Travel is a Mess! 6 Tips to Not Ruin Your Vacation in 2022
What in the world is going on with travel these days! I for one was so excited to start traveling like it was 2019 once the worst days of the pandemic were put behind us. I was vaccinated against covid and I was boosted. Plus countries were dropping entry requirements left and right, making testing requirements and quarantine rules were a thing of the past. Everyone is traveling with a vengeance, airlines and agents have unfortunately been completely unprepared for this increased demand. Travel in Summer 2022 has become a hot steaming mess!
You’ve all seen the stories on the news- record wait times for luggage, if your bags ever even show up. Flights are being canceled with a moment's notice and people forced to wait hours, if not days in the airport for a new flight out. Travel is supposed to be exciting, but not like this!
If you are planning to travel this summer or Fall and want to make the most of your experience and avoid the drama, keep reading for my tips on how to avoid some major travel nightmares this season.
2022 Travel Nightmares and How to Avoid Them
Skip the checked bags when traveling this summer
I personally hate checking luggage and always try my best to avoid it, but that is going to be critical with all this travel drama going on these days. Luggage is disappearing left and right or taking days if not weeks to be tracked down. And if your luggage gets lost and you have to shop for new items, it can take weeks to reimburse and the airline may not even cover it all.
Just save yourself the stress and pack light. Invest in packing cubes or even travel friendly space bags that will help you maximize your space.
When you land, grab any essential liquids or toiletries that you may have had to leave behind. Depending on where you are going you can squeeze in a few hours of shopping to get some pieces that didn’t fit when you packed and got on your flight. You can also try minimizing your shoes or bulky items and plan your outfits around one or 2 comfortable pairs of shoes.
But you don’t have to create a boring capsule wardrobe or give up your cute, trendy Insta-friendly outfits. I have packed 2 weeks of clothes into a carry on bag and was able to make over 17 different outfits, so check out that video from my YouTube channel embedded below on how I made that work. If you end up buying too much stuff and having to check on the way back, that is much less stressful. Even if they lose your bags then, at least your vacation is over and you’re back home!
Don’t book through a third party
Booking through a third party like Travelocity or Expedia can be convenient and save you money on your bundle deal, but with all the travel craziness going on right now it will only add another layer of stress. Those third party vendors are extremely limited in terms of what they can do in regards to customer service. Most of them just wait to connect to the airline or hotel directly, then pass their latest policies along to you.
You will have much more flexibility booking with the airline directly, like direct access to more experienced, more senior customer service agents and reduced wait times to get your situation figured out. Plus if you are someone that has a relationship with that airline, like status or even a frequent travel history and a lot of miles, you can leverage that for better treatment if anything does go wrong.
Plan to arrive at the airport as early as possible
Even if you, like me, are not a morning person, get in the habit of getting on the first flight out of the day.
London’s Heathrow airport recently announced they were capping the number of daily visitors because of the increased volume, so most people with flights scheduled to land in the afternoon or evening will be at high risk of getting canceled. And you better believe many other airports will follow suit.
Plus as flights start getting delayed or cancelled, things quickly and easily get backlogged, so your chances of getting out get worse and worse. An early morning delay or cancellation may only cost you a few hours, but if you were on one of the later scheduled departures that day, you’ll probably be bumped 24 hours or more. If you are connecting to a train or cruise, catch that early flight and be sure you have an adequate gap in between that connection. People have missed out on entire week long cruises because their flight to the port in Florida was canceled and they couldn’t get on another one!
I recently flew into Paris and had to catch a train to Saint Emilion and we barely made it by the time we got out of the airport, ran into a taxi and peeled into the train station. While we arrived at the perfect time for our plans for the weekend, it was so stressful I wished I would have built in more buffer time. And if my flight would have been even more delayed, or we would have had to check bags, that entire day would have been ruined! So just do yourself the favor and build in more buffer time. If your final destination requires a connection by train or boat, I might even recommend arriving a full day early and just getting a hotel for the night. Plan early, and plan for things to go wrong so you can still end up enjoying the rest of your trip!
Don’t get sick when traveling
We all know that Covid never really went away, we just collectively got sick of it and stopped policing. Once pre-travel testing requirements started dropping and there was less risk of testing positive and getting forced to quarantine abroad, the floodgates were open.
While Covid is still very much spreading, but now we also have to worry about monkeypox! Right now there are no travel regulations around monkeypox, so you better believe people are infected and traveling with it. Whether they know they have it or are in the early stages before the lesions start to show is up for debate. But all you can do is take precautions to protect yourself from both dangerous diseases.
Even though masks are no longer required, wear one anyway, preferably a surgical one or N95. Yes they are uncomfortable, but suck it up for a few hours anyway. Also I have never been a fan of exposed skin when traveling and you better believe I am keeping my skin covered up now. My uniform is usually leggings and a sweatshirt or a button down. And even if the shoes I wore when traveling don’t require socks, I keep a pair handy in case I want to kick my shoes off but avoid being barefoot.
And if anyone you are seated next to is making you uncomfortable or showing symptoms of an illness, quickly and discreetly ask a flight attendant to change your seat. Whatever you do, do not make a scene and publicly shame anyone! Some people have chronic acne or other medical conditions that could cause them to have random non-contagious bumps on their body, and they deserve respect and sensitivity. So of course take your precautions, but keep it quiet, classy and safe!
Avoid Flying All Together
Now obviously this will only work for people planning short trips, but you can save a ton of headaches by just avoiding air travel altogether. Take a road trip, gas prices allowing or hop on a train or bus. Amtrak has a ton of beautiful routes that run all over the USA, and if you already live in Europe, you already know you can get anywhere you need to go by train. If you are a fan of cruises and live near a port of departure or can get to one without flying, that is another great option.
While that may rule out the destination you had been dreaming of, you can always save the cash and go next year, hopefully when things have calmed down.
Know your rights as a traveler
And last but not least, know your rights! Airlines will try to get away with anything, so it’s up to you to stay informed.
Read the fine print or at least follow people on social media that do! Of course all the circumstances will vary based on how long your flight delay was, impact of your cancellation, which country your trip originated in and more. But depending on the circumstances, you could be entitled to cash, hotel and meal vouchers, flight credits and more. Do your research before booking, after you book and before you depart so you have the info fresh in your brain. Print out terms and conditions and highlight relevant parts if you need to before you head to the airport!
Let me know in the comments if and where you are planning to travel this summer! And stay tuned to my Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for in real time travel tips and updates!
6 Ways to Avoid Travel Nightmares in 2022
Don’t check a bag when traveling this summer
Book with the airline directly, not through a third party
Get to the airport as early as possible
Take precautions to avoid covid and monkeypox when traveling
Avoid travel by air and take a train or road trip instead
Know your rights as a traveler
