Top Travel Hacks — Fariha Ansari Javed

Sep 10

Sep 10 Top Travel Hacks

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to travel and five years ago, I married someone who loves it even more. As a result, we have spent our earnings on some serious wanderlust.

Here are some of my top travel hacks that make every trip truly wonderful :

1) LOYALTY : whether you are a budget traveller or a high roller, it is absolutely imperative to maximize the value of money. This is where loyalty comes in. It is important to get on a frequent flyer program as soon as possible and be loyal to one airline. The result is that the tickets you pay for earn miles that you can use for upgrades or more tickets. Other bonuses include using airline lounges, additional baggage allowance and fast track at airports. For me it has been a steady dedication to Star Alliance.

2) MONOCHROME : While comfort is important while you travel, it is equally important to look good. If you find it difficult to think of an outfit, have a "go to" travel uniform. And when in doubt, monochrome is extremely chic. My travel uniform is usually all black (black silk pants from All Saints, a black T shirt from J Crew and a Black jacket). I always get a blow dry before I get onto an airplane so that I can hit the ground running when I land. Oversized sunglasses are an ABSOLUTE must to hide my red puffy eyes and add a dash of glamour.

3) ESSENTIALS: Make sure you travel with moisturizer and antibacterial. The two things that air pressure and the air on long flights will take a toll on is your skin and your immunity.

4) HYDRATE : Make water your best friend and you will never feel tired. When I travel, I try to avoid all carbs for 12 hours before my flight and obviously during the flight as well. This helps to cut out the travel bloat, irritability and sluggishness.

5) PACKING : Work expands to fill the time allotted. If you give yourself a strict hour to focus on packing for your trip, you will be done in no time.

Checklist : Having a checklist on your phone helps with packing quickly and efficiently (MONEY, PASSPORTS, KEYS, MEDICINES, etc).
Clothing : It is most important to pack versatile clothing and plan your outfits. Count the number of days, think of the itinerary or events and pack the outfits accordingly to avoid overpacking.
Care : Pack nice dresses into large ziplock bags (the garment bags get too bulky).
Organized suitcase : I have been obsessed with my packing folders for the last 5 years and they keep my suitcase obsessively organized. The Container Store has these Packing Folders by Eagle Creek and even compression folders for those bulky winter jackets.

I will keep adding to this article and welcome your suggestions as well!