Our best travel tips

 
 
 

At Perspectives Travel, we remember the good old days of actually walking someone to a gate, waving goodbye as they went down the jet way, and watching their plane take off. Now we may never get back to that, but we do have some amazing tips that will make travel a little more bearable and a little less “there’s an airline fee for what now?!”

  • TSA Precheck- get it, use it, love it. If you fly more than twice a year you MUST sign up for this service. Complete the application here, pay $85 for 5 years and start living your best travel life. Perspectives Travel Tip: Always travel as a family? Only one adult needs TSA Precheck as long as they are the ticket purchaser. If the tickets are purchased under a passenger who has Precheck all tickets on the itinerary will get TSA Precheck access for that flight.

  • Download your content before you get to the airport- Whether it’s Amazon Music Offline Music Mode or downloadable content from Netflix don’t wait until you’re on the airport’s free, slow wifi to start downloading. Plan ahead at home and get all of your favorites on your device before you start your journey. Two passengers and one device? Try these splitters that allow you to both plug in and watch.

  • For long haul flights you should upgrade, even if it means one less splurge at your destination- For flights over 7 hours include upgraded seats in your budget. If first class is too pricey, go for business class or even additional legroom seats. When you arrive, you want to be rested and ready to go, and the additional money spent here will put you in a better mindset when you touch down.

  • Food makes the best souvenirs- Need to bring back gifts for family and friends? Stop by the local grocery store at your destination and look for locally made tags on items like candy, snack foods, tea or coffee, and condiments. Food items are easier to pack than clothes or trinkets, more affordable, and if you get hungry mid-flight you have a tasty emergency snack.

  • For international travel give yourself a day to regroup once you return- We all want to maximize our time spent traveling but there is nothing worse than having your return flight delayed by three hours, arriving home at 1am and having to be at work the next day at 8am. Returning late on a Saturday instead of a Sunday, especially if you’ve been traveling for more than a week, gives you time to unpack, do laundry, go to the grocery store, and just generally get your life in order before your work week begins. If you were in a different time zone it also gives your body a head start on getting readjusted.

 
Amina Dearmon