Your 17 (Easy) Step Guide on How to Plan Your Trip in 2019

Updated: 10/9/18 | October 9th, 2018

10/9/18 | October 9th, 2018

I remember when I started planning my first trip around the world. I had no idea what I was doing. When I decided to quit my job and travel the world, I walked into a bookstore and bought Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on Shoestring. It made the trip seem more real, but it didn’t prepare me for planning a long world trip. Back then, there weren’t really travel blogs, guides, sharing economy websites, and apps like there are today. I was lost. I figured it out as I went, just hoping I didn’t miss anything.

Trip planning can be a daunting task. Where do you begin? What’s step one? What’s step two? What’s step three? It’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when you haven’t done something like this before.

I’ve planned countless trips and vacations for over the years (for myself, friends, and even group tours) and I’ve developed an efficient checklist that ensures I don’t miss anything important (I like lists) during the trip planning process. I don’t want to get to my next destination and then realize I forgot something.

And neither do you!

There is a lot of information on this website (and even more information packed into my book), but one question that comes up frequently is, “Matt, how do I put this all together? How do I plan a trip?”

In a continuing effort to help you get out the door and into the world, I’ve created this step-by-step guide on how to plan a trip. It works for any kind of trip and no matter how long you’re going for! Just follow this checklist and you’ll be off in no time!

If you want to jump ahead, simply click on any of the links above.

How to Plan Your Next trip

Step 1: Decide Where You Want To Go

Defining where you want to go sets a goal to work toward. A lot of people talk vaguely about travel. They never say where they are going, just that they are going. Picking a destination is immensely important, as it gives you a definite goal. It’s a lot easier to mentally get behind “I am going to Paris” than “I’m going to Europe” or “I’m going somewhere.” Not only will your trip become more concrete for you and easier to commit to, but it will make planning easier as well…because you know what to work towards.

Defining where you want to go sets a goal to work toward. A lot of people talk vaguely about travel. They never say where they are going, just that they are going. Picking a destination is immensely important, as it gives you a definite goal. It’s a lot easier to mentally get behind “I am going to Paris” than “I’m going to Europe” or “I’m going somewhere.” Not only will your trip become more concrete for you and easier to commit to, but it will make planning easier as well…because you know what to work towards.

Resources for picking your travel destination:

Step 2: Decide the Length of Your Trip

How much does it cost to travel? I have no idea without knowing for how long you’re going away. You can’t figure out how much you need to save if you haven’t decided on how long you’ll be in your destination. After you say “I’m going to Paris,” add “for 10 days.”

Now, you have a concrete plan to work from. “I am going to Paris for 10 days” is a trip that you can plan for.

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Step 3: Research Your Costs

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So you know where you’re going and how long you’ll be there, but to really nail down how much money you need, your next task is to research the costs in your destination at the style of travel you want. Do you want to backpack, or would you rather stay in luxury hotels? How much are hostels, hotels, restaurants, and attractions? Knowing will allow you to estimate how much money you’ll need for your trip. Here is how to research costs:

1. Buy a guidebook.
2. You can begin with my travel guide section.
3. Ask on community websites like our forum and Facebook group or Lonely Planet.
4. Google prices for specific things you want to do.

You don’t need to do more than that. There’s so much information on the web that if you go down the rabbit hole of overplanning, you’ll get lost and confused by the firehose of information. Stick to those four things and you’ll be set!

In our example, if you are going to Paris for 10 days and need $75 a day (not including your flight), you know you need to save $750 (though round up to $800 since it’s good to have extra) for your trip. If you were to travel around the world for a year, you’d need $50 a day.

Step 4: Start Saving Money

Write down all your current expenses so you can determine where you are spending money and how you can cut back. People bleed a lot of money every day through small purchases: that bottle of water, the dollar for that snack, that extra coffee. All of that adds up and creating this breakdown can let you know where you need to cut and save.

Write down all your current expenses so you can determine where you are spending money and how you can cut back. People bleed a lot of money every day through small purchases: that bottle of water, the dollar for that snack, that extra coffee. All of that adds up and creating this breakdown can let you know where you need to cut and save.

For example, if you need $2,000 USD for the trip you’re taking in eight months, that means you only have to save $8.33 per day. Couldn’t you find a way to save $8 per day? Heck, your daily coffee is most of that!

You can read this post 22 Ways to Cut Your Expenses and Save for Travel for more in-depth and creative ways to cut your day-to-day expenses.

Step 5: Get a Travels Rewards Credit Card

While you’re working to save money,

While you’re working to save money, get a travel credit card so you can earn sign-up bonuses to redeem miles and points for free flights and hotel stays. Most cards have bonuses of up to 50,000 points when you meet their minimum spending requirement (often $1,000 within a three-month period). That’s enough miles for a free flight almost anywhere in the world!

If you want a free flight, use the cards that help with that. If you want free hotel rooms, get a hotel card. You don’t need to sign up for very many cards; pick one or two and focus on those. Do this the moment you decide you want to travel. Don’t wait — waiting equals lost miles, which means less free travel.

Collecting points and miles (which is called “travel hacking”) is what all the experts do to cut their costs and travel longer. It’s what has kept my costs down and me on the road for so many years.

I am always doing this so I can travel for as cheap as possible.

For more tips, check out my post on how to pick the best travel credit card.

Step 6: Switch to No-Fee ATM Cards

Don’t give banks any of your hard-earned money. Save every extra dollar you can by using a no-fee ATM card. I use Charles Schwab, but there are lots of other banks (don’t forget to check your local banks) that don’t charge ATM fees. Additionally, you can join a bank in the Global ATM Alliance.

Step 7: Stay Focused and Inspired

Keep feeding your desire to travel. Travel planning can be daunting and a lot of work and, if your friends and family aren’t that enthusiastic about it, it can be a little depressing because the support you’re looking for isn’t there. Luckily, there are tons of ways to stay focused and keep your spirits lifted thanks to the amazing community we have on this website. Here are some inspiring travel stories to help keep you inspired to travel:

Step 8: Check for Last-Minute Deals

Okay, you’re inspired, prepared, and on your way to saving money for your trip. But before you go buy that flight or book that hotel, check for deals you might have missed. You may dream of Paris but maybe there are great deals to Berlin right now. Maybe you can get a seven-day cruise for 70% off, a package deal to Hawaii for the price of your flight to Paris, or 50% off sailing trips around Greece.

It’s a big world, and there are lots of places I want to see, so if I end up choosing B over A, I’m happy! If you’re flexible too, make sure you look for any money-saving deals. Some deal websites worth checking out are:

Step 9: Book Your Flight

After you’ve used your travel credit card and received your sign-up bonus, use your miles to book your flight. It is harder to use miles these days due to less availability, so make sure to book early to ensure you get your desired flight.

After you’ve used your travel credit card and received your sign-up bonus, use your miles to book your flight. It is harder to use miles these days due to less availability, so make sure to book early to ensure you get your desired flight.

There are still many ways to avoid being the person on the flight who paid the most. My favorite sites for finding cheap airfare:

• Momondo – A great platform for finding really cheap flights.
• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is one of the best websites for searching multiple destinations at the same time.
• Kiwi – Kiwi is great for finding lesser-known routes or smaller carriers.
• AirTreks – AirTreks focuses exclusively on multi-destination RTW tickets.

For the best deals, book your flight about two months in advance. Here are two articles on how to score a cheap flight:

Step 10: Book Your Accommodation

If you have a set schedule, feel free to book accommodation for the duration of your trip, but if you are going to be traveling long-term, book just the first few days. Once you know the dates you’ll be in your destination, there is no real reason not to find a place to stay. My view is that waiting will just lead to you losing your top picks.

If you have a set schedule, feel free to book accommodation for the duration of your trip, but if you are going to be traveling long-term, book just the first few days. Once you know the dates you’ll be in your destination, there is no real reason not to find a place to stay. My view is that waiting will just lead to you losing your top picks.

