Travel Hacks + Travel Essentials

Summer is the time to travel to new and exciting places. From vacations to visiting family, most of us find ourselves in an airport at some point in the summer. If you want to make the most of your summer travels, take a look at these hacks to make traveling even easier. Enjoy!

Bring an Empty Water Bottle

This is at the top of most lists, but truly is a great way to save money while staying hydrated. Just bring an empty water bottle to fill up once you’re at the airport, and immediately save the extra dollars you’d be spending on beverages throughout your airport visits. Airports now have filtered water stations throughout the airports! Plus, it’s environmentally friendly too! This one by LARQ is a favorite of mine because you can drink water confidently anywhere you go with this bottle that’s worry-free, thanks to a self-cleaning mode that activates a purifying UV light every two hours!!! It’s worth the price of cleanliness! Also available in 5 colors!

Add Boarding Passes To Apple Wallet

Saving time is a huge part of successful airport experiences. With Wallet, you can keep your credit, debit, and prepaid cards, store cards, boarding passes, movie tickets, coupons, rewards cards, student ID cards, and more in one place. Adding your boarding pass to your Apple Wallet removes the searching for paper tickets or even emails in your cluttered inbox- and gives you a scan-able image right from the Wallet app. Use Apple Pay throughout your trip to be even more hands-free.

Here’s more information on how-to use Apple Wallet!

With Wallet, you can use passes on your iPhone to check in for flights, get and redeem rewards, get into movies, or redeem coupons. Passes can tell you the balance on your coffee card, your coupon’s expiration date, your seat number for a concert, and more. At some schools in the United States, you might be able to use your student ID cards on iPhone and Apple Watch.

If you want to add payment cards to Wallet, learn how to set up Apple Pay.

Download Before You Go

This one is a given, but make sure you have all your favorite music, podcasts, or other media downloaded on your phone before getting on the plane. Since this media typically requires WiFi, you won’t be able to stream in the air unless you buy the inflight WiFi (which for most airlines, gets kind of pricey). So make sure you download everything while you have access to WiFi (at home or even at the airport) to avoid a silent ride. You can now download movies and shows to watch later when there is no WiFi with most major streaming apps! If you want a great playlist, you can check out my Spotify playlist below!

Check In Online

Setting an alarm on your phone 24 hours before your departure time is always a good idea, to remind yourself to check-in online. This gives you priority boarding privileges and added seat flexibility, and most airlines allow you to do this through their mobile app.

Be Book Smart

If you’re like me, a good book is essential when traveling. But downloading a book on your phone, tablet, or e-reader saves space in your carry-on and is easier to manage. If you do bring a paper book, I always use a security document or boarding pass as my bookmark. Since my carry-on is almost always cluttered, this prevents me from having to dig around too much! Below are my current favorite reads!

Use Refillable 3.4oz Bottles

I personally like to use my own soaps/hair supplies when I travel, instead of relying on the hotel. I bring refillable travel-sized bottles (note: these have to be less than 3.4oz or 11 mL according to TSA’s rules). Below we have our favorite little bottles

Wear Your “Heaviest” Outfit

To save room in your suitcase, I always recommend wearing your heaviest shoes/jacket combination at the airport. This way you can utilize all your suitcase space while remaining nice and warm in the airport and on those chilly planes. I’ve been known to wear several hats on a plane!

BYOB – Bring Your Own Beverage

Before travel and vacations, I always like to celebrate with a little pre-travel cocktail. But instead of paying the outrageous airport beverage prices, bring your mini alcohol bottles to enjoy (maybe with the pairing of a soda or juice from the airport…or just on the rocks) before your flight. These bottles must oblige by the 3.4 liquid oz rule if they’re in your carry-on. For more info on alcohol in checked-bags, visit TSA’s regulations here.

Tie a Bright Colored Ribbon to Your Luggage

This is a game-changer when you’re trying to get out of the baggage claim. Tying a brightly colored ribbon or luggage tag around your suitcase will help you spot your luggage as soon as possible, but also will prevent others from stealing your stuff. Win-win! I love this one that you can have monogrammed from Mark & Graham.

Use the Mobile Passport App

I’ve never done this myself, but using the Mobile Passport App is the perfect way to save space (and not risk losing important documents). The app has been approved by US Customs and Border Protection and lets you plug in the necessary info to make your travel process even faster. While you still have to bring your passport, this does allow you to skip the customs declaration forms once at the airport you can follow the Mobile Passport Control signs to the designated Mobile Passport Control line, show the CBP’s your app & passport—and you’re good to go! Learn more here.

