👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see. This week we interrupt the regular programming to introduce the first of our special “Top 10” editions. With the summer travel season quickly approaching, what better way to kick these off than with the Top 10 Travel Hacks for 2022. Taken directly from our repertoire of previously published hacks, they range from the simple, to the practical all the way to the advanced. Regardless of your travel style, there is definitely something for everyone on this list.

So now without further ado, let’s take it away!

Alvin

#1 Fly with water.

So it turns out water bottles can fly. So long as they are frozen solid. Though already obvious to some, most people don’t know that liquids in frozen or solid form do not count against liquid carry-on limits and will pass most country’s security screening checkpoints. According to the United States TSA, one of the more strict enforcers of this policy:

“Frozen liquid items are allowed through the checkpoint as long as they are frozen solid when presented for screening. If frozen liquid items are partially melted, slushy, or have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they must meet 3-1-1 liquids requirements.”

As with most security checkpoints, they clearly state that the final decision rests with the agent on whether an item is allowed or not. So always double check your departure country’s specific policies on liquids before flying. Also, don’t freeze your liquid in any non-disposable container just in case. But as someone who’s taken advantage of this little hack multiple times throughout the years, I can report I’ve never encountered any issues.

#2 Have the entire row for yourself.

Although this hack is more a toss of the dice or a gamble than an actual hack, it is still very worth the try if you are flying in pairs or with your significant other. Whenever you book your flights on a plane with 3 seat rows, select the seats on both ends of the row (isle & window) and leave the middle seat unselected. If the flight is not completely full, there is a very good chance no one will intentionally select that single middle seat so it is very likely you will get to enjoy the entire row for yourselves. If it turns out the flight is full, the middle seat is always a VERY easy trade with whoever gets it as it works out in everyone’s benefit, so the chances flying separate are extremely low.

#3 Avoid the middle seat.

Does the thought of getting stuck on a middle seat on your next flight make you throw up in your mouth a little? Well if you ever find yourself in such a predicament, dread not! Open a free account on ExpertFlyer and use their Seat Alert feature to get notified when a there is a cancellation on your flight. You can then switch your seat for theirs.

expertflyer.com

#4 Always have a place to Flush.

Ever find yourself having the urge and absolutely no idea where to go? In comes Flush the Toilet finder. Available for both iOS and Android devices, Flush is a simple to use map database with the location of over 200,000 toilets. So whether alone or with the family, on the other side of the world, or just on a side of town you’ve never been, this free app is a definite must have. Download it for you respective device here:

Flush - Toilet Finder for iOS

Flush - Toilet Finder for Android

#5 Embrace the Open Jaw Itinerary.

This is one travel hack that not a lot of people use or are even aware off but can be an extremely convenient way to visit multiple cities or countries. It is basically an itinerary where your destination and/or origin are not the same in both directions. I first came across this many years ago when cruising around the Asia, where I flew in to Shanghai to board my cruise and flew back home out of Singapore. Since then I’ve used the technique to book multi-city itineraries between countries while saving a lot of time and money in the process. It is very effective in Europe where there are so many transportation options between countries.

#6 Load up on your downloads.

Regardless how many amenities come with your first class suite or how comfortable you can make that empty 3 seat row in economy out to be, flying long haul is always a drag. There is only so much you can sleep and so many movies you can watch. Even though most modern carriers offer wifi onboard these days, signal can be quite inconsistent throughout the duration of the flight, not mention slow and quite expensive. One of the ways I keep my sanity on long flights while saving money on data is by using a very underutilized feature you might not even know your browser has called “off-line reading”. When enabled, like the name implies, it allows you to quickly download full webpages to your local hard rive or mobile device internal storage for consumption when you fall outside the coverage area. It not only works great when you are completely off-line, but it is also comes in extremely handy when you are on limited network speed or on a metered connection like the ones available at cruising altitude.

If you are on the Apple ecosystem, the feature is baked into the Safari web browser and syncs your Mac to all your iOS devices via iCloud.

Click here for detailed instructions on how to set it up directly from the Apple website.

If you live in Android, Windows or Linux land, or just want to supercharge what Safari already offers, a freemium service called Pocket has you covered. It is plugin based, so it works across different browsers and operating systems and their mobile app syncs all your devices through the cloud.

You can find it at getpocket.com.

#7 Always make it fragile.

Here at Departures, we prefer to always go carry-on only. But there’s a little trick we like to save for those rare times where we need to check luggage. Before handing your suitcase at the counter, ask for a free “Fragile” tag or label. Most airlines baggage handlers will place these on top to the pile inside the baggage compartment and they are usually the first items to come off the aircraft and on to the conveyor belt at your destination.

#8 Stay Hydrated.

One of the biggest challenges of being constantly on road or in the air is staying properly hydrated. A company called Liquid I.V. has cleverly come up with a product to help with that. Their Hydration Multiplier consists of a small packet of Gatorade tasting powder that you pour into your water bottle, shake and drink. The benefit? It hydrates you 2-3 times when compared to drinking the same amount of water on its own. More, hydration with less visits to the lavatory is a huge win in my book.

via liquid-iv.com

#9 Keep you packing in check.

Ever find yourself overwhelmed trying to decide what to pack? There is an app just for that! Available for iOS and Android, PackPoint is a travel organizer that will advice you on the best options based on the weather at your destination, the length of your trip, and any activities you have planned. Take a peek at how it works below:

via: packpnt.com

#10 Always look fresh

This travel hack is for all our makeup wearing readers. The folks over at The Pocket Palette have come up with one of the most practical ways to freshen up on the go with their disposable makeup packs. Each pre-perforated pack includes black mascara (with wand), pink dual purpose lip/cheek color and BB cream or foundation in 4 different shades. Each item in the pack is perfectly portioned so you can carry a full face of makeup anywhere you go. At about the size of a Post-It note, you can put one on your carry on and avoid the hassle of fumbling through your larger makeup kit when you try to touch up before landing.

via thepocketpalette.com

Have a favorite hack you would like to share with the community? We would love to hear it! Leave in the comment section down below.

Leave a comment