Love hotels? They won’t save you money, but you can sign up for some hotel credit cards and get free rooms, too. Marriott has a great rewards card whose sign-up bonus is equal to one week’s free stay. Starwood’s AMEX card is wonderful too, but the spending threshold in order to get the points bonus is higher.

The following booking sites offer the best rates for accommodation:

• Hostelworld – Hostelworld has the largest selection of hostels and is my go-to site for finding affordable hostels online.
• Agoda – Agoda has the best results if you’re heading to Asia and the widest selection of properties in the region.
• Booking.com – Booking.com is the best overall platform for finding budget hotels and guesthouses. They have the biggest inventory and best deals.

Alternative: Contact people on hospitality websites like Couchsurfing, Be Welcome, or WWOOF and ask if they would be willing to host you. You want to do this in advance so people have time to rearrange their schedule and plan for your visit.

Step 11: Plan Your Activities

Outline the major activities you want to enjoy and how much they cost. Make any last-minute adjustments to your savings so you can ensure you have enough money. This will also help you figure out if you need any reservations for your chosen tours or activities.

Step 12: Sell Your Stuff

Outline the major activities you want to enjoy and how much they cost. Make any last-minute adjustments to your savings so you can ensure you have enough money. This will also help you figure out if you need any reservations for your chosen tours or activities.

If you are going on a long-term trip (six months or more), sell your stuff in order to earn extra money for your trip. Start doing this about 60 days before you leave. Some sites to use are:

• Gumtree – An online classified site with a focus in the UK and Australia.
• Amazon – The biggest online store in the world.
• Craigslist – Online global classifieds that have both local and global reach.

If you aren’t going to be gone that long, skip this step. If you are going away long-term but want to keep your stuff, move it to a friend’s house or keep it in storage. A good storage company in the US is Public Storage, which starts at $50 per month.

Step 13: Automate Your Bills

Get rid of your mail, go paperless, and set up online bill payment for your recurring bills to ensure you won’t miss any while overseas. If you are still going to get paper mail, use a service like Earth Class Mail, which will collect and scan your mail for you. (If you are going on a two-week trip, you don’t really need to worry about this, so you can skip this step, too.)

Step 14: Tell Your Card Companies You’re Traveling

No matter how long you’ll be gone, it’s a good idea to let your credit card companies know you will be overseas; that way any transactions that you make aren’t flagged as fraudulent and your card is less likely to be blocked. There’s nothing worse than having to sit on the phone with your credit card company instead of enjoying your vacation.

Step 15: Pack!

Time to pack for your trip!

Step 16: Buy Travel Insurance

Time to pack for your trip! Here’s a suggested packing list to help you take just the right amount of stuff and avoid overpacking. While what you pack will depend on where you are going, remember that you don’t need to pack everything you own. I usually travel with a 40L bag and then a day bag, and that’s probably a great size for pretty much any trip. You don’t need a massive 70L bag stuffed to the top for a trip around Europe or Asia. So collect your items and then remove at least 20%. You’re going to be lugging this bag around for months, so less is definitely more!

While a lot of people think, “I’m healthy, I don’t need travel insurance. I won’t get sick,” travel insurance is much more than just medical protection. It covers you when your camera breaks, your flight is canceled, a family member dies and you have to come home, or if something gets stolen.

Travel insurance is something you will need on the road. You never know what might happen, and most health plans won’t cover you overseas. I never thought I would pop my eardrum while I was scuba diving or break my camera in Italy. My friend never thought he would break his leg hiking; another friend certainly didn’t expect her father would die and she would have to fly back home.

Travel insurance is only a few dollars a day and only a fool doesn’t buy it. Here’s my ultimate guide to picking a good insurance company that shod you how to pick a good plan that covers you for when you get sick, flights get canceled, you get injured, something gets stolen, or your trip is delayed! Travel insurance will cover you for all of it!

My favorite company is World Nomads and I use them for all my trips. If you’re older than 70, check out Insure my Trip as they are the best provider for older travelers.

Step 17: Enjoy Your Trip

Go on your trip and have fun! Head to the airport, board your plane (don’t forget your passport!), and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’ve worked hard to get here. If you’re feeling nervous, don’t worry — that’s perfectly normal! You’re about to embark on an amazing adventure. Trust your planning, follow your instincts, and you’ll have the trip of a lifetime. I guarantee it.

Go on your trip and have fun! Head to the airport, board your plane (don’t forget your passport!), and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’ve worked hard to get here. If you’re feeling nervous, don’t worry — that’s perfectly normal! You’re about to embark on an amazing adventure. Trust your planning, follow your instincts, and you’ll have the trip of a lifetime. I guarantee it.

***

By using this post as a guideline for your trip planning, you can better organize and prepare for your trip. You’ll check all the boxes, not miss anything, and have plenty of money for your vacation. It can be as simple as booking a flight and packing or as complex as rearranging your entire life to go backpack the world forever.

But, no matter how long your trip may be, this list will help you stay organized and motivated as you plan your trip and to step onto that plane and out into the world.

P.S. – Yes, I did leave out visas and vaccinations, because needing those isn’t as universal as the other stuff on this list, but don’t forget to check if you need those, too!

Want to have this information at your fingertips? Download this post as a PDF

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Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most comprehensive inventory. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
• Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

The Incredible Reason Why Richard Branson Started Virgin Atlantic

Getty Images

Thirty five years ago, Richard Branson was stuck on a tarmac trying to leave Puerto Rico for the British Virgin Islands. His flight was grounded, and he’d been away from his girlfriend for three weeks. Needless to say, he was over it.

What do you do in this situation? My answer is typically to lean into my fate and order a glass of wine, resigning myself to an eternity stuck on an airplane.

Branson walked to the back of the plane and asked for a chalkboard and a writing implement. He figured out how much it would cost to charter a plane to BVI — and how much it would cost each passenger if the expense were pooled. And then he went for it, walking up and down the aisles of the grounded airplane selling tickets. On the chalkboard he wrote, “$39 one way to BVI.”

And that was Virgin Atlantic’s first flight.

Branson told us this story in a downtown Los Angeles warehouse space, where we gathered to celebrate a new Virgin Atlantic flight path — Los Angeles to Manchester — and the company’s 35th birthday. Which is perhaps why he explained that, 35 years ago, after chartering that one flight to the British Virgin Islands, he decided to call Boeing when he got back to England to ask if he could buy a secondhand 747.

On the phone, Boeing asked which company he was with. To which he replied, having already founded Virgin Records, “Virgin.”

What sticks out when hearing Branson tell his founding story firsthand — from chartering his first aircraft, to creating a full-fledged airline — is the humor and genuine humanity in every step. At no point does building a company sound corporate when coming from Branson’s mouth. It instead sounds honest and authentic.

He said when he was branding Virgin Atlantic that someone told him, “Nobody, nobody will ever fly on an airline called ‘virgin.’”

Seriously, insert crying laughing emoji here. And speaking of self-aware hilarity, Branson also told us that on his inaugural flight, they screened “Airplane.” Because, how could you not?

As for sheer humanity, Branson left us with the story of the “BA Christmas bonus.” Branson has long since touted the idea that it’s the people who really made his business what it is today, and thanks to an illegal maneuver by a competing company, he was able to show every employee his gratitude with a bonus.

Here’s the abridged version of the story: in the 1990s, British Airways went as far as having a team illegally access Virgin’s digital information. They then called Virgin Atlantic clients, pretending to be from Virgin, to say the customer’s flight had been canceled and rebook them on British Airways.

Virgin Atlantic is a company rooted in the notion of beating the odds. Indeed, even when Virgin’s fleet was significantly smaller than nearly all of their competitors’, they fought to stay a contender. So even up against the adversity of British Airways using flat-out illegal means to try to put them out of business, they didn’t back down.

Instead, they took British Airways to court, where they won the largest libel suit in British history. Virgin then took the almost $1 million in damages and distributed it equally to Virgin Atlantic employees — hence, the BA Christmas bonus.

