A Pilot"s Top Tips For Life On The Road

Traveling by air is fast and convenient but not without challenges. A pilot shares four travel tips for smoother travel.


Photo: Dzerkach Viktar/Shutterstock

Aviation has revolutionized how we travel and improved our connectedness in ways difficult to put into words. While the romance of commercial aviation’s early years may have passed, improvements for aircraft – speed, endurance, and other capabilities – continue to push commercial travel by air to the next level.

As an airline pilot, I hold a front-row seat to just how fast, safe, and beneficial air travel is to society. But I also know life on the road – in this case, in the sky – can be trying and exhausting even for a frequent flyer.

Simple Flying asked me for my top travel tips. Here they are, far from exhaustive, but based on personal experience and observation of weary travelers.

Arrive early

A full parking garage. Long security lines. Gate changes. These, among other travel calamities, can and often conspire against even the most prepared traveler. It is impossible to over-emphasize the importance of getting to the airport early. While an hour before boarding might suffice at Bangor International Airport (BGR) in Maine, it does not work at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International (ATL), where you can easily consume an hour just in the security line. Many travel experts recommend two hours, which is likely sufficient in most airports at most times but might not be enough during peak travel seasons.

Be flexible, have a ‘Plan B’

Having a contingency travel plan is not always feasible, but when it is, have a Plan B. Plan B may involve delaying departure by a day or driving to the connecting airport instead of flying. Plan B may also involve staying with a friend overnight in a city if a planned flight does not work out. Pilots do not want delays or cancelations due to weather or maintenance concerns any more than our passengers do, but sometimes, the universe has other plans. A contingency plan is not always possible, but when it is, knowing your next move if a delay or cancelation occurs is a great reducer of travel stress.

Embrace technology

Every major airline has developed custom apps for booking reservations, check-in, and basic customer service. Some are better than others, but all are essential today for travel. Use them.

For the geekily curious, apps are also available to aggregate delay information from air traffic control (ATC) data. Apps such as ATC Delays can be used to learn about ATC-controlled delays, such as ground stops or departure delays due to weather systems or other air traffic control system constraints.

Redundant packing

What do I mean by redundant packing? Always have a suitcase ready to go. For the frequent traveler, it is inexpensive enough to have a few sets of clothes and a complete set of toiletries dedicated, or nearly dedicated, to a travel suitcase—no need to repack for every routine trip. When I leave for a trip, I simply toss my shoes in the suitcase and make sure the clothes inside are appropriate for the climate - or climates – I’ll be in. That’s it. Done in less than a minute. There are also numerous suitcase organizers inexpensive and readily available to make frequent suitcase living more manageable.