5 Ways to Simplify Your Weekend Travel

I flew to Indiana this weekend to visit Dad and his side of the family. The San Antonio, Houston, and Indianapolis airports -- and the planes themselves -- offered a lot of ways people could have made their travel more simple. Here are a few:

1. Check in online. If your airline offers this option, take it. Mine let me check in 24 hours ahead of departure and sent me an email when that time arrived. I was able to print all of my boarding passes, so I didn't have to visit a counter or kiosk when I got the airport. If I had wanted, I could have used my cell phone as my boarding pass. Will try that on my return trip.

2. When you check in online, check your seat assignments. I'm usually able to change mine if I want to. An older couple on my second flight was separated and in middle seats because they didn't do this. The wife was particularly vocal about it, but she could have made her own life easier by not waiting until they arrived to fly.

3. Make your liquids accessible. Put your travel liquids in a large ziptop bag the night before, and stow them in an outer pocket of your bag. That way, when you come to the x-ray machine, you can pull them out in one motion (and stow them again just as easily). Plus, if they leak during the flight, everything stays in the bag.

4. Wear slip-on shoes. This has two advantages. It'll save you (and everybody behind you) time in the security line because you can easily slip off your shoes for x-ray or manual inspection. The added bonus: they'll be more comfortable when your feet inevitably swell after a few hours flying, saving you the contortions required to remove laced shoes mid-flight.

5. Coordinate onward travel ahead of time.* The same older couple who was separated also had not set up transportation to their son's house in Indiana. He was working when they landed, so they faced finding a late-night cab or shuttle to a town 30 minutes away. But they knew all of this before they took off. Their travel would have been simpler -- and much less stressful -- if they had figured it out from home.

But enough from me. What do you do to simplify your travel? What have you learned the hard way?

*You may say, "But NOT coordinating onward travel is the simplest option." That's true, if you're mentally ready for the challenges that ensue. Dave and I have done that a lot in foreign countries -- just shown up and figured out our transport and lodging on the spot. I say if that option appeals to you, go for it! It can be really rewarding, and you'll meet people and make connections you wouldn't have otherwise.

[image via How Stuff Works]
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