All the Right Moves: Timesaving Travel Tips
(July 2001)
Time is what everybody wants,
but nobody seems to have enough of it. Today's consumers have less
time than ever, and are looking for ways to reduce stress and
simplify their lives—especially when it comes to travel. The
following are a few timesaving travel tips—from flying to visiting a
theme park—that will help you have a better trip.
Air
Travel
Understand the Difference Between Direct and
Nonstop
Understand airline lingo: "direct" is not
"nonstop." Direct flights do stop—you just don't change planes. To
save time, book the nonstop flight. (Time saved: several
hours)
Fly Early
DOT statistics reveal
that flights scheduled to depart and arrive early in the day have
better on time performance. Flying early has another advantage: If
your selected flight is canceled, you will have a better chance of
being rebooked on a flight later in the day.
(Time saved: several
hours)
Fly on Saturday Night or
Holidays
Airports are less crowded, and flights are
usually on time.
(Time saved: a day)
Use Regional
Airports
Compared to their big city counterparts,
regional airports offer easy parking and smaller check-in lines.
Plus, as a bonus, they usually offer cheaper fares! (Time saved: one
hour)
Use a Skycap
Check your bags and
walk right to the gate. Just make sure your bags get on the conveyer
belt immediately. Skycaps can get very busy—sometimes too busy to
watch your bag, which presents a prime opportunity for criminals to
steal your luggage.
(Time saved: one hour)
Flight
Cancellations: Don't Stand in Line
If your flight
gets cancelled, don't stand in line with the rest of the crowd. Get
on your cell phone, or the nearest pay phone, and call the airline's
800-customer service number to be rebooked. (Time saved: 15 minutes
to several hours)
Ship Your Luggage
Ahead
Ship parcels and bags ahead; don't check them.
Reduce your stress level by mailing items by a reliable overnight
package service such as UPS or Federal Express. Also consider two
companies that specialize in shipping luggage, Virtual Bellhop and
CAPS. Virtual Bellhop has been
in business since 1999 and ships luggage throughout the U.S. and
Canada. CAPS currently operates only
in Las Vegas; however, it plans to expand to other destinations
throughout the U.S. It may cost a few dollars, but the stuff will
get there and you don't have to carry it. I've found this a great
option for shipping skis. (Time saved: 30 minutes to one
hour)
Pick Up and Drop-Off
Points
Picking up or dropping off someone at the
airport? Do the opposite of what most people do; pick up at
departure level, and drop off at baggage claim. This works
especially well for early morning and late evening flights, when the
departure level is jammed. Moreover, you are less likely to become
stuck in traffic. Most large airports have peak times for arrivals
and departures, known as banks of flights. Banks of flights
are necessary at the major hub airports to make schedules flow for
connecting passengers. Airports tend to be busiest at the following
times: 8 to 10 am, noon to 2 p.m., 4 to 6 p.m., and 8 to 10 p.m.
(Time saved: 15 to 30 minutes)
Flying to Asia? Fly a
Polar Route
The end of the Cold War has opened
airspace over Russia and China, which can now be flown by newer,
longer-range aircraft. By flying polar routes, airlines can cut off
hours from the circuitous routes planes now fly between North
America and Asia. Currently, Air Canada, Continental, Northwest, and
United fly polar routes from certain cities to Asia. (Time saved: up
to three hours)
Hotels
Checking In: Skip
Those Lines
Sidestep long check-in lines when you
arrive. Check your bags with the bellman, then call the hotel via
pay phone or cell phone to have your reservation confirmed—just give
them your credit card number, pick up your keys from the front desk,
and go on your way. (Time saved: 15 to 30
minutes)
Checking Out: Skip Those Lines, Part
II
When checking out, go down to the desk very early
in the morning, before official checkout time. You won't have to
turn in your room key, and you may still use your room until
official checkout time (usually around 11 pm). (Time saved: 15 to 30
minutes)
Don't Charge to Your Hotel
Room
Don't charge anything to your hotel room. It is
too confusing to verify the list of room charges when you are
checking out. Pay cash for room service, etc. That way you'll know
that extra item on your bill can't be yours. (Time saved: 15 to 30
minutes)
Rental Cars
Join car rental programs
(at no cost) and enjoy timesaving extras. Because paperwork will be
done in advance, there's no waiting—you can go straight to your car.
