Distillation: Tips for Flying Smart, 2005
• You can save hundreds of dollars booking flights on the Web, but always call the airline after you book to confirm that you actually have the reservation.
• Can’t get enough frequent-flyer miles to take your whole family to Europe? Use your U.S. award to get your family to a busy airport such as Newark/ New York, Washington D.C., or Miami where there are cheap departures. Using half the frequent-flyer miles we’d need to get to Europe, we got free flights to Newark, where our $300 round-trip tickets to London were less than half of what we’d pay from Colorado. Extra bonus: We got a long layover on the East Coast and spent a week with family there on the way to Europe.
• With earplugs known as Earplanes, I overcame my problems with ear air-pressure equalization during flights.
• For the flight over, take earplugs, ski socks, and a large bottle of water. Once the plane takes off, remove your shoes and put on the warm socks. Rather than constantly bugging flight attendants for water, you’ll have your own supply. For the kids, bring Benadryl, so they’ll sleep (just don’t tell Grandma).
• On long flights with small kids, bring a tiny flashlight. The light will quiet a crying toddler.