8 Easy Ways to Avoid Travel Nightmares

Whether travelling for business or pleasure, in the best-case scenario, it connects us with friends, family, peers and the world. In the worst-case scenario, travel nightmares make you regret leaving home. What many people don’t realise is that you can take steps now to prevent those worst-case scenarios from happening to you. Here are seven easy ways to avoid travel nightmares.

Book with Benefits

You can minimise the risk of things going wrong by booking travel with benefits. You should look into booking a flight, car and hotel with a credit card that offers the most protection. For example, they may reimburse you if the hotel ends up over-booked or they could cover expenses like clothes and hotel stays if your travel is delayed. Other credit cards and travel programs have perks for those who’ve lost their bags.

Consider other perks that may make your trip so much more convenient. For example, expedited check-in at a hotel or first boarding on a flight may be appreciated when you just want to get on your way. Look for ways to get these perks for free when booking your travel.

Be Prepared in Case Your Flight Gets Cancelled

If you're travelling, you’ll have to be ready to deal with the reality that your flight might be late or cancelled. That’s why you should be familiar with the whole process and what you should do in case that happens. That starts with having the airline’s customer service number on hand before you leave. If your flight happens to be cancelled, you’ll be able to get a head start and ask for a replacement directly with the customer service department instead of waiting in line in the airport and probably have to wait longer for a flight because the replacement was booked.

Second, you should know what your rights are when it comes to cancellations. Too many people have no idea that they may have recourse in case their flight is cancelled and that they could be eligible for flight cancellation compensation. For instance, if the airline failed to notify you 14 days or more in advance or cancelled for reasons that could’ve been avoided, then you may be eligible. Services like AirHelp can also help you file a claim if your flight has been cancelled and you think you may be entitled to a compensation. So, it would be wise for you to keep their contact information and website address on hand just in case, so you’ll be ready to file a claim as soon as possible and get the money you deserve.

Take Precautions

As a traveller, you can be viewed as a target for many criminals. You can limit the risk by not carrying lots of cash on you and taking the proper precautions. Instead, try to get a prepaid currency card before you leave. Have the phone numbers for your credit card company and travel program written down and saved somewhere other than your wallet. If your wallet is stolen, you can grab that note and call the company immediately to ask for the credit cards to be frozen. Wear your wallet in a carry pouch close to your body instead of stowing it in easily stolen luggage or purses. Carry your passport in a pocket or pouch, because you really cannot afford to lose this.

Look for Deals

Travel can be expensive very fast. While not all deals are actually “deals” when you break them down, you should still try to look for ways to save on your flight. 

If you’re flexible on when you leave or return, you could save quite a bit of money. While you can get cheaper flights if you book a trip well in advance, scan for deals at the last minute, too. Flash sales may let you book a luxury hotel at the rate you’d pay for a conventional hotel. If you can’t find hotel rooms that you’re comfortable with, be flexible. Maybe you can find a home rental or room rental that’s affordable. Conversely, you could review the points and perks tied to your credit card or travel program, and try to maximise your points so that your current trip allows you to stay for free somewhere else in the future.

We do want to warn you now that sometimes a deal actually is too good to be true. Verify that a hotel, airline or travel company is legitimate before you send them your money. Check to see if a travel company is in bankruptcy and thus wouldn’t be covered by travel insurance if they cancel things at the last minute.

Read the Fine Print

Read the fine print before you commit. You may be able to save money by booking a flight that’s actually two connecting flights with a layover, but you’ll regret it if this is a surprise to you. You’ll run into problems if the layover is too short to make your connecting flight. Make sure you have enough time to get off one flight, grab your luggage, get through security and get on the next flight. If you know you’re going to be changing flights, try to fit everything in a single carry-on bag so you don’t have to worry about your luggage.

Keep Track of Kids

If you’re travelling with children, you have a major complication sitting at your feet. Take steps now to prevent them from creating problems. Bring plenty of entertainment for them so they don’t get bored on flights, in the car or on layovers. And try to plan when and where they can burn off energy so they don’t go stir-crazy sitting on the plane.

Minimise the Chance of Getting Sick

Few things will ruin a trip like getting sick. You can’t keep the sick away from you, but you can minimise the odds you’ll pick up their germs by washing your hands frequently. You may want to wear a facemask as well depending on where you’re going. Consider packing bottled water, water purification tablets and saline mist so that you can stay hydrated and fend off germs.

Cold prevention medicine may be a good thing to take before you travel in the winter. Travel medicine is essential if that’s recommended for where you’re going. Take your prescriptions with you, and carry any over-the-counter medicine you may need. Then you won’t have to worry about figuring out how to get stomach relief while you’ve violently ill in a hotel room.

Plan for Jet Lag

Jet lag can ruin your trip if you don’t plan for it. You can partially prepare for it by shifting your sleep schedule to match that of your destination. If that’s not really feasible, get as much sleep as possible before you leave home. Then, when you get to your destination, try not to go to sleep unless it is local night time. If you can, stay up until local night. After you crash for the night, you’ll awaken refreshed the next day and in sync with the local schedule.

We can’t prevent a hurricane from ruining your vacation plans. However, follow our tips, and you should be able to avoid the most common travel nightmares.