Air Greenland propeller plane overhead Sermitsiaq mountain in Nuuk, Greenland. Maybe there’s one or two things that can be a set-back to air travel in Greenland, but a difficult airport experience is usually NOT one of them!
Simple travel… What a misnomer, right!?
When I took on a new role at my job which created opportunities to travel throughout the United States, my first thought was how excited I was to be an ambassador for travel in Greenland on my home turf!
My second thought was immediately to the hassle that I typically experience traveling in the United States. Immense crowds. Concourses located at least 5 miles from each other. And security… I can’t even. I think I let out the groan of disgust heard around the world…
BUT FOLKS! I have just seen the light about how to simplify travel, and wild horses couldn’t drag me back to the old ways of last month!
I just finished a trip to Snowmass, Colorado for an adventure tourism conference, and it was a complete breeze thanks to these four lifesaver travel tips. Some of them are on no-brainer status, but when used in combination, it’s literally like having a red carpet rolled out for you!!
1. Only take hand luggage. It’s helpful on so many levels because you save time, avoid crowds, and save money!
- Save time twice because you don’t have to arrive to the airport as early as if you were checking luggage, and because you don’t have to wait at the Baggage Claim once you arrive.
- Avoid crowds because you don’t have to wait in a pesky Baggage Drop line.
- Save money because you don’t have to pay Checked Baggage fees.
2. Print your boarding pass at home. Self check-in makes life pretty easy, but what if I told you that you could simplify simple!?
This tip is most effective when coupled with #1. If you have checked baggage, you will still have to wait in the Baggage Drop line.
3. Get TSA Pre-Check approved. This one is the TRUE cornerstone. There’s never a line in the TSA Pre-Check lane, but even if there were, it would move 10x faster than the 200-person line in standard security. The land where everyone has to strip down to their skivvies and then redress and repack on the “other side”.
Instead, keep the shoes on. Keep the liquids in the carry-on. Even keep the laptop in the satchel! All for the minuscule (lifetime, I think) price of 100 USD.
4. Use Uber for the airport getaway car. When you arrive to your destination, you don’t have to vie for a taxi cab with the crowds while getting close-lined by someone else’s shoulder bag. You don’t have to find your way through the maze of Doors 1-39, Pickup Zones A-D, etc. to find the taxi stand.
Instead, be picked up wherever you happen to exit the terminal. Know exactly which car is coming for you – down to the license plate and driver’s name! Pre-enter your destination address so the driver doesn’t even have to ask “Where to?” And if you shell out the big bucks for UberBlack, be treated to cold refreshing waters, gum, and whatever else the driver wants to do to work for his/her 5 star rating.
So there you have it! Four little ways that can make your travel experience dare I say, easy!
What do YOU do to simplify travel?
Adventures of a Polarphile 