Most of us are used to using our devices for boarding passes, check in and so much more. Today on many airline apps you can even see where your luggage is. Delta sends you a notification when your bag has boarded the plane and when it is loaded off. It’s a great way to know on a connection if your bag made it.
American Airlines and British Airways apps have a countdown on how many hours and minutes until boarding and some airlines even let you stream their IFE content on their app. If you travel, you simply must have your carrier’s app.
But I have are 2 very useful tips on how to be even smarter on your smartphone which I want to share with you. Both have saved me in the past and could help you in the future.
I was traveling on Delta a few weeks back and a huge storm in Atlanta created chaos throughout their entire system. I was in NY and every Delta flight was delayed or canceled. I knew I had hours of delays before I even got to the airport. I didn’t realize how bad things would be but luckily I took a screenshot of my boarding card on my smartphone. This proved very helpful to me.
At the airport I realized I had to change my flight to make it home that night but the airport was chaos. Even the Medallion members’ area for check in had tremendous lines with each person taking over 10 minutes or more as the agents tried to accommodate them on alternative flights. It would have taken me several hours to talk to anyone.
I thought that the business lounge might be a better option. However with outage Delta’s app was down so no one who checked in on the app was able to go through security. Luckily, I had snapped a picture of mine and got through in no time and was able to speak to someone in the lounge much quicker.
Another thing I do is always have a picture of my passport and driver’s license on my smartphone.
If for some reason, you lose your driver’s license and traveling domestically in the USA it would be a very good source of proof to show the TSA. And this little travel hack also has global benefits.
I was recently in Bangkok and I wanted to send a package home. I don’t usually like to walk around with my passport so I leave it locked up in the safety deposit box in the hotel.
But in Thailand the post office needs to see foreigners’ passports in order to post a package. Who knew? To my surprise after a 40 minute wait to get to the front of the line I found out. Fortunately I remembered that I had a snapshot of my passport on my phone, and this was all they needed
Hooray!
I hope these two tips help you, they have saved me.
Daniel Green, the Model Cook is a Celebrity Chef known for his healthy approach to food and living well. With TV, books, magazines and live appearances, Daniel spends his time helping fans to cook better, feel better and live better. He’s also an avid traveler and a self-confessed Foodie.
To contact Daniel or learn more visit www.themodelcook.com or follow on Twitter and Facebook.
