All articles tagged with #travel hacks
Many people afford expensive European vacations through a combination of work perks, staying with friends or family, financial support from relatives, travel hacking with credit card points, and strategic planning such as early bookings and house swaps, despite the high costs and economic challenges.
Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle criticized the widespread abuse of wheelchair services by passengers who don't need them, urging penalties similar to those for handicapped parking violations. He highlighted that on some flights, many passengers request wheelchairs for priority boarding but don't use them upon arrival, costing the airline and delaying service for those truly in need. This misuse was exacerbated by a TikTok travel hack promoting the practice.
Flight attendant Shanese Stuckey shares her top 10 travel hacks and must-have products for a smoother travel experience. These include a cup holder that attaches to your suitcase handle, packing cubes for efficient packing, a portable door lock for added security in hotel rooms, a phone holder for airplane travel, a mini portable charger, a Bluetooth audio transmitter for better in-flight entertainment, a universal power travel plug adapter, a carry-on garment bag that doubles as a garment bag, an illuminating mirror for quick touch-ups, and non-drowsy Dramamine for motion sickness. All products are available on Amazon.
A frequent flyer named Courtney Snell has sparked a debate after sharing her "best travel hack" for sleeping on planes on TikTok. Snell praised an inflatable pillow that comes with earplugs and an eye mask, demonstrating how she napped with it on a plane. While some viewers gushed over the pillow and thanked her for the recommendation, others criticized it as too much work or uncomfortable. The pillow has garnered rave reviews on Amazon, but opinions remain divided.
American Airlines is suing travel company Skiplagged Inc., accusing it of deception and threatening to cancel all tickets sold by the website. Skiplagged facilitates the practice of "hidden city" fares, where travelers book cheaper flights to a city that isn't their final destination. American Airlines recently banned a teenager for three years after he attempted to use this tactic.
Former adult film star turned influencer and entrepreneur, Mia Khalifa, shared a travel hack on Instagram where she convinced a fellow passenger that she and her friend were on their honeymoon to get them to switch seats and sit together. The clever maneuver worked, allowing them to enjoy their flight side by side in business class. This is just one of Khalifa's recent travel escapades, as she also shared a hack for repelling mosquitos using a bubble machine.
Brad Wilson, founder of BradsDeals, collected 4 million airline miles by buying $1 coins from the U.S. Mint's website using his American Express Starwood credit card. He transferred the reward points to his American Airlines AAdvantage program, accumulating 1.25 miles per point transferred. He gained platinum user status for life and 40 round-trip domestic flights. The program was discontinued in 2011.
Budget travelers are finding creative ways to avoid airline luggage fees, including wearing fishing vests and stuffing travel pillows with clothes. One traveler packed a week's worth of clothes in a fishing vest, while another removed the foam from a neck pillow and filled it with clothing items. These hacks allow travelers to avoid paying extra fees for hold luggage and have cheaper vacations.
Travelers looking to avoid baggage fees are turning to a new hack: wearing a fishing vest on the plane. The vest, which has numerous pockets, allows passengers to carry on items that would otherwise require an additional fee for checked luggage. While airlines have not yet caught on to this trend, some travelers are concerned that it may lead to stricter carry-on policies in the future.
Skiplagging, the practice of booking a flight with a layover at the intended destination and skipping the second leg, is a cost-saving strategy used by travelers to find cheaper tickets. However, airlines hate it and have added written protections against it in their contracts of carriage. Airlines could punish travelers by canceling the return leg, taking away loyalty miles and elite status, or even banning them from booking with the airline again.