What sticks out in hearing Branson recount the evolution of Virgin Atlantic — other than the humility and the lolz — is the actual desire to make a better product than what was already offered. Isn’t that the essence of entrepreneurship? Branson, beyond his status as a founder or a billionaire, is an entrepreneur first, attracted to good ideas that successfully fill a necessary niche.

And when it comes to the travel industry, there are still endless opportunities to make offerings more effective, more advanced, more environmentally friendly, or what have you. Branson proves it’s all about identifying the flaws or gaping holes in the industry, even if inspiration strikes when grounded on a Puerto Rico tarmac.

Busta Rhymes Lost His Cool About Overhead Bin Space on a Flight to London

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

It turns out even Busta Rhymes gets touchy over overhead bin space. The hip-hop star was met by police upon arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport Tuesday morning after getting in a heated argument with a fellow passenger who had her luggage in the overhead bin above his first-class seat.

Busta — whose real name is Trevor George Smith Jr. — reportedly boarded a British Airways flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport just before the door closed. The Daily Mail reports that after boarding with five carry-on bags, Busta found another first-class passenger’s luggage in the overhead bin. He demanded to know who the luggage belonged to, and when a young British woman said it was hers, witnesses report that Busta became agitated, aggressive, and began insulting her.

When she began crying, the woman’s husband intervened, and the rapper became aggressive toward the man, challenging him physically. A witness told the Daily Mail that when the altercation became more heated, other passengers stepped in and called a staff member to intervene.

Airline staff spoke with Busta and the other passengers to ensure that there would be no further trouble.

The other passengers were given the option to take a later flight to London and Busta was allowed to remain on the five-hour, overnight flight. There was no further incident. Upon arrival in London around 6:52 a.m. on Tuesday, the rapper was met by police and questioned, but not arrested.

“Our cabin crew and captain reassured all the customers involved,” a British Airways spokesperson told the Daily Mail. “All those in the cabin were given the option of moving away, and the flight did not depart until everyone confirmed that they were happy to continue.”

The 47-year-old singer is visiting Europe to perform on the Greek island of Mykonos and at a festival in Romania.

When Your Plane Drops 20,000 Feet and Oxygen Masks Drop

Posted: 01/28/2013 | January 28th, 2013

Last week, I woke up at 4am to begin a long journey to Eleuthera, Bahamas, for a quick four-day trip. It was going to be a long day on very little sleep. First, Boston to New York, then to Fort Lauderdale before taking my final flight to the Bahamas. I was flying United, my least favorite carrier, but the ticket was free, so I had little choice in the matter.

Shortly after I boarded my plane in New York, the safety briefing began to play. “When the seat belt sign illuminates, you must fasten your seat belt. Insert the metal fittings one into the other and tighten by pulling on the loose end of the strap… In the event of a decompression, an oxygen mask will automatically appear in front of you. To start the flow of oxygen, pull the mask toward you. Place it firmly over your nose and mouth… although the bag does not inflate…” and so on. I’ve heard the safety briefing thousands of times, so I tuned it out and tried to sleep.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

I woke up to the sound of my eardrums popping. “What’s going on?” I thought, shifting in my seat and trying to fall back asleep.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

As my eardrums began to sound like popcorn in a microwave, I couldn’t fall back asleep. They were small, frequent pops, and in my zombie-like state, I couldn’t place why this was happening.

I opened my eyes in a haze when it happened.

All of a sudden, the oxygen masks deployed from above. I looked confusedly at the people next to me. And then in the seats around me. There had been no turbulence. Was this a mistake? Half asleep, I didn’t know what to make of it.

All of a sudden, a voice boomed over the PA system. “Put on your masks.”

Holy crap! This was no mistake.

I reached for my mask. How did that safety briefing go again? “In the event of an emergency, oxygen masks will deploy…” I tried to remember in my sleepy state. After all those safety briefings, you realize you’ve become numb to them, tuned them out. Then when an emergency happens, you think, “What the heck do I do again?”

I put on the mask and fumbled to tighten the strings, taking unnecessarily deep breaths, worried that if I didn’t, I’d suffocate. I looked around. The business traveler next to me kept reading the paper. The woman sitting diagonally from me and the couple to my right all looked petrified. In front of me, I could hear a woman telling her kids, “Mommy loves you, Mommy loves you,” over and over again.

As the situation unfolded, I thought to myself that we had probably just lost cabin pressure, and it was nothing to worry about. We hadn’t taken a dive; we hadn’t hit turbulence.

But minutes passed. And then more and more. There were no announcements about what was going on. Of course I wanted the pilots solving problems, not chatting to me, but the dearth of information made those minutes last forever.

Then suddenly, we dropped, and we dropped fast. My heart leapt out of my chest. “Maybe there is something really wrong with the plane!” All those fears I have about heights and flying were suddenly realized.

There is nothing scarier than having your plane drop 20,000 feet in seconds. It’s a feeling I never want to experience again in my life.

We soon leveled out, and I later learned that when you lose cabin pressure, you have to drop below 10,000 feet to prevent a loss of consciousness.

Soon, the flight attendants walked casually down the aisle wearing their masks. If you ask any frequent flier, they’ll always tell you that if the flight attendants aren’t scared, you don’t need to be either.

Finally, the captain came on the PA system and explained that, yes, the cabin had lost pressure and, no, there was nothing to worry about, but yes, we would be making an emergency landing.

You always wonder how you’d react in a situation like this. When those masks fall and your plane descends rapidly, will your life flash before your eyes? Will everyone be screaming? Will it be chaos? Will you know what to do?

Surprisingly, none of that happened. My life didn’t flash before my eyes. Everyone stayed calm. We were more in a state of confusion than anything else.

After we landed, my friends and I laughed and talked about it as we sat in Charleston’s airport drinking beer and waiting for a new flight. “Here’s to our first emergency landing!” we cheered.

Yet as I thought about what had happened, I realized just how helpless we are when that plane door closes. Your life is in the hands of two people you will never see or meet. Anything can happen, and you have no control over it. You simply have to trust that they know what they’re doing.

Events like this hit you with the realization that no matter how well you plan your life, all the control you think you have is an illusion. Life happens without you, and you’re really just along for the ride. It’s moments like this that make you relax and live a little. It’s taken a few days for that notion to settle, in but when you realize you have no control, life gets put in perspective.

Go where life takes you, and enjoy the adventure. Have fun. Do what you love. Be with who you love.

Because one day, you’re 35,000 feet above the Atlantic, the masks come down, and the only thing you can do is say to yourself, “If this is it, I regret nothing.”

P.S. These photos were taken after I realized I wasn’t going to die. Additionally, I don’t blame United completely. This could have happened on any airline, but when I overheard the captain say that this was the second time this had happened to him in a week, I got uneasy about the standard of United maintenance.

How to Spend 24 Hours in an Airplane

I’m an aviation geek, which means I love all things related to planes (even if I’m terrified of flying). Planes fascinate me. They have like 8,000 parts and weigh multiple tons but still manage to stay up in the sky without falling apart! I mean have you ever seen one of those bolts holding up a wing? It boggles my mind how such a tiny thing can hold so much weight. Thank you, aerodynamics, engineering, and the workers at Airbus and Boeing!

In March, I was invited to the Boeing plant in South Carolina for the delivery of Singapore Airlines’ new 787-10, the first 10-series Dreamliner plane. As part of the invited media crew (including some other AV geeks, like Brian Kelly, Ben Mutzabaugh , Zach Honing, and Kendis Gibson), we spent a few days at the plant (in my next post, I’ll take ya behind the scenes at the Boeing plant and in the flight simulator) and then flew the delivery flight from Charleston to Singapore.

It was truly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. For those other guys, it’s par for the course. They go on these all the time. But, for me, this was brand new! I mean, getting invited to the factory and then to fly on the first flight? Woah! So cool.

But South Carolina to Singapore is a long flight. The total flight time is 22 hours. The total time on the plane for us? 24.5 hours, as we weren’t allowed to leave the airplane during our refueling stop in Osaka.

That’s right. I spent a little more than an entire day inside an airplane.

