Tried and True: Johnny Jet Travel Tips

Surviving Holiday Travel

Travel expert Johnny Jet answers your most common questions.

It’s hard to believe, but the holidays are upon us. For those who’ll be setting sail this season, here are 10 tips for a smoother, faster, and less expensive travel experience if you’ll be taking to the skies to catch your ship.

1. Double-check your passport.
It’s a great idea to make sure your passport is valid. Some countries won’t let you in unless your passport has more than six months before its expiration date.

2. Get Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
If you travel internationally, get Global Entry. If you travel to and from Canada often, then get NEXUS, or Sentri for frequent travelers to and from Mexico. These memberships allow you to breeze past the typically long customs and immigration lines and automatically enroll you into TSA PreCheck, so you don’t have to wait in long security lines. If you don’t have TSA PreCheck, then be sure to ask if there’s more than one security checkpoint.

3. Be security ready.
One reason security lines are so long is because infrequent travelers don’t know the drill. Make sure you learn the 3-1-1 liquids rule and pack accordingly. Also, pull out your laptop from its case, as well as coins, keys, and phones. Better yet, put these smaller items in your jacket pocket and have your ID ready to go.

4. Don’t check valuables or medicines.
If you’re checking a bag, remember not to pack any valuables inside. Although the airlines claim they will reimburse you up to $3,300 for lost domestic bags, they exclude “fragile” items, “valuables,” and “business effects,” which includes things such as cash, electronics, jewelry, and artwork.

5. Reconfirm your flight.
If you bought your ticket far in advance, there’s a good chance your flight times or routings have changed. The airlines are required to notify you, but just in case you overlooked a message, always double-check.

6. Sign up for flight notifications.
These days, flights are going out almost at full capacity, which means if you miss your flight or if it’s canceled, you don’t have….

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