The Best Travel Hacks of 2019

If ever there was a need for travel hacks, it was in 2019—the year of Boeing 737 MAX groundings, mysterious illnesses afflicting tourists, andairlines offering even less legroom by way of basic economy seating. And since this holiday week is likely to become the busiest travel week in 2019, it’s about time someone cuts you some slack. Below, you’ll find a few of our favorite and much-needed travel hacks, tips, and upgrades of the year, including how to get through an annoyingly long customs line, why packing cubes changed one Lifehacker staffer’s life, and the case for never offering to swap your seat on a flight.

How do you know if it’s worth it to spring for an expedited security screening service? Let’s run through your options and what it’ll cost you to keep your shoes on.

Ordering a ‘something and soda’ is always a safe route, particularly if you can pick the brand of your spirit, but the most airport friendly drink, in my not excessively humble opinion, is the kalimotxo.

For all the people-pleasers out there, we’re here to tell you: You do not have to agree to change seats when asked. Seating assignments are first-come, first-serve (or in many cases, something you’ve paid a premium for) which means getting the seat you want is each passenger’s own responsibility.

Let your passive aggression out by forcing the passenger in front of you to endure the wrath of your freezing-cold airplane air until they relent.

If you’re a T-Mobile subscriber, great! Enjoy your hour and skip forward to the next section when it runs out. If you’re on another carrier, however, you’re going to have to get a little tricky.

It’s rare in this world to have several hours to yourself, with nobody expecting you to be connected to the internet and an almost-comfortable chair to lounge in.

On a recent Amtrak trip, I arrived early, boarded as quickly as possible, and yet, wound up without a seat. I had purchased a ‘reserved seat’ ticket, and when I asked the conductor about this, he told me that everyone on the train had a ‘reserved seat’ ticket.

The truth is, packing cubes don’t save space in a direct, physical way; everything still takes up the same amount of space it otherwise would. Instead, they let you pack the same amount of stuff, while having it behave like less.

It’s all fine and good to spend one’s time wandering the stalls of artisanal food halls, but did Torvehallerne—which I never managed to pronounce correctly—have Smash, the sweet and salty snack that is essentially a bag of Bugles dipped in creamy milk chocolate? It did not. I found those treasures at a gas station, and I just had a few with my coffee.

But most of the time, I needed just one word to feel less like an ugly American. I needed to say I’m sorry. Which is more complicated than it sounds.

Source: Lifehacker.com

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Keywords:

Boeing 737 MAX • It's About Time (TV series) • Packing cube • Lifehacker • How Do You Know • Soft drink • Kalimotxo • First-come, first-served • Passive-aggressive behavior • Atmosphere of Earth • T-Mobile • Tricky (musician) • Amtrak • Conductor (rail) • Packing cube • Artisanal food • Snack • Chocolate • The Ugly American •