Maybe you’ve never flown before, maybe you’ve only flown a couple of times, or maybe you’re flown a lot, but not recently.

Whatever your situation, there are definitely a couple of things you should know before your next Surprise Plane Trip!

Written by Corinne Hogge

Pack Up + Go Air Travel 101 Tips:

1. Download Your Airline’s App for mobile Check-in

2. Sign Up for TSA Pre-Check

3. Stay in the Terminal during Short Layovers

4. The Secret of Gate Check

5. Less is More When it Comes to Packing

6. Protect Your Trip with Peace of Mind Refund Assurance

7. Travel is Worth it!

1. Mobile Check-In:

   • If you have a smartphone + aren’t checking a bag, you can make your life easier with mobile check-in! Checking in prior to arriving at the airport will allow you to skip the kiosk and head directly to security. Unsure of the process? You can find more information about mobile check-in on your individual airline’s website.

     1. Using a mobile boarding pass is easy:

        1. Check-in for your flight at least one hour before your scheduled departure.

        2. During check-in, select how you’d like to receive your mobile pass: email, text message, or view in browser.

        3. Save the pass to your device.

        4. Present your mobile pass at security checkpoints and during boarding.

2. TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry:

   • Waiting in long security lines doesn’t have to be part of the process! TSA Pre-Check is an attainable way to minimize your time spent in security lines.

   • You can sign up online for $85 for the next 5 years (only $17 a year, $1.41 a month) and if you take an average of 6 flights a year (3 roundtrip flights), that is only $2.83 per flight to not have to remove my shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets in the security line. If you aren’t such a frequent flyer, the price may differ, but you can be the judge of how much waiting in the security line is worth.

   • Another (slightly more expensive option at $100) is Global Entry, for those of you who do a lot of international travel. The benefits are pretty similar, but also work when coming back into the USA from another country.

3. Stay in the Terminal During Short Layovers:

   • You will always have to go back through security. No exceptions. And you never know how long security lines will be in an airport or how long it will take to get back to your gate. For this reason, we highly advise that you do not leave your terminal between flights.

   • On that note: if you have checked a bag on a flight with multiple stops, you do not need to go to baggage claim to get your checked luggage - it should meet you at your final destination!

4. Gate Check:

   • On the subject of luggage, let’s talk about gate-checking. Some people love and some people aren’t a fan, so we’ll let you be the judge! Overhead bin access is highly coveted and sometimes fills up before you have the chance to store your belongings due to a myriad of factors (baggage policies, a full flight, flight route). If the airline knows the flight is going to run out of cabin space, they may ask you if you want to volunteer to check your bag (for free!) during your flight.

   • If you gate-check your bag, it may be returned to you upon exiting the aircraft or it may be sent to baggage claim when you make it to your final arrival, so be sure to confirm where you should pick up your luggage!

5. Less is more:

   • There is no one way to pack correctly, but the advice from Pack Up + Go is to pack light and stay organized! Keeping your luggage to just a carry-on will allow you to move more quickly through the check-in process and avoid any extra checked bag fees.

   • If are new to packing light, it might be tricky at first, but after a couple of trips (along with some helpful packing tips) we have no doubt that you’ll be a packing pro!

6. Protect Your Trip with Peace of Mind Refund Assurance:

   • We always want to depart on vacation as planned, but sometimes things come up and plans have to change. Peace of Mind Refund Assurance can be added to any Pack Up + Go Trip to provide you with greater flexibility to change or cancel your plans for any reason, including unexpected work conflicts, family emergencies, and COVID-19 related issues.

7. TRAVEL IS WORTH IT:

   • The journey is absolutely worth the adventure waiting for you on the other side of your airplane ride! Pushing your limits + putting yourself in new experiences will help you grow to heights you didn’t even know were possible. Plus, when you sign up for a vacation through Pack Up + Go you will have our expert Traveler Support Team on call 24/7 to help you with anything that comes up along the way!

Embark on a thrilling journey of anticipation, excitement, and discovery with Surprise Plane Trips!

Are you ready to embrace the unknown and let spontaneity be your guide? Learn more about our surprise plane trips here.