Frequent Flyers tips & tricks!

[rhesuspieces]

Hi guys!

Seems like a lot of us have a lot of flights ahead of us in the next few months, so...

If anyone's seen the movie Up In the Air, you'll remember that George Clooney's character is a model of airport efficiency. I always imagine that the next flight I go on, I'll be like that....then I always end up being that girl struggling to pull her laptop out of her bag at security, getting my suitcase searched because I accidentally packed an ikea allen wrench (true story), and hobbling away trying to find a spot to sit down and put my shoes back on because somehow I ended up wearing the most inconvenient footwear known to man.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that finds airports/airplanes to be a massive pain in the ass. So I thought we could share some tips, tricks, advice, whatever that makes all those flights go just a little bit smoother.

Hints on how to find cheap airfares, survive flight delays, etc., are always appreciated too!

And of course, on all your interviews

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[E11]

If anyone's seen the movie Up In the Air, you'll remember that George Clooney's character is a model of airport efficiency. I always imagine that the next flight I go on, I'll be like that....

I have had this movie in the back of my mind while prepping for my flight too! I'm definitely going to take George Clooney's advice and get behind the Asians in the security line. haha

Hints on how to find cheap airfares, survive flight delays, etc., are always appreciated too!

Travel Zoo is money for awesome travel deals. Especially the top 20. It can be hit or miss though... and good amount of it is not applicable to medical school interviewing.

Kayak is also nice for comparing deals.

 

[rafflecopter]

Tip #1: Never check baggage, especially if you have a connecting flight. If one of the flights is late, or people aren't paying attention your interview suit/clothes can be on their way to Moscow. Instead, get a small sized suitcase to carry-on the plane, preferably one with a built-in garment bag - this allows you to keep your suit/dress clothes fairly crisp and limit the wrinkles produced.

Tip #2: If you are doing tip #1, do yourself a favor and go to CVS and spend $10-$20 on a bunch of those travel-sized (under 3-oz) toiletries. Did this for shaving gel, deodorant, hair product and toothpaste and found it to be really convenient. Put all of these in a plastic bag on one of the outside pockets of your carry-on suitcase (because security will make you take it out). Note if you do this option (no checked baggage) you will be unable to bring any kind of razors with you (even disposable ones). Hotels realize this and will always give you complementary ones upon asking.

Tip#3: Another option is to actually wear your interview suit onto the plane, and sometimes, if it is not full, you will get upgraded to business class. This also is a less wrinkle-inducing option than putting it in a garment bag/suitcase combo.

 

[Kuune]

Seconded on the do not check baggage. If you fly Delta this means you can check yourself in at a kiosk and skip the baggage check line, and go straight to security.

Bring a mini steamer/iron so you can straighten out any wrinkles in your suit the night before.

 

[lord_jeebus]

When I applied to residency, I spent 3 weeks on the opposite (East) coast and went to 12 interviews, during January, with just a single carry-on-sized bag. You may not be able to schedule interviews so close together, unfortunately, but if you can you will save a lot on travel costs. www.onebag.com was my guide, especially for such tricks as sink laundry, fast-drying synthetics (my suit and shirt were not synthetic), and shaving oil.

As for suits (I brought two), I would wear one while traveling, and the other one would be folded like this:

Suit jacket inside out, but with one sleeve not inverted. Place the right-side-out sleeve into the inside-out sleeve, then align the rest of the jacket so it's folded in half. Fold the sleeves forward along their seam with the jacket. Then bundle-pack it (fold it again around a stack of other clothes). Pants also inside-out and folded around something. The key to avoiding wrinkles is avoiding friction with other clothes, and the lining is a lot smoother (putting them in a slippery dry-cleaning plastic bag is even better).

I never had any wrinkles that couldn't be cured by hanging in a steamy bathroom. I brought a little can of wrinkle relaxing spray, but never used it.

I always travel with a razor (just a regular Gillette razor); never had a problem with it at security. Instead of buying overpriced travel sized toiletries (which usually are only about 1 oz size), I got some 2 oz Nalgene bottles (could not find a maker of 3 oz bottles) and filled them at home.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

This also is a less wrinkle-inducing option than putting it in a garment bag/suitcase combo.

negatory, you shouldn't wear your interview suit on the flight if you can help it. your jacket will most definitely get some wrinkles unless you plan to stand the whole way through.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Preferably one with a built-in garment bag - this allows you to keep your suit/dress clothes fairly crisp and limit the wrinkles produced.

