Most avid travellers have their own bag of tricks and hacks that make their travel that much more efficient and fun. Think about it for a second; you probably have several things that you do when you travel that make you feel as though you are getting everything squared away properly:

• You never book the middle seat on a plane because it makes you feel stifled.
• You always make your reservations at least three months in advance because you get better deals that way.
• You read up extensively on the destination beforehand so you know all the cool things to do once you get there.

These are just some examples of common travel hacks that most people use. Flight attendants and hardcore frequent flyers will tell you that foreign transaction fees, flight delays and long layovers are just some of the things with which you will have to contend as you tour the world. As such, it pays to have a ready list of things (contingencies, if you will) to do when these occurrences inevitably take place.

We recently gave practical tips on how to deal with long layovers and lost luggage. Today, we are going to share some of our favourite travel hacks that will help you tour the world like a pro!

Travel hacks for avid wanderers

Some of the tips here come from professional flight attendants with decades of experience on the job. Most of the tips they share will help make your long haul flights a bit more bearable. Other included hacks have to do with your own preparation before boarding the plane and actually stay at your destination:

1. Sit at the back of the plane

This might sound counterintuitive considering the fact that most people like to sit near the front of the plane so they have an easier time disembarking or get their preferred meal option. However, professional flight attendants say that if you want to get more attentive service, sit at or near the back of the plane.

The logic behind it is simple: most flight attendants try to avoid answering call bells from passengers at the front of the plane because then they would have to flaunt whatever that passenger wants in front of nearly the entire plane. There just aren’t enough mini bottles of whisky, earplugs, pillows or toothbrushes to go around. Worse yet, on shorter flights, the attendants just do not have the time to deviate from the service schedule. However, if you are sitting at the back, it is much easier to slip you whatever you need without parading it in front of the whole plane.

2. Use Flapp to book flights and check-in online

Thanks to apps such as Flapp from Travelstart, booking flights has never been easier. Additionally, you can now check-in online on most airlines through the same app. The trick behind booking your flights and checking in online is that it saves you both money and time. It saves you money in the sense that you get to compare prices from different airlines and choose the best; it saves you time in the sense that you will not have to contend with the long check-in lines once you get to the airport. That saves you about 30-40 minutes which in many cases is the difference between making or missing your flight.

3. Book two one-way flights

In many cases, booking two one way flights as opposed to a return flight can save you quite a bit of money. Plus, it doesn’t give your trip that “constrained” feeling that comes with knowing you have to be at the airport at 5 am the day after tomorrow to make your flight regardless of how hard you party tomorrow. When you book one-way flights, you are essentially the master of your destiny…to a point.

Disclaimer: This works best when you travel offseason.

4. Email yourself a scan of all your important documents

Scan all your important documents such as passports and yellow fever certificates and email those to yourself. Also, take screenshots of all journey confirmations and hotel bookings as well as other bookings you may have made in advance of your flight. This way you will have everything on soft copy and accessible even when you do not have an internet connection. Should you lose your passport, the scanned copy you have in your email will help get you through some of what could be extremely tough and frustrating times trying to confirm that you are you when in a foreign country.

5. Label your luggage as “fragile”

Yes, it is a little harmless white lie but if you label your luggage as fragile it stands a better chance of being handled with care. Better yet, it will most probably end up at the top of the pile in the planes luggage compartment which means it will be one of the first to be offloaded. Finally, you do not have to wait two days to get your luggage back.

6. It’s just jet lag…walk it off!

We have shared extensively on how to deal with jet lag before but one of the little-known secrets within the travelling community is that you can reduce the effects of jet lag by actually doing something in advance of your flight. No, it’s not dieting although that wouldn’t hurt; it is exercising. Running, swimming, speed walking…you name it, aerobic exercises could help you stave off the effects of jet lag.

You could also try:

• Wearing compression socks to keep your feet from swelling during long flights.
• Refrigerating your rechargeable batteries (they retain about 90% of their charge this way).
• Taking a selfie as the first picture on your new, shiny, expensive camera. This way you can prove it is yours should it get lost and found.

The best hack of all, however, is to be nice and friendly with the locals in your destinations. They know things about their own land that you will never read on a blog post or see in a movie. With such friends, you get to enjoy an authentic experience as opposed to sticking to the beating tourist paths.

Do you have any favourite travel hacks that make your journeys more efficient and fun? Share them with us in the comment section below.