From airport shortcuts to packing tips, consider these words of wisdom from The Globe and Mail’s frequent-flying staff to make your summertime trips a little less stressful.
Minimize toiletries
Eric Reguly, European bureau chief: I live by the packing advice of my late father, Bob Reguly, who was a Toronto Star foreign correspondent: Travel light. Dad always returned home with ripped-up novels; he discarded chapters as he went to save weight. I am not as extreme. But I never check luggage (except body armour). This saves time, pain, money. You can find shops and laundromats everywhere. Another tip: Minimize toiletries. I never travel without Somersets English shaving oil (somersets.com). The container is not much bigger than a thimble and a few drops is all you need.
Always be ready
Nathan VanderKlippe, international correspondent: Adventure thrives on spontaneity: a last-second flight deal, an unexpected chance to see something new, a break in bad weather. But it’s much easier to take that unplanned detour if you’re prepared. I’ve found the easiest way is to make my entire life travel ready. I don’t just organize my myriad cables in a tech pouch for trips. I use it every day. I don’t just zip up my favourite jacket – a thin garment with PrimaLoft insulation that kills the wind, packs small and stays warm when wet – for distant climates. I wear it to work and the ski hill, too. I don’t just use a compartment-rich travel backpack for the road. It’s my office hauler, too. So, when it’s time to go, there’s no digging out special gear. It’s already on my shoulders.
Carry on carrying on
Domini Clark, editor: Your flight carry-on allowance may be larger than you think. Typically, passengers are allowed a small suitcase and one smaller personal article (such as a backpack). But many airlines, including WestJet, also allow additional special items, such as diaper bags, e-readers, umbrellas, cameras, duty-free purchases and food. Air Canada even lets flyers bring on one more smaller purse. So you could potentially walk onboard with four bags. If you’re maximizing allowances, be considerate: Put your largest bag in the overhead bin and all other items under the seat in front of you.
No status? No problem
Catherine Dawson March, editor: I’m always surprised that more people don’t use the free options available to cut down on airport queues. At Toronto Pearson, Canada’s busiest airport, I can zip to the front of the security line by booking a timed entry via YYZ Express. On my way, I visit the YYZ express website, answer questions about my flight and destination and receive a QR code that lets me take a shortcut as if I’ve got a business-class ticket. If I’m headed stateside (even just to change planes), I use the Mobile Passport Control app and pre-fill out U.S. Customs forms. It gives me another QR code, which is another front-of-the-line pass. (Don’t mind the side-eye from less-prepared travellers.) When returning to Canada, as my plane taxis to the gate, I open the infamous ArriveCan app to fill out an Advance Declaration form. Sometimes, I get through Canadian Customs faster than my Nexus-toting travel mates.
Europe with kids
Shannon Proudfoot, feature writer: Last fall, my husband and I took our three young children to Europe for the first time and only partially adjusted the kids to the six-hour time difference. That meant we could eat dinner at 7 or 8 p.m. without (much) crankiness, and everyone slept late. We also chose to spend more time in smaller and less touristy cities, such as Lille, France, and Ghent, Belgium, where we could just “be” instead of sprinting from one highlight to another. We realized on our first day that we’d wildly overestimated our three-year-old’s energy for walking, so we bought an inexpensive stroller and drove it into the ground over the next two weeks, then left it behind in Paris on our way home. It was the best $80 we ever spent.
Got your stuff?
Paul Waldie, Europe correspondent: Be careful not to leave anything behind in airports. Take it from me and the many blunders I’ve made. Years ago, while rushing to catch a flight at London Heathrow, I left my wallet, passport and boarding pass neatly piled on the tray at the security check and headed off to the gate. Luckily, when I ran back in a panic, everything was exactly where I left it. In Frankfurt, I once forgot my laptop on the tray and didn’t realize it until the next day at my destination. After a few phone calls and e-mails, the airport sent it to me by courier, at my expense. Then, last summer, I took the wrong duffle bag off the carousel at Heathrow and didn’t discover the mix-up until I got home. I returned the next day certain it was a lost cause. But I managed to talk my way into the baggage area through an entrance reserved for airport staff. I was accompanied by an escort, along with a couple of other travellers who’d left stuff behind. I immediately found my bag lying next to the carousel. My escort promised to contact the owner of the one I took.