And how does one spend a full day on a plane? Here’s how:

Hour 1
We board the plane (Boeing has their own gateway at their plant), where we are greeted by the crew and Singapore Airline executives. I sit down in my business-class seat, get my pre-flight champagne, and marvel at the new in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. It was the best I’ve seen. The screen is huge and super sharp, and the system saves all your information and preferences so you can get back to your movies quickly. It also minimizes the back-and-forth between menus by keeping options open at the bottom of the screen while you scroll and loads them without having to toggle. Compared to the crappy IFEs we have in the states, it was like magic.

Hour 2
After takeoff, I start to watch Justice League. It’s terrible, so I move to the galley to get drunk…I mean sample the wine selection. OK, we got drunk. There’s no other way to put it. Those flight attendants pour heavy glasses.

Hour 3
Continue to drink in the galley.

Hour 4

After getting sufficiently toasted, I bid everyone good night and go back to my seat. While the other AV geeks pick apart the seat for length, angles, cubby access, and everything in between, I am just happy to be able to sleep in such a wonderful seat. The seat is 26 inches wide, which is plenty long enough for a guy like me. The padded interior muffles noise and is set back enough so that you can create a little cocoon hidden from the rest of the cabin.

Hour 5
Keep sleeping.

Hour 6
More sleeping.

Hour 7
Counting sheep.

Hour 8
Dreaming of Batman. Wait? Am I Batman?

Hour 9
Still out like a light.

Hour 10
Eventually, I come to and pound some water to get rid of my hangover. I feel pretty good for someone who got just six hours of sleep. I wander the cabin quietly as most of the other passengers on the plane are still asleep. I have the dinner I missed and begrudgingly finish Justice League (seriously, it’s terrible).

Hour 11
I spend an hour writing blog posts and working on my upcoming memoir about my decade as a nomad. (More on that in the future!)

Hour 12
Now, I’m going stir crazy because I’ve been in this plane for 12 hours and still have another 12 more to go! I drink another glass of wine and keep on writing. It’s pretty unexciting. I’m at the point where the novelty has worn off and start to fidget around.

Hour 13
Work some more while watching Geostorm (another terrible movie). I’m not sure what is with me and terrible movies but I seem to gravitate towards them on planes. I think it’s because it’s good time to just get lost and not think. I just want to see cheesy plots and stuff blow up.

Hour 14
Time for another nap!

Hour 15

I wake up and notice everyone is also getting up so I go chat with people. It was really interesting being on a plane with journalists. Here I am under no deadline (I mean this article is for something happened two months ago), and these guys are furiously filing stories for when we land so they can all be the first to report on the plane. Here are some of the articles they wrote:

Singapore Airlines New 787-10 in Photos (Flight Global)
Boeing Delivers the World’s First 787-10 Dreamliner to Singapore Airlines (The Points Guy)
The New Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10 (Sam Chui)
That New Airplane Smell (USA Today)

Hour 16
The cabin lights finally come on and we get ready to land. There’s a light snack, I write some more, and then get to reading a book.

Hour 17
After 16 hours, we’re in Osaka. By now, you’re probably wondering how the plane made it so far? I mean this plane is only supposed to be able to go fly around 8,055 miles and Osaka is 7,255 miles away. Simple: without a fully loaded cabin of people and luggage, the plane was extra light and can make it very far on a very full tank of gas!

Hour 18
While on the ground, they refuel the plane, switch out the crew, and bring in some new food (catered by Singapore Airlines this time and not Boeing). I watch all journalists make videos and do interviews then chat with the CEO of Singapore Airlines, who gives me some sushi recommendations in Singapore (I never got to eat at them but he recommended Kuiiya and Chobei). The most I did was take some photos.

Hour 19
Takeoff time again.

Hour 20
After another breakfast (delicious eggs with spinach and seaweed), I move to economy class to see what it’s like back there while trying not to wake up all the Singapore Airlines employees trying to sleep. There’s a lot of legroom and the seat has a steep recline (which is good when you recline but bad when the person in front of you reclines since it cuts off a lot of your space). The seats are also really comfy and with a soft padding. After Qatar’s A350 economy, they might be my favorite economy seats.

Hour 21
I take advantage of having my own row in economy to go for another nap.

Hour 22
Dreamland.

Hour 23

I wake up and go back business class for breakfast. The sun is coming up and we’re getting ready to land. I’ve given up on movies and just started writing. Before we land, I take some photos, chat to some folks, and see who wants to get dinner. (We ended up a terrible place. It’s best not spoken of but let’s just say this person got their recommendation off TripAdvisor and it further cemented my view that TripAdvisor sucks!)

Hour 24

Time to land in Singapore. I’m always awed by the fleet of cargo ships off the coast of Singapore. As far as the eye can see, the denizens of global trade go to and fro as we land and pull into the gate, we are welcomed with water cannons and a celebratory event.

***Spending 24 hours in a plane was an experience I’ll (probably) never have again, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. The Dreamliner is pressured at only 6,000 feet compared to other planes which are pressured at altitudes around 8,000 feet. feet. So, walking off the plane, I felt pretty refreshed and less fatigued. I never really noticed it before but after spending 24 hours in a tube, that science Boeing was talking about does really hold up to snuff.

Spending 24 hours in a plane was an experience I’ll (probably) never have again, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. The Dreamliner is pressured at only 6,000 feet compared to other planes which are pressured at altitudes around 8,000 feet. feet. So, walking off the plane, I felt pretty refreshed and less fatigued. I never really noticed it before but after spending 24 hours in a tube, that science Boeing was talking about does really hold up to snuff.

I didn’t feel as jetlagged or that normal gross feeling I have after a long international flight. (Who else loves to shower right away after a long flight? Anyone? Makes me feel refreshed!)

This new Singapore 787-10 will be a regional craft so, at most, you’ll be in this plane for only about six hours. They are only going to fly it around Asia and Australia to start. I would say this will be one of the nicest six hours you’ll have on a plane, no matter what class you are in.

I have a new favorite plane to fly around Asia, which, thanks to Singapore’s partnerships with Chase, American Express, SPG, and Citi, as well their partnership with United means I can use points to do it for free! I already was a huge fan of Singapore Airlines and this plane just makes me love them even more!

But, the next time I get on this plane, I’ll be happy it won’t be for another 24 hours. That’s a little too long for me.

Note: I was part of the press core for the launch of this plane. Singapore Airlines covered my hotel, flight, and any meals I had during official events. I was not compensated monetarily for this.

Inside The Factory: How a Boeing is Built

Updated: 07/17/18 | July 17th, 2018

Though I’m terrified of flying, the experience also thrills me. There you are, cruising in a metal tube at 37,000 feet while watching a movie, texting your friends, and — if you’re a travel hacker (and you should be) — enjoying fine food and liquor.

I can never get over the fact that planes, which can weigh up to 485 tons and contain, like, up to 6 million parts, can even get into the air — and stay there! Yes, I know all about aerodynamics (“it’s just lift!”), but it’s still so damn cool!

So when I was invited to my first aviation press event at the end of March, I was beyond excited. I don’t get a lot of media invites since I don’t report on breaking industry news, but when I was asked if I wanted to tour the Boeing facility in Charleston, South Carolina, as part of Singapore Airlines’ 787-10 launch, I immediately said yes.

Watch a plane get built? Fly a flight simulator? Yes. Yes! YES!

At the Boeing plant, we were treated to tours of the Dreamliner assembly process. We went to the production facilities where, after a long and boring press conference on flight specs and fuel savings, we finally got to go down to the factory floor to see the good stuff. Walking on the floor and seeing these metal behemoths really gave me a sense of wonder and awe.

Like, “Damn, that’s a plane!”

Before this, I had only a rough idea of how planes are built, how engines work, and the complicated manufacturing process that’s required to put it all together. I mean, I’ve watched a few documentaries on flying. But unlike most of the other aviation press there, I couldn’t tell one plane or engine from another, discuss avionics or contracts between suppliers, or who designs what seat fabric.

