22 Flights, Smooth Sailing - Here's How

This summer's headlines scream of the broken airline system. Passengers are missing flights, luggage and patience. I'm here to share from experience that while the airlines are imperfect and understaffed to serve travel-hangry passengers, your adventure can be fun vs. another statistic. There are ways to successfully land on time within a flailing system.

Since May 2021, I've experienced 22 different flights and with one exception, they've been more boring than busted. Even the one glitch trip, turned out in my favor.

Here's what I've discovered to help you with travel planning and relaxation.

For Your Flight

First flight in the morning - fewer passengers are eager to get up before dawn for a 6 or 7 a.m. flight. Use that to your advantage. The morning TSA lines are also shorter.

Non-stop flights - there are multiple benefits - non-stops are easier, faster, and sometimes less expensive. There's also less chance for connection glitches and things that can go wrong (e.g., thunderstorms, cancelations).

Digital boarding passes - use your smartphone and have less to carry/search in your bag/purse.

Carry-on luggage - maximize your carry on allowance. This can be especially true during the warm-weather months. Depending on to where you're traveling, summer clothes are easy to fold, weigh less, and require less space.

How often do we overpack, realizing during our trip, we only wore two vs. the five shirts we packed in a checked bag? Is a hair dryer and your typical, at-home makeup, a nice-to or have-to-have on vacation?

If you leave something at home, you can buy an inexpensive alternative at your destination. Keep in mind - is a checked bag worth the potential hassle/loss/adventure delays?

Ask the airline for help - if your flight is canceled or delayed, your first thought may be to scream at a customer-service agent (CSA). Resist the temptation because the CSAs have heard/seen that reaction so often, they're immune to it.

Instead, in a rare (for them) calm, stable way, explain your situation to the CSA and offer solutions. For example, say you're willing to take a different flight, give up your existing seat to someone in a more emergent situation, or even travel to a different airport for a flight that gets you to your destination.

I've been in this situation and because I was calm, the CSAs have offered to help me: re-ticketing on a different flight/even a competing airline; paid for my travel to a different airport.

In the last scenario, the airline paid for my taxi from DCA to BWI - 45 miles away. My non-stop flight from BWI arrived in Columbus around the time originally planned for the DCA flight. The original DCA flight had a connection in Atlanta and had I not offered to go to Baltimore, my delayed DCA flight would go to Atlanta then land in Columbus five hours later than original plan.

As with any successful partnership, when you demonstrate you're willing to work with them, not as an adversarial customer, you can both win. When you ask for help, it's more likely the airline will offer travel credits, a travel voucher, drink coupons or more.

Baseline Secrets to Low-Stress Travel

1) Hydrate - you'll feel better physically and mentally if you're hydrated, and you'll be in better shape to handle travel curveballs.

2) Take a Buddhist approach - let go of expectations and attachments to reduce your anxiety. Human anxiety comes from our reality not meeting our situational expectations. The reality is change is constant, so instead of fighting it, lean into and flow with it.

We're in an unprecedented, pseudo-post-COVID summer with a massive rush of travelers and fewer airline staff to handle the crush. The most important thing is reaching your destination in however creative way you can achieve it.

3) Airline employees are doing their best under the circumstances. They're stressed with long hours, fewer resources, and more passengers (some unfriendly) than they expected. They're doing their job to help you reach your destination.

4) Attitude (Yours) - go into the planning and/or your departure gate with an open mind. The more available to possibilities and creative solutions in case plans go awry, the more likely you'll have a positive outcome. Going in with a fighting perspective, will add anxiety and stress where it may not be needed or justified.

5) It's nothing personal - when travel plans don't go as expected, the airlines are not singling you out. Your fellow travel mates are in the same boat, long lines, summer heat, and limited vacation time. Making the situation about you, will not advance your cause.

The Golden Rule

Throughout my decades of work and leisure travel, I've found this rule to win every time.

Be kind to the airline customer-service staff

As a result of remembering they're people, too, I've gotten benefits, some without requesting:

• Re-ticketed on more convenient flights and at no charge
• Additional loyalty program points
• Drink coupons
• Taxi fare to another airport (same airline) with a more convenient flight to my destination

The airline system is broken, and in the short-term, we're at its mercy for long-term resolution. In the meantime, take proactive steps to help make your air travel seamless and simple. You don't have to star a travel-horrors story.

Thanks for reading and safe travels!

Namaste!

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Tom Sommers is a Washington, DC based writer and data analyst. Follow today on LinkedIn or on Twitter @tomsommers1.