difference. The potential dangers of getting
into the wrong car are not to be ignored. Getting safe to your first basecamp
is most important of all – after arriving to safety of the correct (!) place to
stay, you can start living more on the edge.
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| A taxi driver who's pre-booked through trustable sources, which means all parts know that the customer is being expected, the destination is double-checked, and the delivery part is held accountable. The only way to travel solo in some areas in Russia. |
Wishing you all the best on your travels! Follow adrenalena.se for more blog posts, @thewicked on Twitter for ongoing updates, and @adrenalenaadventures on Instagram for those amazing adventure photos.