4 Airport Hacks For Easier Travel

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Traveling through the airport can be kind of wild.

Whether you’ve never been to one and are planning a fabulous trip or have traveled hundreds of times, you will have a story about your experience.

From checking bags, battling lines through TSA and customer support, and having your gates changed unexpectedly, it’s all part of the adventure. 

However, you can do a few things to make some of these obstacles easier for yourself.

Here are 4 airport hacks for easier travel. 

Luggage Tracking Device 

This hack I learned about recently, but I thought it was a great idea.

If you plan on checking a bag or bags, buying these relatively cheap airtags could save you some headaches. 

Apple air tags can be purchased on amazon or through the apple website.

They cost around $25 each; you can register them with your phone, and they are just bigger than a quarter. 

Samsung also has its version called smart tags, which are a little cheaper at $21 on amazon.

If your checked bag gets accidentally rerouted or misplaced, you will be able to locate it and inform the airline asap.

Global Entry + Clear

This is one of the biggest time-saving hacks I know of.

If you are on the fence about Global Entry or TSA precheck, the main factor is international travel.

If you only fly domestically in the U.S., TSA precheck will be more than enough.

With this, you can bypass the long TSA lines.

You also don’t have to remove anything from your bags or take off your shoes.

But, if you travel internationally, Global Entry is the way to go.

If you go this route, you must have a valid U.S. passport. 

You automatically get TSA precheck and expedited entry back into the U.S. from foreign countries bypassing customs with Global Entry. 

Currently, TSA precheck is $78 for five years, and Global Entry is $100 for five years. 

You can visit https://ttp.dhs.gov for the application for TSA precheck and Global Entry. 

A newer identification strategy is Clear. 

You don’t need a passport for this, only a government-issued ID.

Clear uses technology to scan your eyes to confirm your identity and bumps you to the front of the TSA lines. 

Remember, if you don’t have TSA precheck, all this will do is get you to the front of the regular TSA line. 

If you have TSA precheck, you will get to skip to the front of the precheck line.

The only downside is that it costs $189 a year, and here is the website https://www.clearme.com.

My take on these is that if you travel a lot to and from busy airports, it might be worth your time and money to get both.

Getting both TSA precheck/Global Entry and Clear will move you rapidly through the TSA lines and to your gate.

**If you have Amex Platinum or Premium Chase Sapphire Reserve, it will reimburse your expense for Global Entry. 

I’m not sure what cards reimburse for what ID service besides these, but it would be worth researching!

Carry-on Bags

There is a lot to know about carry-on bags, and information can vary from each airline.

For most airlines, bringing a carry-on bag is free.

This is true except for budget companies like Frontier, Spirit, and JetBlue.

There might be others on the list, but these are the three most common I know of.

If you can manage with only a carry-on, you can gate-check it for FREE to your destination.

This means that you bring it through TSA to your gate.

You do not check it at the ticket counter, or else they will charge you (unless you’re on Southwest). 

Once an employee arrives at your boarding gate, you can ask them to gate-check your bag or wait until you board.

You will likely hear them over the speaker asking people to gate-check their belongings due to limited space.

They will be happy to place a little tag on it for you.

Once you reach your destination, you will pick it up on the jet bridge or baggage claim.

Just make sure to ask the gate agent where to pick it up when you land.

If they aren’t sure, the gate agents at your last destination will be able to tell you.

Also, the gate agent who tags your bag will give you a number that comes from it for you to keep.

This number is also on the original tag to use if it gets misplaced, which is not likely.

Save yourself the hassle of lifting your bag in the overhead bin and check it to your destination!

Organization

The last tip in the list of 4 airport hacks for easier travel is being organized.

It might seem self-explanatory, but I can’t tell you how many people I have seen unprepared.

Being organized involves everything.

Have your government-issued ID out and ready to go.

You will have to show it to at least one person to get to your gate.

It’s a good idea to have your ticket printed out at the kiosk or, even better, take a screenshot of it on your cell phone.

My advice is not to wait until you get to the airport.

There might not be any signal there, and then you’ll have to rely on the ticket counter or self-service kiosk for a paper ticket.

Sometimes this is ok, but other times there are long lines for the ticket counter and/or the kiosks are broken.

Pets 

If you have a pet flying with you, you must plan ahead.

Before you even buy a ticket, call the airline with the flight number you intend to be in, and ask if there is room for your pet.

Flights only allow a certain number of animals at one time.

If they give you the “ok,” book your flight and then call or use the online chat service to register your animal for the trip.

You are required to do this if you have a cabin pet (a pet that will be under the seat in front of you as your carry-on) or a cargo bin pet (if they are going to be placed where the baggage goes under the plane.)

Depending on the airline, they might ask you for a health certificate for your pet.

This means you have to go to the vet, get one filled out, and present it to the agent at the ticket counter.

It usually costs around $30.

The airline may only ask for up-to-date vaccination records.

Don’t be that person that shows up with your sweet fur baby, bags ready to go, without any information or pre-planning. 

Traveling through the airport is quite an adventure in itself!

It’s important to do what you can for a good experience.

Although, flight cancelations, late flights, delays, etc., aren’t something anyone can do about.

But, you can plan accordingly for a smooth ride.

These 4 airport hacks for easier travel are just some of the positive actions you can do for yourself.

I hope this information serves you well and happy travels!