Essential Travel Tips

Planning to travel for the holidays? Some savvy travel tips can really lessen your stress (a left brain thought). More than that, savvy travel tips can add to your comfort (a right brain feeling). After all, there's more to life than speed and avoiding stress. There's also comfort, pleasure and enjoying the ride.

Yesterday, I came across the article Know Before You Go: Unlock the Secrets of Your Home Airport on msn.com. The lead-in is, "Every terminal has tricks that savvy fliers can use to save time and reduce hassles." And, say I, add to your comfort and enjoyment. Armed with emotional intelligence (the right attitude, and emotional management), it can again be a rather pleasureable experiene.

Reading the article made me realize how much I know about certain airports that I never really verbalized. Just little tricks, things I've learned in going through them many times. And how helpful they would be to someone else. Why hadn't I ever thought about asking other people what they knew??

The author mentions Sea-Tac first. I used to travel to Sea-Tac a lot when my son was at Pepperdine. A friend of mine called me when she was planning a trip there, and I immediately started telling her the ins and outs, which car rental to use and why, this incredibly convenient and user-friendly affordable motel ... I had it all down to a science.

This man's article talks about speed of maneuvering. Mine would include tips on comfort - restrooms, food, places to rest, where the best food is at O'Hare ... what airport has rocking chairs, and which one has a smoking room inside, and which has a bar centrally located where if you by a drink you can smoke, how bad the food is at XXX, and what airport is set up so you can quickly go outside between flights to enjoy some fresh air and the beautiful scenery.

I'd also talk about all the Emotional Intelligence (EQ) tips I've applied to personnel at airports that have eased my passage through. Together he and I would write quite a book!

For instance, there's security - a fantastic place to practice your emotional intelligence skills for savvy travel. I read in the Dallas newspaper not long ago that the TSA there was going to move their focus from book-learning to intuition. One official interviewed said that we know intuitively when someone's 'suspect.' I know this has caused a lot of discrimination talk (should every 20 y.o. male Arab be searched?), but there it was in print. The TSA agents were now going to receive training in recognizing suspicious behavior, expressions, postures, gestures, etc. If I had time, I'd love to lead the training! There's one trick I use that almost always assures I get 'to the front of the line' in most situations.

When dealing with airport personnel and TSA, I use a lot of nonverbal behavior that greases wheels for me. In contradistinction, I traveled with a friend of mine not long ago who "hates" airports and the "stupid" security stuff, like having to take off her shoes, and therefore becomes hotile the minute she sets her foot in an airport. She really cops an attitude, AND GUESS WHO ALWAYS, ALWAYS GETS SEARCHED??

Savvy travel through what is often a nightmarish landscape: Another compelling reason to study Emotional Intelligence. Take THE EQ COURSE and start learning more now. This is a unique course - nothing like it on the Internet. Find out about nonverbals and intuition, what they're onw teaching the TSA people; find out what can make you your own worst enemy when traveling. What you learn in THE EQ COURSE can be applied to every situation you encounter anywhere, for win-win outcomes.

Nice people finish last? Nope. Nice people get through airports faster, get better service from stewardesses, get help with their bags, get their own special bus to that far-off terminal ...

Special in time for holiday travel: 50 min. phone consultation, $50. Beats the heck out of the $299 you'd pay for a Clear pass.

Also check out the TSA database on security wait times at U. S. airports. (And each airport's own website.)

How long is the wait time at Love Field in Dallas? I maintain it's a lot more important for you to know the back route to the airport that I know (saves at least half an hour and avoids one of the most dangerous left turns ever created by man), and about the cell phone parking-waiting area. Wish someone had told ME about them!

It's emotionally intelligent to get the information you need to prepare for less-stress travel, as much creature comfort as possible, and to maintain a support network for that, and everything else.