Traveling This Summer? Use These Sneaky Travel Tips

Here’s some wisdom you can apply, now that you’re armed with a little insider info:

Taking Too Long to Board the Plane Will Make an Enemy of Your Flight Attendant

Flight attendants get paid for flight hours only, so until the plane pushes away from the gate, they’re getting nothing but an expense allowance. If you take forever to put your bags away, you’re not only holding things up, you’re costing them money—and it’s not in your best interest to piss off a flight attendant. Once you’re airborne, you need them a lot more than they need you.

Want Your Hotel Complaint Addressed? Read the Name Tags, and Use Them

If you have an issue with your hotel room, and complain about it, take note of the desk clerk’s name, or the name of whomever you’re talking to, then use it in conversation. Tell them you’ll stop by later to make sure your issue has been addressed, and add, “Right, Frank?” When you use someone’s name, they know you’re going to check back and that you remember who you reported the problem to.

Use Discount Sites to Find Prices, But Then Try to Book Directly

This goes for flights and hotels both. Find the price you want, then contact the hotel or airline directly to see if you can get the same rate. This helps on flights when things go awry and get canceled, and it helps in hotels because priority is always given to people who seem more likely to be return customers. When they know you used a discount site, they know you have no loyalty to them. You can’t always get the same price, but it’s definitely worth asking.

And if someone in a hotel is getting bumped due to overbooking, it’s definitely going to be the person who booked on Expedia.

If You Want a Whole Can of Soda Instead of Just a Glass, Ask for Diet Coke

Apparently Diet Coke is the drink that takes the longest to pour. At 35,000 feet, that fizz just does not want to settle and slows down the whole drink delivery process. So if you want a whole can, odds are in your favor for a yes—even though it’s against the rules—if you drink Diet Coke.