So I was excited to learn about the factory assembly process and how a plane becomes a plane.

At the plant, there are three areas to the plant: rear body, midbody, and final assembly.

The rear body process is where the tail of the plane is made, and the Charleston plant makes all the tail sections for all the 787 Dreamliners (minus the fins). One thing I did know before this trip was that they use carbon fibers, which have several advantages over traditional composite metal, including high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and low thermal expansion. Basically, they are stronger and lighter than traditional metal. They take a tacky composite carbon fiber tape and spin it together around a shell to make the tail sections, called Section 47, where the passengers are (Why Section 47? No one knows. There aren’t actually 47 sections to the plane. That’s just what they call it!), and Section 48, which is the very end of the plane, where the fins will be attached. It’s kind of cool to think about. When you fly a 787, you’re basically flying a plane that mostly started as a thread. Science, man, science!

All the other parts of the plan are built elsewhere around the world and then flown in on this weird-looking plane called the Dreamlifter: part of the front of the body (called the forward fuselage) is built in Wichita, Kansas; another part of the forward fuselage is built in Kawasaki, Japan; the center fuselage is built in Alenia, Italy; and the wings are built in Japan, Oklahoma, and Australia. Here’s an image Boeing gave me to give ya an idea of how global Dreamliner production is:

During the midbody process, some of the electrical systems and ducts are added to the plane. They also “snap” together the fuselage sections that are flown in from around the world. Basically, there’s a thin lip in each of the sections, and a machine use fasteners to put them together, which is both exciting and considerably unnerving to see because you realize just how amazing it is that it takes so few parts and how few things are holding this places together. For example, they have just seven rivets that snap the wing to the plane (later, during final assembly) and hold all that weight. Nope, they aren’t welded together. It’s like an oversized Lego set!”

Watching them put the fuselage together this was the most interesting part of the plant didn’t allow photographs, which was a shame. But, since Sam Chui is a badass aviation blogger, they gave him access to film it, so watch this video:

From there, it’s on to final assembly where, over the course of seven stations, all the sections are lined up and put together using a “just in time” factory model. It’s here the wings and engines get put on, the interiors are added, the plane is turned on for the first time, systems are tested, and the finished aircraft is driven out of the hangar for test flights.

This final assembly takes approximately 83 days.

Kinda crazy, huh? You never realize just how much goes into a plane. It’s quite impressive that such a coordinated, global operation can produce such a finely tuned piece of machinery that can essentially fly forever with proper maintenance.

Then, after a 24 hour flight to Singapore, we were taken to where Singapore Airlines trains its crew in safety and service and, while I found it pretty interesting, the real fun was flying a 737 flight simulator back at the Boeing office in town. These multimillion-dollar machines simulate the full motion of a flight. After a brief demonstration, each journalist was allowed a few minutes to “fly.” I giddily sat down in the chair as the pilot let me cruise around for a bit.

I was like a kid in a candy store.

“Can I bank? Can I land? Let’s do a takeoff!” I exclaimed.

“If we have time, we can go again and I’ll release the autopilot,” the instructor coolly said after my thirty seconds was up.

Luckily, we did have time.

“Ready?” he asked as I stepped back into the seat.

“YES!”

We started in midair, he released the controls, and I flew around a simulation of Singapore for a bit.

“Not bad,” he said. “Ready to land?”

“Sure, but can we do a go-around?”

Taking the controls, I aborted my landing, turned up, and banked left so we could do one more circuit. Just as I was enjoying the bliss of the computer-generated scenery, I crashed!

I had forgotten to look at the screen and see my altitude, so while I thought I was just going left, I was actually banking down — and boom! We died.

I guess I won’t be a pilot anytime soon. There is a surprisingly large number of controls and numbers you need to pay attention to on a modern aircraft, especially when you release the autopilot!

Afterward, we got to go into another simulator that allowed pilots to practice takeoffs. It wasn’t a full-motion simulator, but it was designed to get you to take off and feel the movement of the controls.

This time, I successfully, took off and no one died. So you’re safe with me!

***

For a long time, I’ve been terrified of flying — and watching a plane get built and learning about aviation did nothing to assuage that fear. I’m still unnerved by every little bump (the flight I am currently writing this on has been nothing but bumps!), but I have a new appreciation for how complex and strong planes are, how many safety systems are built into them, how hard it is to fly one, and just how damn amazing it is we live in the age of jet travel!

Editor’s Note: I was a media guest of Singapore Airlines and Boeing for this event. They covered all my expenses during these press days.

Flying at 35,000 Feet with Heather Poole

I first met Heather Poole at a travel blog conference. We got along very well and I had been reading her blog for awhile. She writes about life as a flight attendant. Recently, she published a book, Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet, about life as a flight attendant. I, ironically, picked it up at an airport and read it on a plane. She found time at 35,000 feet to talk about her job and book.

Nomadic Matt: You’re a flight attendant. What’s that like?
Heather Poole: Even though the job has changed a lot over the years, it can still be a lot of fun. But patience is a must, more so than ever before. Flight attendants are the face of the airline, and passengers have a tendency to take things out on us, even if what happened is not our fault. Besides being friendly and outgoing, we also have to be able to adapt to change easily. This is why we always have backup plans A, B, and C, because there’s always something bound to go wrong in the airline industry: mechanicals, delays, cancellations. They happen. Even on Christmas Eve. If there are kids at home, this can be one of the most difficult aspects of the job. Flight attendants also are very independent. It’s not uncommon to meet a coworker for the first time on a trip and then not see them again for a few months, maybe even years. The best part about the job is when we step off the airplane; we always leave the stress of the flight behind. Every flight is a new flight, which means every day is a new adventure.

How often do flight attendants work? Do they fly a lot of the same routes over and over again?
Our schedules average around 85 hours a month. But don’t let the number fool you. That’s flying time only. Most flight attendants work way more than that. Time on the ground doesn’t count toward our pay and therefore isn’t included in our monthly schedules. This is why we want to spend as much time as possible in the air, not hopping from city to city with lots of time between flights on the ground. Airline seniority determines the kind of trip a flight attendant can hold. This explains why most international long-haul flights are staffed with senior crews. Once we have enough seniority to hold a good trip, it’s the only trip we’re going to work until we’re senior enough to hold an even better one. Schedules are set up with a day or two off between each trip, but many of us will “trip trade” with other flight attendants to work a few trips in a row in order to maximize our time off on the ground.

Any hint on the airline you work for?
One of the big ones.

What did your coworkers think of you writing this book?
I don’t know that most of them even know I’ve written a book. And if they do know, they probably just assume I’m still writing it. I’ve been talking about writing this book for years.

Did your airline know, and were there any restrictions placed on you?
I didn’t ask for their permission to write the book, and I certainly didn’t call anyone up at headquarters to make an announcement about it either. Flight attendants learn to lay low very early on in their careers. But I’ve been blogging about flying for a long time. I’m fairly certain they know who I am. Just keep in mind my book is not an airline exposé. It’s about what it’s like to be a flight attendant. It doesn’t really matter who we work for; the job is pretty much the same wherever you go. Plus half of the book takes place on the ground, because it’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. That’s what I set out to write about. Plus, there are so many misconceptions about flight attendants I decided to set the record straight.

What is one really juicy story you left out?
One story that got deleted was about a celebrity who claimed to have magical powers after a passenger fell unconscious. To this day, we still don’t know if it was his magical powers or the husband who kept nudging his wife in the arm in an effort to make her come to and see the celebrity he was excitedly talking about that made her gain consciousness again.

With so many changes to the airline industry over the years, would you recommend that someone become a flight attendant?
It’s a great job for someone who hates the idea of working a 9-to-5 job. But it’s not easy in the beginning. Our living conditions are pretty extreme. This is why so many flight attendants either last a lifetime or just a few weeks.

