WAYS TO MAKE AIR TRAVEL MORE EFFICIENT

I’ve averaged around sixty commercial flights yearly for over a decade. But it took a few months away from air travel this fall to realize what an inefficient use of time commercial air travel can be. No one is immune to this wasted time, and if you've flown even once in your life, you’ve experienced the drill.

LOTS OF TIME TO KILL

We sit in a vehicle commuting to the airport, typically arriving painfully earlier than feels necessary. The airport involves a series of lines: checking in with the airline, security clearance, and eventually stopping for coffee or food. Once through security, we have lots of time to kill. If lucky, we can access an airport lounge and enjoy peace before the flight. However, lounges aren’t always peaceful these days, and we may even have to wait in line before being granted access. If a lounge isn't an option, we find a chair near our gate in the boarding area and wait.

Eventually, we find ourselves in line to board a flight. First-class passengers board early. Flying coach without airline status, or bought a cheap ticket? Settle in; the wait is long. Once on the plane, more waiting. Passengers board and search for available overhead bin space. Flight attendants make several passes through the cabin. And eventually, hours into our journey by now, the plane pushes back from the gate. The aircraft taxis, the flight departs, and we have more time to fill.

Back on the ground in a new city, more waiting. This time, for our turn to get off the plane, and repeat the above if we’re unfortunate enough to have a connecting flight. Once all flights are complete, we wait to claim our checked luggage and stand curbside for ground transportation.

Everything mentioned so far is baseline inefficiencies. Believe it or not, some people willingly trade more of their time for air travel. Departing from their home airport, they travel to another airport before boarding the flight that will get them to their destination. All for the sole purpose of using airline miles or experiencing a specific first-class product on a particular aircraft type. This behavior is typical of seasoned travelers well versed in travel efficiency tricks to minimize time wasted. More waiting, nonetheless.

Everyone who travels via commercial air is subject to wasted personal time. However, if we anticipate and plan accordingly, some of that time can be very productive. Preparation for efficient air travel begins before we leave the house.

PRE-TRIP PREPARATIONS

First up, charge all of the electronics you intend to travel with. Modern commercial aircraft often have power plugs, but your seat may not have one. And sometimes they don’t work. Next, load everything up: music, movies, eBooks, audiobooks, and podcasts. Airport Wi-Fi is not reliable, so don’t wait to do this. If you prefer analog, pack a book and some magazines. Go overboard here; give yourself lots of options and carry your chargers on board. Lines are long, you could be waiting for hours, and we're all just one snowstorm away from more substantial delays or flight cancellations.

With all of these options available, the time spent in line can now be utilized for listening, learning, or enjoying entertainment. Passing the time with a podcast, music, or an audiobook beats standing and staring.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Also, before leaving the house, confirm which terminal you’re flying from and where you will park. Refer to flight-specific information and reference an airport map to determine how long it will take to walk from security to your departure gate and where you’ll get coffee and food. You may discover there won’t be time to stop before your flight. Lines for food are often long anyway; avoid them by carrying enough snacks to hold you over until you reach your destination.

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SAVE TIME

Although you must take care of it weeks, if not months, in advance, it's worth mentioning that you can also trim your security line wait by getting TSA Precheck. Many people have found a Clear membership worth the expense as well.

Once on the plane, listening and reading are still good options. But without the ability to make or receive calls, you can work undistracted, and time on flights can be very productive. Don't feel like working? Utilize the onboard entertainment offerings. Others prefer this time for writing, journaling, or even meditating.

PLAN FOR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO

You'll also want to consider that you cannot access checked luggage if your connecting flight gets canceled. And even if you reach your destination, your checked bag might not. For this, I recommend packing a few days’ worth of essentials in your carry-on to get you by until you reunite with your bag. An unplanned trip to purchase things you already own wastes time and money, inefficiency at its finest.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do to avoid the inefficiencies of commercial air travel. Yet, despite its imperfections, I still love it. And with planning and preparation, we can do plenty to utilize this time we'd otherwise waste.

I wish you safe, efficient travels!