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South Flights : Travel Tips
- When buying airline tickets online, call the airline to get seat
assignment immediately if no seat assignment is given.
If you arrive at the ticket counter without seat assignment on an overbooked flight,
you probably will get bumped off the flight and forced to take a later flight -
which can be several hours or even a full day later. Due to overbooking,
getting seat assignment in advance can reduce the risk of getting 'bumped'!
- Avoid booking flight segments close together. Major airlines consider a connection as tight as 35 minutes to be a valid connection,
but this is often not enough time if there are long lines at security!
If travel time is not critical, consider allowing at least 2 hours to make each connection.
If you are not delayed, you can use this slack time to eat at the airport,
where the food is likely many times better than what you may get in the air.
- For those travelling with backpacks, bring along several large orange garbage bags to
protect the pack from luggage carousels and machinery; prior to checking your pack in,
write in large letters across the garbage bag your itinerary and flight numbers,
then slip it over the backpack and tie tightly. Your pack is now immune to the gnashing teeth
of the luggage carousels, and you'll have no trouble identifying the pack on the carousel.
- When you claim your bag at the airport, check it over before you leave the bag claim area.
Look for any new damage on the bag, and to be sure that it was not opened and something taken. The baggage service desk for the airline is
normally right in the claim area, this is also true for Customs arrivals. It is especially
important to fill out the misplaced baggage information before leaving Customs,
as Customs will have special forms that may help the baggage clear without your presence at the airport.
If you have combination locks or keys for the baggage, these should be left with the paperwork for your
baggage, as it will prevent delays in getting your bag or possible bag damage from Customs opening the
bag.
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