Don’t Wing It. How to Fly Through Your Travels With Ease

Don’t Wing It: Fly Through the Airport With Ease

Want to stay at cruising altitude this summer? Here, a few quick tips to keep your travel on track.
Carry-on if you can.
Know you’re not making your flight? Alert the airline ASAP—not only will a standby passenger nab your seat, you’ll have a better chance of getting a spot on the next available flight.
Flight canceled? Skip the uberlong line and call the airline instead. The agents on the phone will rebook you—and you avoid losing the next best available flight to everyone at the front of the line.
Airline’s fault you’re stranded? Odds are you can nab hotel accommodations or food vouchers free of charge depending on your airline’s policy.

Skip the Stress

Want to reach your desired destination in just a hop, jump and a skip… lag? Many travelers are opting to ‘skiplag,’ aka intentionally missing their connecting flight in lieu of staying at the layover city.

Passport Pro Tips

Due to a surge in travel, passports are in high demand. Here’s the 411 on how to get or renew yours like a frequent flyer.
First-timers may apply in person. (Pro tip: Make an appointment.) Renewals can apply by mail and even submit your own photo that meets department requests.
Don’t botch the shot. Pro tip: Head to CVS or Walgreens for your passport pic.
Arrive photo ready: No glasses, hairwear, hat or headphones; no smiling (hey, govt.!); ears must show; plain one-color shirts are best.
If you’re submitting your own photo, it must be high-res, 2-by-2 inches, printed on matte/glossy photo-quality paper and undamaged.
Don’t procrastinate: Applications currently take 10 to 13 weeks—not including mail time (up to four+ weeks). In a time crunch? Pay $60 to expedite for a seven- to nine-week turnaround.
Procrastinated and passport expired? Good news, you can renew a passport issued in the last 15 years—an extra five on top of its 10-year lifespan.
Watch out for any third-party companies offering to expedite. Trust only the U.S. Department
of State.
Track your application online via the U.S. Department of State’s website.
Booking international travel with renewal IP? FYI a new passport comes with a new number, so update your ticket info.
When you’re booking a flight, be sure the name printed on your passport is an exact match as the name on your flight ticket.

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