The following companies offer these perks:
However, one does stand out from the
rest: National's Emerald Club
offers quick check-in, and members can have their returned rental
car refueled by National service agents at local self-serve gas
prices. The "save time fuel service," is available to all Emerald
Club members. (Time saved: 15 minutes to one hour)
Cruise
Ship
Get Your Tips in Order
Have
tips put aside in envelopes before you go on the cruise to avoid
last minute long line waits at the purser's desk. (Time saved: 15 to
30 minutes)
Theme Parks
Buy Tickets
Early
Many big theme parks sell tickets for you to
purchase in advance at various outlets or online. By purchasing
tickets ahead of time, you can avoid standing in line at the park,
and can go directly to the turnstiles. (Time saved: 30 minutes to
one hour)
Arrive Early
Arrive early, at
least 30 minutes prior to opening. Some parks will allow you to
enter even earlier. You will not be able to get on the rides early,
but you might be first in line. (Time saved: 15 to 30
minutes)
Don't Follow the Crowd
Many
people will go to the right and move clockwise throughout the park.
Instead, go left and move counterclockwise. Also, in the morning,
most guests go to attractions near the gate or to the newest one.
Head to the back of the park first and ride the rides while the
lines are short. (Time saved: 30 minutes to one
hour)
Jump to the Head of the
Line
Visitors to the Walt Disney World theme parks
can utilize a FASTPASS.
This free service allows riders to get a designated ride time for
the most popular attractions. Just slide your regular park ticket
through the turnstiles at participating attractions. Your free
Disney's FASTPASS ticket will be imprinted with a designated ride
time.
At Universal Studios, for a fee, you can get the
Universal Express Pass and jump to the front of any long line. The
price per day for the Express Pass is $99 for adults and $79.95 for
children age three to nine.
(Time saved: several
hours)
Ride Basics
In general, the wait
for coasters is longer in the morning, and water rides are more
crowded in the afternoon when it gets hotter. Avoid the long lines
by doing the water rides in the morning and the coasters in the
afternoon.
(Time saved: 15 to 30 minutes)
Road Trips
Start Early and Stagger Hours
If
you can stagger your driving hours to avoid peak rush hours, you'll
spend less time sitting in traffic. (Time saved: 30 minutes to
several hours)
Plan Your Trip
Ahead
There are many free online
mapping sources for planning your trip. You can also join and
use AAA's auto travel services.
Professional travel counselors provide personal assistance in
planning a trip by car, routing you via your choice of scenic or
most direct routes. Regional and city maps, plus TripTiks and
TourBooks, are available for free to members.
(Time saved:
several hours)
Check for Construction
Delays
Avoid possible delays. Find out about road
construction projects in the U.S. and Canada that may affect your
trip. Rand
McNally has an updated list of road construction areas.
(Time
saved: 30 minutes to several hours)
Use Your Credit
Card When Refueling
Avoid lines at gas stations by
utilizing pumps that take credit cards. (Time saved: 15
minutes)
Use a Travel Agent
A number of surveys
over the past few years have shown consumers' willingness to pay for
timesaving services. Travel planning ranks near the top as a service
for which people are willing to pay. If you have a complicated
travel itinerary, or just don't have the time to plan every
important detail, travel agents will do it for you. (Time saved:
several hours)
Subscribe to Timesaving Internet Deals and
News
Finally, make sure you've signed up for Smarter
Living's free e-mail
travel newsletters to stay current on the latest deals. (Time
saved: priceless).
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