Apply for Global Access or Clear

Global Access is my favorite! After you are approved you will be able to go through the TSA airport security lane which is so much faster than the regular security line… You can normally leave your shoes on and leave your laptop in your suitcase. If you travel internationally you can go through a faster customs lane. Well worth the time to get this done. To apply click here.  CLEAR is similar but it is in very few airports around the country and will not help in international travels. You can apply here for CLEAR.

Get Your Best Travel Seats with SeatGuru

I definitely want the best seat possible on a flight. SeatGuru was created to help travelers choose the best seats and in-flight amenities. Check out SeatGuru for seat plans of almost every major airline and aircraft with notes on what are the best seats according to space, noise level, and comfort.

Apply for a Travel Credit Card

Most of the world can’t afford to fly First Class, BUT if you have a travel credit card you can most definitely make that happen. Norman and I both have our own travel credit cards. Our card even allows us into their club lounge where we can relax, get a snack or cocktail, use free wi-fi, and just get away from the masses.

Two years ago when I went to Africa I was able to fly First Class because I had enough mileage points on my card. It would have cost me over $12k without the points. Every airline has different benefits on their travel credit cards so make sure you read the fine print. Just know that none of them is 100% free. You might find card fees, minimum spend stipulations and, of course, taxes to pay on the flights themselves. Go to websites like Point Hacks and The Points Guy for spelling out the different benefits of each credit card.

COVID + Traveling

If you’re traveling whether it be around the country or out of it, check your airline requirements! Going overseas this time around was quite the challenge and there were lots to do to make it happen. Vaccine info, Covid tests, and more are needed including proof!


As a result of a court order, effective immediately and as of April 18, 2022, CDC’s January 29, 2021 Order requiring masks on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs is no longer in effect. Therefore, CDC will not enforce the Order. CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time.

What You Need to Know

• Make sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before you travel internationally.
• Check your destination’s COVID-19 situation and travel requirements before traveling. Countries may have their own entry and exit requirements.
• When you travel to the United States by air, you are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before you board your flight.
• Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth is recommended in indoor areas of public transportation (including airplanes) and indoors in U.S. transportation hubs (including airports).
  
  

Before You Leave the United States

Make sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before you travel internationally. Getting vaccinated is still the best way to protect yourself from severe diseases and slow the spread of COVID-19. People who are not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines should follow additional recommendations after travel.

Make sure to plan ahead:

• Check the current COVID-19 situation at your destination.
• Follow all requirements of transportation operators (such as airlines, cruise lines, and buses) as well as any requirements at your destination, whether traveling by air, land, or sea, including mask-wearing, proof of vaccination, testing, or quarantine. Requirements may differ from U.S. requirements. If you do not follow your destination’s requirements, you may be denied entry and required to return to the United States.
• If you have a medical condition or are taking medication that weakens your immune system, you might NOT be fully protected even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines. Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk before travel and consider delaying travel to areas with high COVID-19 levels. Even after vaccination, you may need to continue taking all precautions.
  
  

Testing

   RECOMMENDED

• Consider getting tested for current infection with a viral test as close to the time of departure as possible (no more than 3 days) before travel.
  • Find a U.S. COVID-19 testing location near you.
    
    

During Travel

Protect Yourself and Others

RECOMMENDED

• Everyone aged 2 years or older—including passengers and workers— should properly wear a well-fitting mask or respirator in indoor areas of public transportation (such as airplanes, trains, buses, ferries) and transportation hubs (such as airports, stations, and seaports), especially in locations that are crowded or poorly ventilated such as airport jetways.
• Travelers 2 years of age or older should wear well-fitting masks in indoor public places if
  • They are in an area where there is a high level of COVID-19
  • They or someone they live with has a weakened immune system or is at increased risk for severe disease.
• Some masks and respirators offer higher levels of protection than others, and some may be harder to tolerate or wear consistently than others. Wear the most protective mask you can, that fits well, and that you will wear consistently while traveling.
• You may choose to properly wear a well-fitting mask outdoors in crowded settings and for activities with close contact with others, particularly if you or someone you live with has a weakened immune system or is at increased risk for severe disease.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Follow all recommendations and requirements at your destination.
• Follow recommendations for protecting yourself and others.

Travel Essentials Shop

SHESHE’S TIDBITS

Team SheShe did start our new Facebook group page called SheShe’s Shopping Network. We would love for you to join the group and join us every Tuesday night for our Live segment all about shopping trends style tips and more. It is so much fun!!

We hope to see you there!! Here is the link to join

https://www.facebook.com/groups/shesshesshoppingnetwork

Have a wonderful day sweet friends!

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