As we always say at CruiseNReview, the journey is part of the adventure. Getting to your travel destination can be part of the fun. It's essential to embrace the journey and not overlook it as a piece of your trip. Once you leave your house, the clock starts ticking to the end of your vacation.
With that said, your journey can be a headache if issues arise and your travels are not properly planned. As with any blog that addresses traveling fears/issues, let's start by saying you should always carry trip insurance. This can alleviate a ton of stress and financial burden right out of the gate.
Outside of that, I have developed three hard, fast rules we stick to every time we travel. These rules are derived from personal mistakes we want to avoid making again. We share them and book clients' trips accordingly so they don't have some of the nightmarish experiences we have encountered from poor travel day planning.
1) Always take a direct flight (when available).
This may seem like a no-brainer, but a direct flight eliminates many potential travel day issues. You are only one flight away from your destination. You also don't have to worry about missing your connecting flight if you are delayed at your point of origin, significantly reducing your risk of departure day problems.
You may ask why anyone would not choose a direct flight. Most of the time, it's driven by cost. If a flight with a connector is cheaper, many will choose it despite the added time and inconvenience. Another reason is time of day. People either want to avoid flying out early in the morning or late at night. They'll go with a connecting flight if the direct flight doesn't hit their flying window. Finally, airline preference lends itself to people making unnecessary connecting flights. For example, they only fly Delta, and the direct flight is on American. In that case, they choose the Delta flight that isn't direct instead.
While the above reasons are valid, I'm telling you straight-forward. If a direct flight is close in price, TAKE IT. Don't worry about the airline, a few more dollars of expense, or time of day. TAKE IT. A direct flight gets you to your destination faster and eliminates many of the logistical nightmares that lead to travel day disasters.
2) If a direct flight isn't available, always connect closer to your destination.
Sometimes, a connecting flight isn't an option. Should this be the case, we have more advice to avoid travel day issues. If you have to connect, ensure your connection point is closer to your destination than your origination airport. For example, If you are traveling from Memphis to New York, don't connect in Phoenix. That's going backward and creating more distance between you and your final destination.
Should an issue arise with your flights that causes delays or cancellations, you'll at least have progressed to get closer to where you are going. The final leg of your flight will be shorter, and you've accomplished chewing time off your journey. Suppose you go in the opposite direction of where you are headed. Not only are you experiencing a delay because of travel issues, but in that case, you're adding time to your final destination by traveling away from where you're headed.
Just like point number one in this blog, it might seem like a no-brainer, but people will often take a connector that goes in the opposite direction of their final destination because it is cheaper. Resist the temptation, spend the extra money, and save yourself pain if something goes wrong.
3) Never book an activity that is non-refundable or you don't want to miss on travel day.
There's nothing worse than having somewhere to be and running late trying to get there. Whether it's a meeting, an appointment, or something fun, this adds stress to an already frustrating situation.
If you are headed somewhere on vacation, we advise against making plans you don't want to miss or can't get your money back on the day you travel to your destination. Should your flights run late, you could miss your event or, at best, be rushed trying to get there. This creates an environment of frustration and anxiety that you don't need on your time off.
For example, don't try to go see a concert on the same day that you are traveling, especially if the drive is longer than 6 hours or you have to fly. You could miss your show if you have car trouble or experience flight delays. Travel the day before, or at least purchase travel insurance to protect your purchase.
If all goes well on travel day, make plans once you get there, enjoy your time, and be thankful for a non-eventful arrival.
The Journey IS the Adventure
This is our unofficial motto at CruiseNReview. We believe the journey to your destination should be part of your adventure and fun. To accomplish this, you must plan travel days wisely. That's why we are sharing these rules with you.
Don't take these suggestions as absolutes that something will go wrong when you travel; take them as tips for ensuring that if problems arise, the consequences are minimized.
We've learned these things the hard way. If you travel enough, complications will arise, so have a plan B and always be flexible.
If you'd like us to help you plan your next adventure, e-mail us at info@cruisenreview.com or call us at (870) 604-5929 to speak to a travel advisor.
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Good information!