Top Travel Tips from Carlos
It’s travel season again, and we’re even getting closer to the holidays, which is pretty scary if you ask me. If you follow us on social media, you know I have a horrible habit of booking the very first flight of the day - which is usually at 5:30 or 6 a.m. Don’t ask me why I continue to torture myself, but here we are yet again about to go on a flight and - YEP! - it’s 5:30.
I am one of the worst travelers known to man because I simply can never get to the airport on time. Don’t ask me why, but for whatever reason, no matter how much time I have, I always end up rushing to the gate and getting on right at the last possible moment. (Flight crews love this.) I have found myself literally sweating as I board because that’s how close I cut it.
I blame my routine. Every morning I wake up, do a little scrolling, drink a cup of coffee, walk the dog, have another cup of coffee, and then I’m FINALLY ready to start my day.
No matter what time, my routine is consistent … whether that's three in the morning getting ready for an airport ride or a lazy Sunday at 9 a.m. I cannot stray from my routine. For somebody who hates waking up early, this can be a problem because NO MATTER WHAT my morning routine sticks, and sometimes leads to a “Home Alone” scenario where I am literally running through the terminal.
So I finally figured things out, and now I have a TRAVEL ROUTINE. Here, you’ll find a few tips I’ve incorporated that help me get through the TSA pre-check line expediently so I can make my way to the gate on time. (Trust me, this is Carlos tested and approved.)
Picture this:
I get out of the Uber and make my way toward pre-check. The very first thing I do before entering the airport is take off any jewelry, such as my Apple watch, and belt immediately. I do this at the very beginning because I know my hands are going to be full with my boarding pass, phone and ID. So instead of struggling in line, I just take it all off so it can go through the security conveyor. I also make sure everything is out of my pockets and into my backpack before I even walk into the airport.
Once I make it through pre-check, I then place my boarding pass, phone and ID into my backpack so everything is safe and secure. In the past, I’ve had some bad habits and accidentally left those things in the trays and walked away. Usually I’m stressed out and rushing, so the last thing I need to worry about is leaving anything important behind.
One weird thing is that the bracelet I always wear usually gets flagged. Because I can’t take it off, here’s a little hack I’ve learned traveling. What a TSA agent taught me is that if you stick out your thumb and make an “OKAY” symbol while holding your bracelet, that will help prevent the beeping at the checkpoint. For my Bostonians out there, imagine using this technique for your Cape Cod bracelets.
I will say that some security agents don't like when you do that the first time around, so only use that technique if you know for certain that there is nothing flagging the system other than your bracelet.
Now that I’m through, I usually go through my backpack and begin to put back on my watch, my belt and my jacket. I also carry an empty water bottle through so we don’t pay ridiculous prices for water. Most airports now have some really great water filling stations that are easily accessible. But I’m also a cautious hydrator because I’m not a fan of airplane bathrooms.
So there you have it! That's how I'm able to easily make it through the TSA pre-check, so I can then run my happy little feet over to the gate and make my flight on time.
If you haven’t signed up for TSA pre-check, read on to find out how. It will seriously change your life.
Life Hack No. 1: TSA Pre-Check
TSA PreCheck is definitely a must. A lot of people don't do it for whatever reason because they probably only travel once or twice a year and don't feel the need, but even if that's the case I highly recommend looking into it. The process is a lot easier than you think, and there are actually travel credit cards out there that will reimburse you for this as a benefit of being a customer.
One prime example is Capital One. If you have a travel card with Capital One, they will cover the cost of TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry. All you need to do is book your TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry appointment, and the charge will show up on your statement. Within a few weeks, they will credit you up to $100 for the charge. (You can only do this once every four years). For BNA the cost is $85, so if you have a rewards credit card, chances are they would cover the full cost!
Once you request TSA pre-check, you do have to book an appointment so you can have your passport verified and get fingerprinted. The ROI is high, trust me! Although it sounds like a pain, you only have to do it once, and when it is time to renew after four years, the process is all online.
Once you are approved for Pre-Check, you are emailed a Known Traveler Number (KTN). All you have to do moving forward is make sure you enter your KTN when booking your air travel, similar to adding your rewards points. By adding your KTN, you will automatically have pre-check on your boarding pass. Okay, are you convinced? You’re welcome.
Life Hack No 2: MyTSA App
Our second life hack for the long time traveler is the MyTSA app! It's really one of my favorite apps so far because it tells you the wait times for the closest airport near you. (Turn on your location.) Then, if you’re like me, you can wait until the last possible second to leave your house or hotel.
Life Hack No. 3: Your Travel Outfit
Now that we have TSA PreCheck and we know how long the wait time is, the next thing I would recommend is planning out your travel outfit. There are a lot of nuances when it comes to going through the airport with certain articles of clothing. Trust me: I'm always down for a fabulous ensemble, but there are certain things that always get in the way.
For example, if you are wearing Birks (the real ones) your shoes will go off in the TSA PreCheck line. So the idea of being able to wear your shoes because you have pre-check goes out the window because your shoes are going to flag and you're going to have to take them off anyways.
Another weird thing that always tends to make things go off is a baseball cap. Both Steven and I have been in situations where we have worn a cap and they’ve gone off in the checkpoint. If you are wearing a hat and you totally forget to take it off and put it into the bin, my recommendation is to take it off and hold it in your hand as you're going through the security check.
So with that said, my go-to outfit is jogger pants that are comfortable and flexible so I do not get cold on the plane. Also, I usually tend to carry either a long-sleeve button-down or a lightweight jacket because I am constantly cold in the airport and on the plane. I usually take it in a backpack or put it on after I get through security.
For shoes, I suggest a pair of slip-ons that don't have metal, because I am a weird person who hates to have a foot that's completely covered - I think it's a sensory issue, but whatever. So if I'm not wearing a flip-flop or loafer, I *will* wear a sneaker because I hate having to pack them since they take up so much room. If I know that I'm actually going to be working out, I wear sneakers to the airport.
Life Hack No 4: Packing a Carry-On
Traveling these days has been pretty crazy especially with delays, cancellations, and lost luggage. My recommendation now is, whenever possible, bring a carry-on instead of checking your bag. There have been so many times where I've had to change an entire flight while I'm at the airport in order to make my next connection.
If you have all of your luggage on hand, you can make those choices without having to worry. If you do decide to bring carry-on luggage per my suggestion, my top tip is to wear the items that would take up the most space in your bag. For example, if I’m on a business trip I’ll wear my sport coat and dress shoes for the plane.
This is where you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of convenience over quantity. You might have a 3.4 oz in a full-size bottle of shampoo, but you’ll get flagged - so spring for the travel sizes. (Random Fact: Peanut Butter is considered a liquid.)
The whole point of going through TSA PreCheck and bringing carry-on luggage is so that you can easily get through the security checkpoint and make it to your gate quicker and faster. Even though they’re not required, I still pack toiletries in Ziploc bags because it’s better to be safe than to have to unpack your whole suitcase in front of a security guard.
(Note: do not leave wooden inserts in nice shoes. We once had to literally air our dirty laundry just to prove our shoe inserts were not, in fact, weapons.)
Long story long … get PreCheck, download MyTSA, travel with a carry-on and empty water bottle, and be sure your travel outfit won’t set off sirens.
Toodles and safe flight!
Helpful links:
https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/tsa-precheck-global-entry-credit/