Has the job gotten worse over the last few years because of all the problems in the airline industry?
Of course it’s gotten worse, just like lots of other jobs in America. Most people don’t know that flight attendants start out making $14,000-18,000 the first year. With cutbacks, they’ll be making less! So not only do we make less, we’re working much longer hours followed by shorter layovers. Think 8-10 hours at an airport hotel on domestic routes. Mix in a delay, and there’s barely enough time to eat, sleep, AND shower. That said, I’m still flying and I don’t feel like quitting — yet. Once I can no longer manipulate my schedule the way I want/need to is the day I might have to say buh-bye. I dread that day.

In the book, you talk about how New York City is your “base,” but I know you don’t live in NYC. How can a flight attendant be based somewhere they don’t live?
Instead of driving to work, we take a plane to work. It’s called commuting, and it’s getting harder and harder to do these days. I once saw two flight attendants come to blows over the one and only jump seat on the last flight out. Between trips we stay at a “crash pad.” Instead of paying for a room, we pay for a bed. Sometimes we’ll even share the bed (not at the same time!). Commuters mean business. We’re in and out as quickly as possible. The name of the game is to get as many flying hours in as we can in a short amount of time, so we can fly back home and enjoy a stretch of days off before we have to do it again.

Are a lot of people getting into the profession these days?
In 2010 Delta announced an opening for 1,000 flight attendants. Over 100,000 people applied. These days it’s much harder to find work with an airline now that being a flight attendant is considered a career, not just a job. Turnover isn’t as high as it once was, and competition has gotten fierce.

In your book, you talk a lot about the difficulty in dating as a flight attendant. As someone on the move a lot, I can relate to that. Do lots of flight attendants have problems dating? Do they all end up with pilots?
It’s hard enough dealing with an unusual job without finding a partner who can deal with it. This is why so many relationships end up crashing and burning after someone in the relationship becomes a flight attendant. Because it’s either quit or break up. Then of course once you find someone, it takes twice as long to realize that person might not be right for you due to the fact that we’re not on the ground as often as regular people. And then there are those who want to date flight attendants just because it’s easier to juggle multiple partners when one of them isn’t home half the time. As for pilots, we tend to either love them or hate them, maybe a little too much! To be fair I’m pretty sure the same thing can be said for the way they feel about us.

If you could tell people three things on how to behave on a flight, what would they be?
Be nice. Be nice. Be nice. We’re all in the same boat — er, plane — together. Wait until we’re safe and sound on the ground if you must freak out.

Any tips for getting an upgrade from coach?
Do people still think there’s a chance of that happening? Don’t get me wrong, miracles do happen, but not often. Flights are full, and frequent fliers know exactly where their name is on the list these days.

What’s the secret to at least getting an extra meal or free drink?
Very rarely do we have extra meals on board. In first and business class we’re usually catered right on the money. In coach we barely have enough to serve half a plane full of passengers who are willing to purchase food. As for free drinks, flight attendants have been known to comp drinks to passengers who help out by doing nice things like switching seats so a family can sit together.

You can find out more about Heather Poole on Twitter. You can click here and get her book from Amazon.

10 Easy Ways to Make Your Economy Flight Feel Like First Class (Video)

Splurging on a first class ticket isn’t the only way to guarantee a pleasant flight. In fact, getting a luxury experience from an economy reservation can easily be done. Though it’s going to take some effort to mimic the premium dream, these life hacks will make all the difference. Before packing those bags, study our tips for making the most out of your budget-friendly moment in the sky.

Food, first

Just because a meal is included with your economy fare, it doesn’t mean you have to settle for mediocre airplane food. Do yourself a favor and purchase your favorite foods prior to boarding. Whether it’s a sweet treat or a yummy cheeseburger, eating something you actually want will instantly put you in a good mood. Don’t believe us? See what Anthony Bourdain had to say about airplane food.

Check-in early

A mobile boarding pass will make you feel more like a VIP than you think. Not only will it get you through security faster and keep you out of long check-in lines, being one of the first to check into a flight increases your chance of ending up with a better seat. If you wait until you arrive at the airport, most of the seats may have been assigned, leaving you with way less options and the chance to be stuck in the dreaded middle seat. 

A better amenities kit

Instead of fretting about not being offered in-flight essentials, why not put together your own? Pamper yourself with a pair of slipper socks, a toothbrush, high-end skincare products, and more in a convenient and sleek pouch. Trust us, these little details go a long way. For a simpler solution, you could opt for the premade Aria travel kit that includes everything you need to relax and unwind on your next flight.

Extra leg room is key

From landing an exit row to stuffing your personal item into an overhead carry-on, it’s important to have as much space as possible. Make sure to keep an eye out for empty rows or window seats and then ask a flight attendant to move once everyone is seated.

Bring your own alcohol 

Free wine and beer on long-haul flights may be nice, but nothing beats your go-to beverage. Though it's technically illegal to drink alcohol brought onboard yourself, there's a loophole: a flight attendant can serve you your alcohol if presented to them at the beginning of the flight. Not all airlines will do this, but if you find yourself on a JetBlue flight, don't hesitate to ask. If you don't want to deal with the hassle, just stop in the airport and get yourself your favorite Starbucks drink or a healthy smoothy to relax. And whatever you do, don't forget to bring a bottle of water. 

It’s all in the loungewear

Even though plenty of first class passengers wear suits and heels, many of them change into more comfortable clothing shortly after boarding. The trick is to look the part before takeoff, but be a travel-pro by packing luxe pajamas or chic athletic wear for a smoother flight.

Soundproof your space

Complimentary economy earbuds are no match for the noise-canceling headphones included in first class. However, even that luxury amenity isn’t comparable to investing in your own high-quality pair. Plus, being able to tune out a crying baby or chatty seatmate is priceless.

Go to a lounge

Regardless of your seat number, you can pay to have access to an airline lounge. Being able to eat, drink, and shower ahead of a flight or during a layover takes things to a new level. Look to apps such as Priority Pass or Lounge Buddy for discounted prices.

Upgrade the entertainment

Having movies or TV shows downloaded from a streaming platform on your tablet or laptop can make time fly. They might even be a step up from the available programming on the plane.

Try to get some sleep

Forget the flimsy blanket and tiny cushion provided. Give yourself more of a chance to fall asleep with a memory foam travel pillow and a soft, lightweight comforter for a true first class experience.

What to Do on Your Next Flight If You Have Animal Allergies (Video)

It seems rare these days to be on a flight that doesn’t have at least one dog on it. Passengers are bringing their pets on board either as service animals, emotional support animals, or are paying the pet fee to carry their furry friends on and keep them at their feet.

Richard Atrero de Guzman/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for American Airlines, said that between 2016 and 2017, American saw an increase of more than 40 percent in customers who transported a service or support animal.

A service animal is different from an emotional support animal because it’s “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability,” according to the Americans with Disabilities Act National Network. But many airlines allow both service animals and emotional support animals as long as a medical health professional fills out a form.

So what does that mean for people who are allergic, or afraid, of dogs?

Sarah, a frequent traveler from Ohio who asked to only be identified by her first name, is severely allergic to dogs.

“I am uncomfortable with close proximity of pets that cause allergic symptoms,” she said. This allergy didn’t used to be as much of a problem, but Sarah said in recent travels she’s noticed a greater number of dogs flying in passenger areas.

“Recently I was seated next to a passenger and her uncaged dog,” she said. “It was leashed as she walked down the aisle and then sat and moved around on her lap for our two-hour flight. At times, it shook its fur and seemed to be antsy.”

The dog was friendly — licking Sarah’s arm and nuzzling her side. While some passengers would probably appreciate a little in flight cuddling, it made Sarah nervous. Her experience made her think that airlines should handle things differently.

“Perhaps they should ask if the passenger next to the animal is comfortable before allowing the pet and owner to get settled,” she said. “In that manner, all passengers would feel respected and safe. Afterall, peanuts as snacks on flights have been eliminated for those who are allergic.”

Airlines do tell passengers with severe allergies to contact them before the flight and ask not to be seated near another passenger traveling with a pet. Feinstein, the American Airlines spokesman, said if a customer is allergic, the airline will “separate the customer with the allergy as far apart as possible from the customer with the cabin pet.”