I've been just layering plastic bags around my suites. Seems to work great. I never wear them on the plane -- seems like it might get dirty via airtravel.

Steam showers work wonders though!

you will be unable to bring any kind of razors with you (even disposable ones). Hotels realize this and will always give you complementary ones upon asking.

There is no TSA regulation regarding safety razors (last I checked). You are free to pack them and I do every time. I have even carried on a box of 20 venus shavers.

I love traveling and am a speed demon through security -- so yeah I idolized George Clooney in Up in the Air.

 

[ucladoc2b]

I'll preface this post by saying I fly a lot (I've flown over 200K miles since January. Domestic. Ugh.). Here are some tips I have picked up along the way.

1. If you are flying a ton, try to stick to one airline. Make sure you sign up for their programs and ensure your FF number is attahced to your reservation.

Let me explain why this is important. When you fly, you earn two types of miles:

1. Redeemable miles--these can be redeemed for tickets. 1-2 miles earned for each mile flown.
2. Elite Qualification Miles -- these are literally a counter to determine your status with the airline (like a VIP program). Usually, you earn one elite mile per mile flown. The more you fly with the airline, the higher your status.

Elite status is really helpful and has often been the difference between getting back home or being stuck at O'Hare airport during a snowstorm. You also get free baggage, priority boarding, better security, free upgrades, more miles. I personally like United's program the best.

You can get elite status pretty quickly flying for med school interviews. Sometimes the airlines even run promos when you can earn two miles per mile flown (the major airlines ran the promo twice last year).

2. Put your wallet, cellphone, keyes in your briefcase/purse while you are waiting in line at security. Make sure you have your toiletries in an easily-accessible place in your bag (like in a front pocket). Remember 3 oz, one 1 qt plastic bag.

3. Avoid checking bags. If you must check a bag, bring a small carry on with your critical stuff in it.

4. Southwest/Jet Blue are not always the cheapest options.

5. Try to book you ticket directly with the airline. If there are problems with your trip, a travel agent is often more difficult to work with than the airlines' res agents. Plus, the airlines themselves tend to have the cheapest prices.

6. Fly earlier in the day. Fewer problems overall.

7. The busiest travel days are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday. The worst times are from about 5-8 am, 11-1pm, and 4-6 pm. Airports are always very crowded at these times.

8. See if the airline has a mobile boarding pass that you can download to your phone.

9. Get a computer bag which does not require laptop removal for security screening. These are awesome (there are several inexpensive ones).

10. If you find yourself delayed, the best tactic is usually to call the airline rather than wait in the customer service line. Many times they can rebook you quickly (if they havent already). Also, if you are aware of a delay that could impact your connecting flight, call ahead and see if they can "protect" you on the next flight.

11. Be nice to the flight attendants. Be nice to the gate agents. They can really hook you up sometimes.

12. If you have an excessive delay (two hours or more) that is within the airlines control (mechanical, crew, or operations, but not weather or ATC), email their customer service desk. They usually will give you a free coupon for a discount off of a future flight (like a spring break trip to celebrate your med school acceptance). Personally, I have about $3000 in United discounts for this reason.

 

[ucladoc2b]

Tip#3: Another option is to actually wear your interview suit onto the plane, and sometimes, if it is not full, you will get upgraded to business class. This also is a less wrinkle-inducing option than putting it in a garment bag/suitcase combo.

I would not wear my suit on a plane in hopes of getting a free upgrade. The airlines all have very strict, automated rules about who gets to ride up front. Dress for comfort.

 

[AutumnChild]

I'll preface this post by saying I fly a lot (I've flown over 200K miles since January. Domestic. Ugh.). Here are some tips I have picked up along the way.

1. If you are flying a ton, try to stick to one airline. Make sure you sign up for their programs and ensure your FF number is attahced to your reservation.

Let me explain why this is important. When you fly, you earn two types of miles:

1. Redeemable miles--these can be redeemed for tickets. 1-2 miles earned for each mile flown.
2. Elite Qualification Miles -- these are literally a counter to determine your status with the airline (like a VIP program). Usually, you earn one elite mile per mile flown. The more you fly with the airline, the higher your status.

