Summer is peak travel season and airports from coast to coast are bursting at the seams. Whether flying for business or pleasure, make your air travel experience go smoothly with these five expert tips from Roch Lefebvre, seasoned traveller and Service Director for Air Canada:
1. Take a breather, and think before packing. Most people bring too much, but forget basics like underwear or sunscreen. Make a checklist of all the things you’ll need, and save it on your computer or smart device so you can use it again on your next trip.
2. Know your carry-on and checked baggage allowances, including dimensions and prohibited items, before packing. Remember that any liquids in your carry-on need to be in containers measuring 100 mL or less. Instead of buying overpriced travel-sized toiletries, save with environmentally-friendly refillable mini containers for your shampoo and creams.
3. Double check that the details of your itinerary including name spelling, date, time, seat assignment etc., are correct to avoid delays — or worse, a missed flight. Also make sure to enter your frequent flyer card info when you purchase your ticket, and check that the name on your passport and points card match up so you don’t miss out on those miles.
4. Take advantage of online services. When you buy your ticket, select your meal-type preference and indicate any dietary restrictions so you know you’ll have something you can eat on the plane. Another time-saver is checking in online up to 24 hours before departure and selecting your seats before arriving at the airport. An electronic boarding pass will be sent to your email or phone that you can use to get through security and board the plane.
Bonus tip:
5. Above all, relax, use common sense and enjoy your travels knowing that at Air Canada safety is first and last, all the time. When you see the red maple leaf on the aircraft, you know you’re one step from home.
Roch Lefebvre has been flying with Air Canada for nine years and specializes in coaching his peers on new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which flies to international destinations including Brisbane, Copenhagen, Delhi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London Heathrow, Madrid, Tel Aviv, Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Seoul and Zurich this summer.