MONICA: Words of Advice from a Frequent Flyer

Since the end of March, I have been flying from one destination to another at least once almost every week. This year being engaged, I have been making a major effort to split my time between wherever Marco is (which is always changing) and my hometown of Seattle to spend time with my family and close friends as much as possible before permanently moving away after we’re married next year.

So, since we all know a life in baseball means my sweet fiancé can never come visit me, I have become somewhat of a travel expert (Marco says, “self proclaimed”) and because Seattle is light-years away from just about every other city in the country, and Marco is rarely on the west coast, my travel days are generally 8+ hours long, with multiple connecting flights. Here a few things I have learned from my experiences…

Booking! 

A resource that has been really awesome for us is a site called skyscanner.com. It is perfect for last minute flyers (or all flyers for that matter), because it allows you to see all flights and airlines leaving from whatever airport you’re flying out of, so you can directly compare prices, and then book through the airline (without the annoying Priceline/Expedia guys).

Tip Here – always, always, always purchase travel insurance – just incase that “Call-Up” we’ve all been waiting for happens to come at an inconvenient time. Also, book your seats when you buy your flight! If airlines overbook, and you don’t have your assigned seat, you will be the first one out of a flight.

Airlines 
Pretty much every flight I take is booked within the same week or even sometimes the same day I pack up and leave, so we generally go with the cheapest flight available. Which means, I can tell you the ins and outs of just about every airline, so here are some things I have learned to expect when flying each one:

United: Potentially my favorite airline. I’ve always had good experiences here between the flight staff, reliability, and travel perks. Long flights include free wine (major plus), a meal, and a “digi-player.” They also have great deals on international flights incase you ever feel like a spontaneous trip to Europe (another post on that coming later!)

Delta: Another favorite. However, I have recently found that they schedule connecting flights dangerously close together. Which means you might find yourself sprinting through the airport in between flights when you land 10 minutes after your next flight begins boarding. Delta is also partnered with Alaska so you can combine mileage plans.

Alaska: My family loves Alaska, they’re definitely popular in the Northwest. However, I’ve found that if the airline messes up somehow (overbooking for example), they are not quick to apologize or accommodate for the mistake. But the “20-minute or less” guarantee to get your bags to the baggage claim is pretty awesome.

Southwest: A big favorite of anyone involved in the sports world (especially sports spouses) because they don’t charge for flight changes or cancellations, so a last minute change in plans doesn’t cost any extra. They will also wait for their checked in passengers who might be running a little late (a major plus for me). The boarding situation of choosing your own seat as you walk on the plane is still a little strange to me, but its not a big deal if you’re traveling in a party of one. Southwest also has a great credit card that you can use to rack up miles toward flights! They have promotions every once in a while where you can pick up extra miles by booking at certain times. 

US Airways/American Airlines: These two are operated by the same company, so they are essentially the same. With these, I’ve noticed that they’re really efficient with their travel days. For example, if you’re going from Washington to Florida, they wont have a connecting flight with a stop in New York (some airlines actually do this).

Frontier/Spirit Airlines: You’ll find that these are usually the cheapest options when initially booking, but I have never had a good experience on either of these airlines. They will charge you to book your seat, charge for a bag, charge for food/drinks, and charge for carry-on, charge you for every step you take on the airplane… basically I don’t have enough nickels & dimes to fly this airline. Keep away.

Travel Day -  Misc. tips for the day of travel.

I’ve found that cotton is my favorite clothing to travel in. Sounds random, but as much as I love my luon lululemon pants, cotton leggings are the comfiest for long days.  A good pair of tennis shoes and layers on top is also key.

Most people know the rule of thumb is to arrive about an hour and a half before flight time. When you’re at a smaller airport, you can cut down on that time to about an hour. And it's important to note that boarding time always starts about 5-10 minutes after it's supposed to, and you can board your flight up to about 10 minutes before scheduled take-off. Your "departure time" is actually the time the gates will close, not the time you will actually be taking off.  The flight staff will make “last boarding call" about 3 times before its really your last chance. I know this because I prefer to wait until the crazy line died down before boarding. 

If you can, fit your clothes into a carry on - even if it’s a larger one (it will save you some money). This way you can avoid the baggage drop line, and once you make it to the gate, and it’s too big to fit in the “overhead compartment,” the airline will put it with the other luggage without charging you the $25 you pay for a real checked bag. "Savvy veteran move"-Marco

Going through security, be sure to smile and make conversation with the TSA people. If you’re lucky, they will "randomly" select you to go to the TSA pre-check  line, meaning you go through security without having to take off your shoes, or remove electronics and liquids from your carry-on (much quicker - score!).

As of recent, most airlines don’t serve food (aside from the peanuts/pretzels) during flights shorter than 4.5 hours now, and they'll charge for it if they do. We all know we can't take large bottles of liquid through security, but you can take food! So I like to pack a wrap/sandwich and some dried fruit for the flight.. You can never be too sure what airport options are and it will save you some time and money.

Since I fly so much, I try to avoid asking my friends for rides to and from the airport. Taxis are expensive and an Uber can pick you up from the airport but only in a “Black Car”, which is about $50 a mile. I would suggest finding a complimentary shuttle to a nearby hotel, and then order an Uber from there.

Airports are always crazy and hectic, filled with stressed out people hustling & bustling for all sorts of reasons (sad, happy, vacation, business), so try not to stress when travel days don't go as planned. The other day, it took me 17 hours to get from Seattle to Palm Beach, Florida, because of mechanical problems, lightning storms, pilot issues, and everything else that could have possibly gone wrong. Easier said than done, but don’t forget there’s always a solution, and focus on the smiling face you'll get to see at the end of it..or in my case, a handsome man ;) All the miles & stressful hours are always worth it. 

Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to avoid over-packing… 2 years of constant traveling and I still don’t have that one mastered.

Safe travels everyone!

Xoxo

Mon