Delays can stack up as the day goes, so your best bet to make sure you get on the plane is to choose a flight before 3 p.m. Wednesday is one of the cheapest days to fly, so there’s your plan: Wednesday before 3.
Pro tip: You can check where your plane is to get an idea of whether your upcoming flight will be delayed. The airline you’re flying might display this in the app, or you can use Flight Aware. Enter your flight number to get details on the aircraft and its status.
3. Flying internationally? Get this app
Mobile Passport Control is a free U.S. Customs and Border Protection app that lets you get back home faster. Unlike CLEAR or TSA PreCheck, you don’t need any pre-approval.
All you have to do is download the app and fill out the forms when you land, then go to the “Mobile Passport Control” lane at the airport. Sweet.
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Download for iPhone or Android.
4. Snap pics before you go
You always need to carry identification when traveling, but having a digital backup is wise, too. Worst case scenario, you lose your wallet. Getting home will be much smoother if you have photos of all your important documents.
The easiest way to do that on an iPhone is to use the handy document scanner built into the native Notes app.
Honolulu, Hawaii, is a popular travel destination for summer 2023. (iStock)
- Open Notes and tap the compose icon at the bottom right of the screen.
- Above the keyboard, tap the + sign and then the camera icon.
- There, you can choose a photo you’ve already taken, take a new photo or scan documents.
On an Android, snap some photos and mark them as favorites in your picture gallery or scan them in with the Google Drive app.
Pro tip: Save your identifying documents as PDF files to send them to another device or two, like an iPad or Kindle. Download to access them offline beforehand and send a copy to your travel partner.
Working on the plane? 5 ways you’re killing your laptop’s battery without realizing it
5. No more paper boarding passes
If you’re not already doing this, you’ll thank me. Stop fumbling around with a printed board pass and access a digital version.
You can log in to the airline’s website and have them email your boarding pass or download your airline’s app to access it. From there, you can add it to your phone’s digital wallet.
- If you get your boarding pass through email, Apple Mail can automatically add it to your wallet. Otherwise, open the email attachment and tap Add to Apple Wallet > Add.
- On Android, use the Google Wallet app. Follow the instructions here.
Keep your tech-know going
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My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.
Traveling can be stressful for many — see these tips for ways to eliminate the stress of traveling with a partner. (Cyberguy.com)
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Plus, will ChatGPT take your job? I speak with Matt Schlicht, CEO of Octane AI and a leader in the chatbot space, about the future of AI in the workplace and how to get it to work for you. Child predators target kids’ webcams, Hawaiian tourists’ GPS blunder and make sure your security cam doesn’t break the law.
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Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”
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