13 Airplane Hacks That Will Change the Way You Fly

Airplane hacks from frequent fliers

Travel has the power to leave passengers soaring with excitement or buckling up for a very bumpy ride when things don’t go quite as planned. The airport experience often sets the tone for an entire trip, whether it’s happily encountering zero turbulence before takeoff or suffering a delayed descent into chaos. Luckily, there are some savvy airplane hacks to help ensure your journey from departure to destination is as pain-free as possible.

I’ve been a travel journalist for more than 20 years, but even I don’t have all the answers. So I turned to four travel experts who revealed the top tricks to try the next time you fly. From a clever airport tip to make sure all those devices are fully fueled for liftoff to an in-flight strategy for catching some extra z’s at 30,000 feet, these insider airport and airline hacks will have you gliding to your destination sans stress.

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Pack your own power strip

You know how those multi-outlet surge protectors are lifesavers at home? Turns out they’re just as handy in airports. During peak travel season, crowded gates often mean all available electrical or USB outlets are occupied (when they work). Cindy Richards, a frequent traveler and the editor-in-chief of SheBuysTravel, notes that having a power strip makes it easy to convince someone monopolizing an outlet to swap it in—so everyone gets a charge. As a bonus, that same power strip can be useful in hotels or abroad when you have only one travel adapter.

Bring a bottle of ice

As the director of air service, customer experience and marketing at Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida, Joanne Magley has seen her fair share of overheated travelers in transit. One top travel hack she always recommends: Take ice.

“You can’t bring water through the security checkpoint, but you can bring ice in your water bottle,” she explains. Once you’re past the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) check, fill up your reusable bottle with water for a refreshing, cold and free drink in the terminal or on your flight. Just be sure the ice is completely frozen—partially melted ice falls under the TSA’s 3.4-ounce liquid rule and must be in a quart-size bag.

I have good news and bad news, but we’ll get the bad out of the way first. As a travel writer and founder of t...