Elite status is really helpful and has often been the difference between getting back home or being stuck at O'Hare airport during a snowstorm. You also get free baggage, priority boarding, better security, free upgrades, more miles. I personally like United's program the best.

You can get elite status pretty quickly flying for med school interviews. Sometimes the airlines even run promos when you can earn two miles per mile flown (the major airlines ran the promo twice last year).

2. Put your wallet, cellphone, keyes in your briefcase/purse while you are waiting in line at security. Make sure you have your toiletries in an easily-accessible place in your bag (like in a front pocket). Remember 3 oz, one 1 qt plastic bag.

3. Avoid checking bags. If you must check a bag, bring a small carry on with your critical stuff in it.

4. Southwest/Jet Blue are not always the cheapest options.

5. Try to book you ticket directly with the airline. If there are problems with your trip, a travel agent is often more difficult to work with than the airlines' res agents. Plus, the airlines themselves tend to have the cheapest prices.

6. Fly earlier in the day. Fewer problems overall.

7. The busiest travel days are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday. The worst times are from about 5-8 am, 11-1pm, and 4-6 pm. Airports are always very crowded at these times.

8. See if the airline has a mobile boarding pass that you can download to your phone.

9. Get a computer bag which does not require laptop removal for security screening. These are awesome (there are several inexpensive ones).

10. If you find yourself delayed, the best tactic is usually to call the airline rather than wait in the customer service line. Many times they can rebook you quickly (if they havent already). Also, if you are aware of a delay that could impact your connecting flight, call ahead and see if they can "protect" you on the next flight.

11. Be nice to the flight attendants. Be nice to the gate agents. They can really hook you up sometimes.

12. If you have an excessive delay (two hours or more) that is within the airlines control (mechanical, crew, or operations, but not weather or ATC), email their customer service desk. They usually will give you a free coupon for a discount off of a future flight (like a spring break trip to celebrate your med school acceptance). Personally, I have about $3000 in United discounts for this reason.

I use United's FF program too (when I can, sometimes I sacrifice flying united for a direct flight), and they give you free food at the red carpet clubs if you are eligible to go in. I don't understand these elite qualifying miles though - I don't understand what they do, lol. Maybe I should read up on it cuz if they can bump me to priority security at O'hare I won't have to get there so early.

 

[SirGecko]

Tip#3: Another option is to actually wear your interview suit onto the plane, and sometimes, if it is not full, you will get upgraded to business class. This also is a less wrinkle-inducing option than putting it in a garment bag/suitcase combo.

I am going to jump in with the others and discount this one too. You can usually hang a garment bag in the front right when you get on the plane and that is way better than sitting (possibly sleeping) for possibly hours in economy in your interview clothes. Also you won't get bumped to business class because you are wearing business attire. The only time I've ever heard of what someone was wearing influencing a bump is military uniforms (and even then it isn't really the uniform so much as the fact that you are in the military). That said I've flown on orders (once on my birthday) multiple times and never been bumped. (it is nice that American lets you use the priority access lines and board first though)

 

[accidentprone]

If you've applied to several schools in the same region, and only one so far has offered you an interview, consider buying one way tickets for the trip out and the return or pay more for a refundable ticket.

I had this situation in Sept. and bought a cheap round trip ticket that couldn't be altered for a Monday interview. The day after I bought the ticket, another school offered me an interview and I was able to schedule it for the Friday before my other interview. Unfortunately, because my roundtrip ticket wasn't refundable, United made me pay a change ticket fee and also charged me for the appreciation of my original flight (it's price went up after I bought it). In the end, I almost paid enough for two round trip tickets when all I needed was to move my departure day a couple of days earlier. I tried to buy a one way ticket out, but missing my original departure would supposedly invalidate that entire trip, including my return.

Had I bought two nonrefundable one way tickets originally I could have ditched the first flight out without invalidating my return, and I think the price would have been the same as my round trip ticket or very close to it. The other option would have been to pay more for a refundable ticket, but I really had no idea the second interview invite was coming, so at the time, this just seemed like wasted money. In hindsight, it would have been insurance.

 

[ucladoc2b]

I use United's FF program too (when I can, sometimes I sacrifice flying united for a direct flight), and they give you free food at the red carpet clubs if you are eligible to go in. I don't understand these elite qualifying miles though - I don't understand what they do, lol. Maybe I should read up on it cuz if they can bump me to priority security at O'hare I won't have to get there so early.

