Top Tips for Flying With Or Without Kids

Whoever said, “getting there is half the fun” obviously wasn’t “getting there” by flying with children! 

While family vacations are something we look forward to, the transportation part is usually the most stressful.

Those travel days can be stressful anyway with lines at security, weather delays, and tight connections, but it is compounded when you are also trying to keep the kids happy and cooperative.

Here are some of our favorite tips for reducing the stress of flying with kids by helping to make sure that your airport logistics run smoothly…

Murphy’s Law Applies to Travel Too

As a parent, I trust you are familiar with Murphy’s Law… you know the one, if it can go wrong, it will go wrong. You may not have invited Mr. Murphy on your vacation, but he loves to tag along.

It’s always a good idea to expect the best… but plan for the worst. There is no need to start your vacation by being stressed that you might miss your flight. Make sure you leave plenty of time for travel to the airport and for getting through security before your flight. Plan for traffic and other delays.

When traveling with kids, or with any larger group, we recommend arriving at the airport no less than 90 minutes before a domestic flight or two and a half hours before an international flight.

Avoid Tight Connections

If you aren’t taking a nonstop or direct flight, make sure you leave plenty of time to make your connecting flights. Nothing is worse than running through an unfamiliar airport yelling at your children to hurry up and stick together!

While airlines may allow you to book close connections, remember that flights will begin boarding around 45 minutes to an hour before take-off, and most airlines require that you are on board at least 15 minutes before your departure time. When you think about that, a 40-minute connection starts to feel a little more stressful!

We recommend at least 90 minutes for domestic connections and 2.5 to 3 hours for international flights. Remember that most connections occur at “hub” airports. These airports tend to be larger and more confusing. Your connection could involve a change of terminals, and at some airports, you may have to wait for a train or bus to travel from one terminal to another.

Don’t Split Your Flights

We often hear travelers talk about finding a “deal” by splitting their flight up into 2 tickets. For instance, when traveling to Europe, they may book a one-way ticket from home to a hub city like Atlanta or New York and then another ticket from there to their European destination.

This means you will have to collect your bags after the first flight, then check them in for the next flight, and go through security again. You will also likely have to change from a domestic terminal to an international terminal. In some cities, this is not easy to do. Not to mention that it is not uncommon for travelers to realize too late that their New York flights are actually arriving and departing from two different airports!

Should you miss your connection, there is nothing you can do since the airline had no idea you were connecting from an earlier flight and the airline will consider you a no show.

It’s always best to book your flights on one ticket all the way through. That way, your bags can be checked straight through to your final destination. Should circumstances beyond your control result in an unexpectedly tight connection, they will often hold the second flight for you as well.

Pack Smart

When selecting your carry-on for the trip, pick your bag carefully. Consider all of the little loose things that you’ll be carrying and make sure there are either pockets to keep them organized and easy to find or pack smaller bags to keep things together in your carry-on. Be sure you have room for jackets, pillows, books, or toys that can easily get left behind as you transition from one step to the next of your trip.

Keep Documents Handy

Something else to consider with your carry-on bag is if it has somewhere to securely store your documents where they are safe but still easily accessible. One way to reduce confusion and stress is to have one person be in charge of all of the travel documents, so they are always in one place. Everyone can hold their own paperwork at security or when ready to board an international flight, but once they are through, keep them all together. Not having to fumble around to find them will save you time and frustration.

Pack Some Power

Traveling with electronics? Make sure you have charging cords, outlet plugs, adapters, and ideally extra battery packs. One of the most helpful things to have in your carry-on is a splitter that allows for more than one device to be plugged in at a time. 

Should your flight be delayed, the outlets in the terminal will quickly be claimed by passengers wanting to be sure their device gets charged while they wait. Being able to ask if you can share the outlet, and both have access to power can be a lifesaver!

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry

If you travel frequently, these programs are worth their weight in gold!

TSA PreCheck allows you to zip through shorter security lines without having to remove your shoes or take liquids or laptops out of your bag. An added bonus is that most people in the TSA PreCheck line are seasoned travelers, so the process is that much smoother and faster. Global Entry holders are automatically enrolled in TSA PreCheck.

Global Entry helps you speed your way through customs on your return from an international flight. The last thing you want to have to do at the end of a long and exhausting travel day is stand in a long line at the very end of your journey! I've had Global Entry since 2012 and here's how both programs worked for me

Traveling with kids can be stressful! It’s our job to make family vacations as fun and easy for Mom and Dad as they are for the kids. Sit back and let us take care of all of the details… all you have to do is show up and enjoy your vacation! Click here to schedule a time for us to talk and get started planning your next getaway.