“For example, one customer seated in the front aircraft and the other seated in the rear of the aircraft,” he said.

If that won’t work, the airline lets the passenger with the pet stay on board and re-books the passenger with the allergies. “If this is not available or unacceptable to the customer with the allergy, we will attempt to rebook the passenger with the allergy on a later American Airlines flight,” he said.

Morgan Johnston, a spokeswoman for JetBlue, said her airline has a similar policy. “As with any allergies, customers with animal allergies are encouraged to speak with a crewmember if they have any concerns,” she said. “Crewmembers may be able to reseat customers in an area of the plane away from any animals, or assist with reaccomodation on a later flight.”

And Alyssa Eliasen, a spokeswoman for Southwest, said her airline allows a maximum of six pets to be booked on one flight, “however we rarely reach that number on one single flight.”

“If a customer has an allergy, we recommend they speak with a Customer Service Agent upon arrival to their departure gate where the employee working that flight will help accommodate the customer's needs,” she said.

But that may not be enough for everybody. In 2010, a group of Canadian doctors made news by writing in The Canadian Medical Association Journal that airlines should ban all pets from the cabin because of allergy concerns.

Air travel “should not include easily avoidable health risks. But it does on some major airlines, at least for passengers with allergies to pets,” they wrote. “Pets can be accommodated comfortably and safely in airplane cargo holds, which is where they belong ... Airlines must choose to put the needs of their human passengers first, or be forced to do so.”

But people who travel with pets take exception to that stance. Some airlines, including Southwest, do not allow pets in their cargo holds. And there is a risk that an animal will be injured or die if stowed below the place. In addition, people who travel with service animals need them during the flight.

Russell Hartstein, a dog behaviorist and trainer, said that dogs need to be properly trained before they can be allowed to fly.

“If a dog is fearful or phobic and does not have a rock-solid temperament, and behavior, they are not suitable to fly regardless of some patch or title someone has given them,” he said.

But that isn’t enough for Sarah, the Ohio traveler who sat next to a dog on a flight. She said that even though the dog was polite and well behaved, she would have preferred to have a different seat neighbor.

“It was curious and enjoyed leaning toward me and sniffing me,” she said. “However, it felt like an invasion of space and was quite uncomfortable for me. I spent the flight leaning as far into the aisle as possible.”

How to Avoid Travel Nightmares While Mercury Is in Retrograde

Getty Images [edited]

Originally published on December 4, 2017.

‘Tis the season to freak out about Mercury going back into retrograde. If you’ve been living under a rock — or usually tune out your astrologically inclined friends — Mercury retrograde is when the planet looks like it’s moving backward across the sky. Mercury ordinarily moves west to east, but while in retrograde, it appears to move east to west.

Mercury retrograde has been documented since the mid-18th century, so panicking about its effects is by no means a new thing. Mercury is said to affect your communication, self-expression, and your mind. But on a more practical level, especially with all the holiday travel coming up, it is also said to affect air travel, transportation, phones, and computers. So the fact that Mercury is going back into retrograde starting December 3 isn’t great news. It’ll be in retrograde until December 23, and some argue that you shouldn’t travel at all during Mercury retrograde.

But we disagree. December 3-23 are prime travel days, and all you need to successfully travel during Mercury retrograde is good preparation. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to handle any travel nightmare that the planets throw your way.

Check into your flight 24 hours in advance.

More than organization or saving you time at the airport, this will ensure that you commit your flight details to memory well before heading to the airport. In other words, checking in ahead of time could save you from missing your flight.

Download some Netflix to watch offline.

You never know when you’re going to sit on the tarmac at the airport or have to drown out the crying baby behind you on the train. Having some "Orange Is the New Black" locked and loaded couldn’t hurt. 

Leave a lot earlier than you need to.

This is Mercury retrograde. There could be an accident that causes an unexpected traffic jam, or you could accidentally go to the wrong airport. Take it from someone who recently ended up at a nondescript airplane hangar called “LA Airport” instead of LAX — you’re going to want the extra time.

Write down the travel documents you need and tape the list to your front door.

There is nothing worse than getting to the airport/bus station/questionable Amtrak port and realizing that you don’t have your ID. Put a Post-it on whatever surface you’ll see before walking out the door with a checklist. Sometimes an analog reminder goes a lot farther than a phone reminder you can easily ignore.

Tag the bejeezus out of your luggage.

When you’re toting people’s presents and the one sweater you’ve been waiting to debut, you really don’t want to have your luggage end up in some far-flung destination. Put a tag with your information on the outside of your bag. Then put one on the inside of your bag. Maybe even add a secondary contact number for good measure.

Download your boarding pass into your Apple Wallet so you can stay up to date on flight delays.

Your boarding time on the Apple Wallet pass will update automatically. And don’t forget to check your flight right before you call your taxi or ride-share to the airport.

Stay calm, and focus on your energy in addition to external factors.

It’s easy to blame Mercury retrograde for a flight delay — especially when you’ve been sitting in an airport for six hours. Remember that Mercury retrograde can affect your energy and mood, too, and unlike your delayed flight, how you respond to a travel crisis is within your control. With a good pair of headphones, you can find some peace even amidst airport chaos.

The One Thing You Need to Do Now to Save Money on Airfare in 2018

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With 2018 quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to start planning next year's vacations.

To make sure you get the best possible price on airfare — without hinging all of your bets on a flash sale or mistake fare — set airfare alerts for all the trips you want to take next year. It's the single best (and easiest) thing you can to do to save money on your upcoming travels.

Related: How to Travel Better: A T+L Master Class

A number of flight deal websites and search engines make it easy to set custom notifications for price drops. There are also subscription e-mail services and “farecasting” apps that will guarantee you’re the first to know about sales or low prices on your preferred routes.

Follow these three steps, and you won’t pay for an overpriced flight on any of your upcoming travelers.

1. Download these apps.

Even if you haven't decided where you're going in 2018, download DealRay and Hopper right now. These apps serve two very different purposes, but are both key to scoring deals on flights.

Hopper uses a mix of historical data and current fares searches to produce a custom calendar highlighting the best (and worst) times to travel to your specific destination. The app will tell you how much the price is likely to fluctuate, and can watch your preferred trip, sending notifications when it thinks you should book for the best price.

Since the app debuted in 2015, it has added suggested deals you may not have known you wanted (like flash sales for similar trips or discounts on flexible dates) and a flexible flight watch feature to help you find savings when you’re able to accommodate different destinations and travel dates.

For travelers more interested in spur of the moment bookings, DealRay, a desktop and mobile members-only service, that sends real-time alerts and push notifications when it finds sales or mistake fares (like super-cheap flights to the Maldives for $526 round-trip).

2. Set alerts for specific trips.

Whether you like to hunt for airfare on Google Flights or Momondo, most flight search engines are now capable of evaluating ticket prices and telling you whether to buy or wait for a better deal.

On Google Flights, you can select “track prices” to watch fares on specific routes. With Momondo, that’s called “fare alert.” Skyscanner users can select “get price alerts.”

Travelers who search on KAYAK will always see the website’s advice in the top left corner, which will suggest buy now, wait, or watch. KAYAK will even give an estimate as to how much the airfare will rise or fall, helping you gauge whether or not it’s worth the risk.

Related: There's No ‘Magic Day’ When Airfares Get Cheap

And by simply entering your home airport and dream destination in Airfarewatchdog.com, you’ll see the lowest possible ticket price on sale at the time, the cheapest round-trip fares every month, and have the option to instantly set an e-mail alert for price drops.

3. Sign up for email deals.

In addition to setting alerts for all the trips you know you want to take, travelers should be prepared to book spontaneous flights, too. Like the DealRay app, Thrifty Traveler and Scott’s Cheap Flights are subscription services that will notify you when there’s a serious deal worth booking — even if the destination hadn’t been on your radar at all. Instead of a push notification, however, they send e-mail blasts to subscribers.