Here are some links to airline websites that detail elite status. Basically, you get one elite qualifying mile for each mile you fly. The more you fly, the more elite miles you earn, the better the perks.

http://www.delta.com/skymiles/about_skymiles/benefits_at_glance/index.jsp

http://www.united.com/page/article/1,,53467,00.html?navSource=Dropdown07&linkTitle=elitebenefits

http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/programDetails/eliteStatus/main.jsp

 

[ucladoc2b]

If you've applied to several schools in the same region, and only one so far has offered you an interview, consider buying one way tickets for the trip out and the return or pay more for a refundable ticket.

I had this situation in Sept. and bought a cheap round trip ticket that couldn't be altered for a Monday interview. The day after I bought the ticket, another school offered me an interview and I was able to schedule it for the Friday before my other interview. Unfortunately, because my roundtrip ticket wasn't refundable, United made me pay a change ticket fee and also charged me for the appreciation of my original flight (it's price went up after I bought it). In the end, I almost paid enough for two round trip tickets when all I needed was to move my departure day a couple of days earlier. I tried to buy a one way ticket out, but missing my original departure would supposedly invalidate that entire trip, including my return.

Had I bought two nonrefundable one way tickets originally I could have ditched the first flight out without invalidating my return, and I think the price would have been the same as my round trip ticket or very close to it. The other option would have been to pay more for a refundable ticket, but I really had no idea the second interview invite was coming, so at the time, this just seemed like wasted money. In hindsight, it would have been insurance.

If it's any consolation, you still likely saved a considerable amount of money over buying a fully-refundable ticket. A fully-refundable ticket is usually pretty expensive (2-3x the amount of a discounted economy fare).

Also, most airlines will allow you to cancel your originial ticket within 24 hours of purchase for free.

 

[mvenus929]

If you've applied to several schools in the same region, and only one so far has offered you an interview, consider buying one way tickets for the trip out and the return or pay more for a refundable ticket.

I had this situation in Sept. and bought a cheap round trip ticket that couldn't be altered for a Monday interview. The day after I bought the ticket, another school offered me an interview and I was able to schedule it for the Friday before my other interview. Unfortunately, because my roundtrip ticket wasn't refundable, United made me pay a change ticket fee and also charged me for the appreciation of my original flight (it's price went up after I bought it). In the end, I almost paid enough for two round trip tickets when all I needed was to move my departure day a couple of days earlier. I tried to buy a one way ticket out, but missing my original departure would supposedly invalidate that entire trip, including my return.

Had I bought two nonrefundable one way tickets originally I could have ditched the first flight out without invalidating my return, and I think the price would have been the same as my round trip ticket or very close to it. The other option would have been to pay more for a refundable ticket, but I really had no idea the second interview invite was coming, so at the time, this just seemed like wasted money. In hindsight, it would have been insurance.

I've had to do that before. The thing that really made me mad, though, was the fact that overnight, the ticket price went up like $70, so my flight basically doubled in price due to that fare change and the charge they made me pay to change my reservation.

But, I got to two interviews.

 

[rhesuspieces]

Ok, I came up with a new tip of my own:

Do not, under any circumstances, drink heavily the night before your flight. Not that I have had any experience with this but being hungover on a plane is basically the worst ever.

 

[gravitywave]

Ok, I came up with a new tip of my own:

Do not, under any circumstances, drink heavily the night before your flight. Not that I have had any experience with this but being hungover on a plane is basically the worst ever.

what's with all the drinking related posts tonight?

anyway - the solution here would be to self-medicate. make use of the beverages available on the flight. crash early at your hotel and up again early on interview day, ready to go.

not that I have any experience with this....

 

[WorldChanger36]

what's with all the drinking related posts tonight?

anyway - the solution here would be to self-medicate. make use of the beverages available on the flight. crash early at your hotel and up again early on interview day, ready to go.

not that I have any experience with this....

Don't say crash in regards to planes.... It is bad ironic luck. It would suck to be so close just to end up toasted on the way to an interview. ( Shoot I can even see rejection letter for not showing up for the interview...)

 

[gravitywave]

Don't say crash in regards to planes.... It is bad ironic luck. It would suck to be so close just to end up toasted on the way to an interview. ( Shoot I can even see rejection letter for not showing up for the interview...)

Oops. It is indeed poor taste not to show for your interview