Flight attendants reveal 11 of their best travel hacks
- Flight attendants are traveling constantly, so they get plenty of opportunities to hone their skills.
- Six flight attendants told Business Insider their best travel hacks.
- They work for a total of six carriers, including Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Flight attendants fly a lot, so they get plenty of opportunities to hone their travel skills.
Six flight attendants told Business Insider their best travel hacks. Most asked for anonymity due to a fear of reprisal from their employer.
Here's what they said.
The photos in this story do not depict the flight attendants Business Insider interviewed.
Read the fine print when you buy your ticket
"It's worth reading all that fine print in those disclaimers," said Alexandrea Tiller, a flight attendant for Spirit Airlines. Doing so could save money on your carry-on bags, she said.
Use the website Skyscanner to find the lowest fares
"I've found a lot of great deals on there," Tiller said of Skyscanner.
Always bring a water bottle
"I always travel with a reusable water bottle," a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines said. "Every airport, in the US at least, has a spot to fill your water bottle."
Always bring a portable charger
"I always travel with a portable charger," the Delta flight attendant said. "Not all airports have a ton of chargers or outlets or you can't get to them, and some older airplanes don't have them, or there'll only be two for the whole row of three."
Are you a flight attendant? Do you have opinions about how much you're paid? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.
Don't pack too much
"Be sure to not pack too much when traveling," a flight attendant for United Airlines said.
Get to the airport early
"Give yourself plenty of time because feeling rushed is just gonna make your travel experience more stressful than it needs to be," the United flight attendant said.
Travel in the morning
"I tell people to travel in the morning," said Kevin Cain, a flight attendant for PSA Airlines. "Evening is when delays throughout the day have built up."
Bring your own entertainment
"Always bring your own entertainment and charging stuff," Cain said. "Sometimes your plane won't have Wi-Fi, so it's always good to download something offline on Netflix or bring an iPad if you have one."
Ask for another cup when being served ice
"Whenever you're being served ice, ask for them to serve it with another cup because the ice scoop is actually not very clean," said a flight attendant for a regional airline that works with United Airlines and American Airlines.
Don't drink hot tea or coffee
"Don't drink the coffee. Don't drink the hot tea. The water is not the best," the regional-airline flight attendant said.
Be over-prepared
"Travel is unpredictable," said a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines. "You never know what's going to happen."
- Read more:
- 9 flight attendants reveal the most shocking part of their jobs
- 6 things flight attendants want to tell you but can't
- 2 American Airlines flight attendants tell us the travel essentials they'd never fly without
- Flight attendants reveal one of the worst parts of their job — they don't always get paid for all of the hours they work