Maybe It's Time for A New Suitcase

First time I remember seeing people get hit with overweight fees for their bags was back in 2006. Checking in for a Thanksgiving week flight, a family of 3 ahead of us had to cough up $280 for their three bags. Needless to say, they were those 28" traditional soft side suitcases. Of course I was a little worried, because Big Red(if you don't know we like to nickname stuff in my family) was the next size down, but luckily it was fine. After that the bags always went on the bathroom scale to make sure they were under 50 lbs. A few years later I was in the market for a bag that bridged the size from Big Red to our collection of those ubiquitous black 20" wheelies that everyone uses for carry-ons. I came across a soft wheelie duffle bag from High Sierra, 24" and it only weighs 7 lbs. Eye roll from my husband, on why I needed that. Well come one of those winter long weekends and we are headed up to Boyne Mountain to ski. He volunteered to pack, and came down stairs amazed at what he could get into that bag, ski pants, ski gloves, snow boots and goggles and he still had room and it didn't feel that heavy. Of course this bag has a nickname also, Angry Orange, so you can guess what color it is. It's a tough bag it's been on 4 cruises, various other flying trips and it handled 6th grade Camp Michindoh with my youngest. Other than a few dirt marks, it still looks great and nothing has fallen off.

So when ebags had a sale I purchased the above bag, which is a TLS Mother Load 29" Wheeled Duffle. I really like the two sections, which is great when I have to do a dual trip, vacation stuff in one section and business clothes in the other. I used it this past summer when I was in Europe for 10 days I weighed it before I left and it was only 38 pounds and that included 4 pairs of shoes! I promise I will do a blog on how I decide what to bring on a trip.

So if you are planning on hitting the road or skies in the near future take a look at your suitcase. I am not a fan of those lightweight hard side bags. They tend not to last more than a few flights if you are checking them, seen more than a few on the baggage carousel that are cracked.

Here are my tips:

1. Always weigh your bags at home, I use my bathroom scale and for a checked bag I don't want it to weigh more than 45 pounds. I have found my scale is pretty accurate, but leave some room for purchases and scale variations.

2. If you have too much get that 2nd bag out, 2nd bag fees are usually less than overweight charges. I have seen Delta want to charge $100 for 5 pounds.

3. Know your airlines weight restrictions, yep the usual suspects are 50 pounds, but you fly Spirit it's  only 40 pounds.

4. If you have to pay for bags, figure out when is the best time to pay for them. Spirit and a lot of the European budget airlines have price breaks on when you buy bag fees. Cheapest when you buy the ticket, more expensive when you check in online and you really pay through the nose when you do it at the airport. And we all think Spirit nickels & dimes us, you haven't seen the European budget airlines!

5. Some airlines are weighing your carry-on bag, the 20" ones that are so loved by road warriors. Air Canada & Hawaiian have started to do this.

So if your old suitcases don't look like they will make another flight or you are just plain embarrassed by them, check out some of the newer lightweight bags.

Let's Play What's A Great Deal

Okay this cartoon is over the top, but how many times have you seen those ads or emails with pricing like this? Or perhaps a TV commercial for an incredible price on a river cruise?  Sometimes you look and find out that the price when you want to go is 4x more than the ad. But how do you know if it's a deal or not? Contact your favorite travel consultant. Why? Because this is what they do everyday, not just when an ad or email catches their eye.

That really "great" price is usually for an inside cabin(no windows) and it usually is the smallest cabin on the ship and in probably the least desirable location. On a certain cruise line this stateroom is so small it just has bunkbeds. This could be very far forward or back on the ship and on a low deck where you will feel a lot of movement. It could be also under the theater, night club or pool deck, so it could be noisy very late at night or first thing in the morning with the crew moving deck chairs around. And the ad is not giving you the "full" price, taxes and port fees need to be added on to the fare. Depending on where you are sailing & to they can add a significant price to your total price. So is this looking good to you?

Also there are the additional costs to cruising, do you know about these? A travel consultant will explain gratuities, drink prices, shore excursions and transfers to and from the airport. And they will also go over the payment process, as there are cruise lines out there that do require you to pay in full to get that great price(a few river cruise lines) and that could be more than a few months before your sailing. The majority require a deposit and final payment at 90 days before. With paying in full that far in advance a travel consultant will go over why you need to consider travel insurance if something happens before your trip.