Last year, Thrifty Traveler alerted us to $313 round-trip tickets to Singapore, while Scott’s Cheap Flights filled us in on $352 round-trip flights to Hawaii.

Both websites offer free and premium services, depending on your level of commitment to scoring a deal.

Why You Should Think Twice Before Turning Off the Air Vent Above You on Your Next Flight (Video)

The next time you go to turn off the ventilation above your seat on an airplane — whether because you're afraid of getting sick or you're downright chilly — you might want to reconsider.

Using that tiny vent can actually work to your advantage, as it can help you avoid contact with certain microorganisms that can get you sick during a flight.

Travel + Leisure spoke to Dr. Mark Gendreau — the medical director and vice chair of emergency medicine at Lahey Medical Center-Peabody, and an expert on the spread of infectious diseases associated with air travel — to learn how it works and how travelers can best utilize the that little air conditioner. 

Getty Images/Ryan McVay

“Ventilation on airplanes has gotten a bad reputation, but it’s completely unfounded,” Gendreau told T+L.

Part of the reason for this, Gendreau explained, is that there wasn’t really any research on the topic until the last 15 years. But the other reason is a common misconception people often have about the way plane ventilation systems actually work.

Related: There's a Secret Button on Your Airplane Seat That Will Instantly Give You More Room 

“The flow pattern of air on an aircraft doesn’t necessarily work front to back, or back to front. It’s actually compartmentalized into various sections on the aircraft,” Gendreau said.

“As a rule of thumb, the air that you’re typically breathing and exposed to is usually anywhere from two to five rows surrounding your seat,” he added.

Here's how the ventilation systems work.

Each of these sections (known as temperature control zones), receives air from overhead distribution nozzles that flows through the length of the cabin. The air exits the plane through a grill that's often located beneath the windows, or where the side walls meet the floor of the plane.

This air then combines with the air outside before going through a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) to clear away dust and microbes before re-entering the plane.

The number of these ventilation zones varies depending on the aircraft, but each zone typically goes through this filtration process 15 to 30 times within the hour, with 50 percent of the air getting re-circulated and 50 percent of the air coming from outside, according to Gendreau.  

The systems were primarily designed during the time when smoking was permitted on flights, Gendreau said, meaning airlines had to come up with an efficient and regular filtration system for their ventilation to clear the smoke from the cabins.

For this reason, HEPA filters can remove more than 99 percent of dust and microbes in the air, Gendreau said, though there are times where you'll want to turn to your personal vent. 

Related: Flight Attendant's Photography Shows a Side of Virgin America Passengers Rarely See

“For airborne viruses, it is incredibly important to ventilate, since ventilation becomes your main means of control besides isolating the affected person,” Gendreau said.

Airborne viruses, like tuberculosis and measles, are transmitted by tiny droplet nuclei that can hang in the air for up to five hours, Gendreau said. 

While viruses associated with the common cold and upper respiratory track infections tend to be larger in size and heavier (consequently falling to the floor rather quickly), these particles linger. Which is where your vent comes in. 

By using the vent and turning it on medium or low, you can create an invisible air barrier around you that creates turbulence — simultaneously blocking these particles and forcing them to the ground faster. 

Related: The Real Difference Between Round Robin and Open Jaw Flights

Planes also have low humidity, which means your mucous membrane can dry out on during a flight. When this happens, you're more susceptible to contracting a virus, which is why keeping them away becomes all the more important. 

And because those heavy common cold particles can still travel up to six feet every time you cough, sneeze, or speak, it’s equally important to wipe down and avoid touching surfaces (like that tray table you were probably resting your head on). 

Why Hidden City Ticketing Really Is Too Good to Be True (Video)

Airfare can often seem mystifying, especially when it can cost more to take a short, regional flight than to travel from one coast to the other, or more to fly into one airport than another.

For example, a nonstop flight from Los Angeles, California, to Charlotte, North Carolina, could cost $553, while routes with a layover cost closer to $200. A flight from Los Angeles to Orlando, however, with a stopover in Charlotte on the same day, could only cost $121.

Kohei Hara

Kohei Hara/Getty Images

Hidden city ticketing — or point beyond ticketing — is when a traveler books the flight to Orlando but doesn't continue past Charlotte, getting a much cheaper, non-stop ticket. It’s controversial to say the least.

Hidden-city ticketing can be harmful to other travelers…

Skiplagged, a website known for promoting cheap fares that use hidden city ticketing, has popularized the tactic. And while it’s strongly opposed by airlines, the question of ethics has made it hotly contested by travelers, too.

As Airfarewatchdog founder George Hobica told USA Today, hidden city ticketing deprives other travelers of seats they actually need, and can force them to pay higher prices. Over time, airlines may need to further increase prices.

Because airlines often wait for passengers who are late for connecting flights, travelers who use hidden-city ticketing can even cause flight delays and muddle the travel plans of others.

…and it can ruin your trip.

Even if you don’t have much sympathy for your fellow travelers, hidden city ticketing can have direct consequences for those who try to cheat the system.

You absolutely cannot check a bag if you’re booking a ticket with plans to abandon the itinerary at a stopover. But even carry-on bags can be at risk. If a flight attendant gate-checks your bag, you’ll have to do without your belongings.

And unexpected changes to the flight plan can ruin your travel plans. Re-routing can be caused by a number of circumstances, like inclement weather. And your airline will not be sympathetic if you try to rebook a hidden-city ticket.

There can be consequences.

Even on the Skiplagged website, travelers are warned about some of the penalties travelers can face for booking these fares.

In addition to last-minute itinerary changes and luggage, travelers are urged not to use frequent flyer accounts, and to always bring a passport for international flights (even those that terminate domestically).

“You might upset the airline,” Skiplagged adds.

Hidden-city ticketing isn’t illegal. Both United Airlines and Orbitz filed a federal lawsuit against Skiplagged founder Aktarer Zaman — and lost due to what CNN Money called a “technicality.”

“United claimed Zaman broke the ‘contract of carriage,’ but that’s a contract between passengers and airlines — not third parties like Skiplagged,” CNN Money wrote.

When travelers violate that contract (all the fine print you gloss over when you purchase a ticket) the airline really doesn’t owe you anything. In addition to revoking elite status and invalidating frequent flyer miles, an airline has every right to refuse you service, bump you from future flights — whatever revenge they see fit.

Travelers who book tickets with the intention of skipping the final leg should also be aware that this only works with one-way fares. If you fail to show for a flight, the airline will cancel any succeeding flights.

Instead of looking for sketchy loopholes, travelers seeking a bargain should look for flight deals and airfare sales, take advantage of error fares, and learn to capitalize on off-season and shoulder-season bargains.

12 Steps to Getting Over Your Fear of Flying

Humans are not meant to be airborne — or at least that’s what people like me, who are terrified of flying, like to tell whoever is sitting next to us on our transatlantic. Like most others who share this particular fear, my early life was characterized by carefree travel. It wasn't until my early 20s that I started panicking every time I needed to catch a plane. I became certain that this would be the flight to buck all those safety statistics.

Still, Pinterest boards and Instagram photos taunted me. Everyone photographed in travel imagery frolics or lounges — there's no sign of the shaky mess I become just thinking about flying to the Caribbean or Santorini. When I fly, I have to dose up on anti-anxiety medication just to step on board, and then I sleep my way to the destination.

I’m not the only wannabe adventurer that gets uncomfortable on airplanes. Technology has evolved far faster than human biology, so while we want to be as futuristic as the machines we’ve built, I like to think our more basic instincts are still catching up. To me, everything about being in an airplane — sitting in cramped quarters, not being in control, being literal miles up in the air — makes me feel in danger, like prey.

I have faith that all of us can conquer this fear. To test the theory, I’ve compiled techniques for combating the phobia, in hopes of making everybody's dreams of far-flung adventuring come true. As is the case with any treatment, not every solution presented will be a cure-all; what may work for one could do nothing for another. And it’s important to treat any phobia conquest as a gradual process that (like, oh hey, an airplane flight) will have its ups and downs.