To make your Summer travels smooth and stress free, know the reality then be smart. The Women’s Travel Group shares experiences.
Flights will be fuller, usually with families. There is no rule that families get to sit together. If asked to move for a family, you can request an extra service before agreeing: Ask for a better seat? If there is rancor, explain quietly that it was the gate agent’s job to put a family together. You paid for your seat and planned accordingly. There is legislation pending about seating families together; it is not law yet. I was on a plane recently where my seat was double booked; possession is 9/10 of the law. I did not have to move.
Airport bathrooms for women will have lines. (A recent study showed that the cleanest stall was the first one; most people opt for the middle stalls). I tested this theory. Not only was the first stall clean but it was usually empty.
In some airports, bathrooms are no longer gender specific; if so the lines will be shorter. You’ll think you are in the men’s bathroom if a guy is washing his hands. Worry not, this is a gender free bathroom.
Weather and flight disruptions. Whether or not you believe in climate change, expect some weather disruption somewhere in the globe. Travel insurance will pay for serious disruption/delay. Carrying on a change of clothes will assuage immediate worries. Being smart about getting a new flight will soften hysteria. Call the airline on both the 800 and local numbers. If overseas, US airlines have partners with local offices. Example:Delta has staff via Air France. If using an agent or our staff, keep handy the 24/7 emergency number. In all cases, have your record locator handy to identify your ticket. If you are on a code share, lets say a United flight but a Lufthansa plane, make sure you know which locator is for which airline and keep both handy. Finally think about booking the first flight of the day.
Using Clear or another fast line service. Even though Clear touts itself as elite, assess the lines. Clear has machine and staff problems and delays due to the increased information they require of each passenger. Stand with the regular folks, you’ll still get through security. Final note about security: no clunky metal jewelry, tuck money where no fast hands can reach; expensive scarf for instance underneath other items not on top. Yes, people still forget to throw out liquids. Do it. Have electronic items: phone, ipad etc easy to extract. As soon as a slot is open, go for it; don’t wait for the first slot near the line to be free; the system wants you to take the next available one.
All in all, we travelers have been through the worst post Covid craziness. We’ll survive Summer; maybe by next some of the President’s new legislation will become law. As usual news headlines are worst than reality. Join The Women’s Travel Group on our Scotland/Ireland trip in October or Sicily/Malta in November. And yes cool temperatures prevail in Mexico City in August. Call us for availability on all tours: 646 309 5604.