 

Like the cartoon, their are many airlines that advertise a "great deal" fare but you need to look a little closer than just price if it's a deal for you. Is it Basic Economy, which most of the legacy carriers offer and has a lot of restrictions. Does the airfare have extra costs, like fees for carry on bags, reserving seats together if you are travelling with young children? Well you need to add those to the fare. Most airlines charge for checked bags and they better not be over the weight limit. Overweight charges are scary expensive. And if you are heading to Europe, if you think our budget airlines are bad with fees, their European counterparts are worse. Then did you look at your overall travel time on that "great deal"? Met a honeymoon couple from Washington DC in Jamaica who had a 6 & 8 hour layovers on their flights. So they basically wasted two precious days in airports, when there were two direct flights and numerous ones with better connections.

A travel consultant gets to know you and your traveling party. They take in consideration your budget, type of trip you want to take, what accommodations you like and how long you want to be gone. Then they go to work to find the best deal that is the right fit for you. They can handle all your travel needs, so you just have one person to call and they are your advocate if something goes wrong.

But you may think this will cost you extra? No most travel consultants don't charge a fee, they are paid commission by the vendors they use. They recommend the best trip for you and your budget, because they are not about the "one night stand" trip, they are in it for the long term.  They want you to call again and again for your travel needs.



Not All (Air)Miles are Created Equal

       For tens of millions of airline passengers, both the casual traveler and the professional road warrior, one of the major benefits of air travel is collecting those airline miles so we can get those upgrades or free seats.  But according to a recent annual survey, the ability to use your miles varies greatly by airline.  The survey, reported in the Wall Street Journal, was conducted by the the the firm Switchfly Inc., and has become the standard for the airline industry, measures frequent-flier award seat availability.  In the survey, an online check is done for two seats at the lowest possible mileage level on both the 10 busiest medium and long distance routes for each airline.  By using the busiest routes, the survey checks where airlines have the most available seats and where travelers fly most often.

The following chart shows the shows the results of the 2014 survey for the major U.S. airlines, and the point change from the 2013:

     AIRLINE / % OF SEAT SEAT AVAILABILITY / POINT CHANGE FROM 2013

Southwest / 100% / No change

JetBlue / 92.9% / +4.3

United Airlines / 71.4% / -8.6

Alaska Airlines / 58.6% / +2.2

American Airlines / 55.0% / +6.4

Delta Air Lines / 55.0% / +18.6

US Airways / 35.0% / -1.4

      The reasons and the response to the survey by each airline is very insightful.  Southwest has some structural advantages in its high-frequency, short-haul route system which ensures plenty of available seats.  In addition, its points-based rewards system is shown for every reservation with a cash price and a point-based price.  US Airways has always been at the bottom of the survey, and has a management rule of being very conservative with frequent-flyer rewards.  Interestingly, after the merger with American Airlines, the US Airways management team will run the combined company.  Does anyone think American Airlines performance in the survey will improve next year. Delta Air Lines saw a tremendous improvement last year in its survey performance.  The airline started increasing award seats available on domestic flights on January 1.  But Delta is making some major structural changes to its reward program that could effect its performance next year.  Starting in 2015, Delta is awarding miles based on fare paid, and not miles traveled, and is reducing the miles required for consumers to redeem their miles.

     In its 5 years of existence, the reward seat availability survey has had a major impact on the airline industry. It is is the tool that has allowed consumers a method to quantify seat availability and compare airlines head-to-head.  Hopefully the airlines will respond to increased consumer demand.  I say any information that allows to make better decisions is always welcome.

The Airlines Get Their Grades for 2013

       My wife and I had to laugh this morning as we read an AP story on the 2013 Airline Quality Ratings report.  This report, which is used as a report card for the U.S. airline industry, has been calculated since 1991 by researchers at Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  The researchers grade the the airlines on government figures for on-time performance, mishandled bags, bumped passengers, and complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

       The top rated airline in 2013, for the second year in a row, was Virgin America. Here is a look at the top 15 airlines.

2013 Airline Quality Ratings

1.  Virgin America
2.  JetBlue
3.  Hawaiian
4.  Delta
5.  Alaska Airlines
6.  Endeavor (formerly called Pinnacle Airlines)
7.  USAir
8.  Southwest
9.  American
10. Airtran
11. Frontier
12. United
13. ExpressJet
14. SkyWest
15. American Eagle

        What had my wife and I snickering as we read the story, was the airline industries response to the overall industry performance in each of the individual categories.  After reading that the rate of lost, stolen or delayed bags rose 5% last year and the the on-time performance for the airline industry was down nearly 5% to 78.4 percent; an industry spokesperson commented that the airlines were taking steps to dramatically improve performance in 2014 .  As we reflected on our own recent experience with the airlines; waiting nearly 2 hours for the airline to find our luggage after our family cruise with Disney in January, then having a 4 hour delay for our spring break flight to Florida last week with another airline, we can only wish them well, LOL!!