Journal

How to travel smart – 10 MYKU Essentials

How to travel smart – 10 MYKU Essentials

2017 has come to an end and we hope you achieved whatever you planned to accomplish last year or made peace with yourself and rescheduled your resolutions for 2018.

If you’re in need for some awesome resolutions, look no further, we set up some great ideas earlier, so good, you can still use them for 2018. 

Now in January, we’re in for dim weather, gym torture (“Summer bodies made in winter”- sort of stuff) and December credit card bills (merry ouch).

All that aside we’re back to a full account of annual leave (YAAY), so off to explore the world!

If you need some destination advice, check out our awesome travel guide for some of the world’s greatest places right here.

Now that we got you covered on where to do, check out the following secrets we’ve learnt over the years on how to get to your destination as smart as possible:

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

1) Travel light

This may not be the newest revelation but it is essential. Do pack lightly. Unless you’ll do front row at all fashion weeks, no one needs trunks for traveling these days (they make great side tables though). Try to limit yourself to carry-on if you can, it’ll save you a great deal of time at the airport. Check your airline allowances before, most of them let you bring a small carry-on suitcase and one additional bag.

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

2) Invest in smart luggage

Good luggage can cost you as much as a return ticket, but it is worth it, trust us. Aluminum cases have become all the rage lately and they do make sense when checked in, but for carry-ons, these heavy pieces take a big chunk of your weight allowance. Make sure you get something with wheels, we love trunk-inspired suitcases but you’ll regret them on your next 2mile gate-to-gate race. We love the smart luggage of Horizon, a new German producer of lightweight pieces featuring sleek design and smart add-ons such portable chargers etc.

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

3) Beauty à go-go

We all love liquid-restrictions for carry-ons (NOT, but safety first). Whether you are the all-in-one type or have an extensive beauty regimen, most beauty brands offer miniature flight-friendly sizes of your products nowadays. Check online or at the store for these “travel kits” or ask the staff for samples upon your next purchase. Another plus is that you can use them in-flight to make sure your skin stays hydrated in bone-dry cabin-air and you (god forbid) don’t have to use the mystery-moisturizer provided by the airline (skip this of course if you are in first class bathing your skin in La Prairie amenities. Grrrrr)

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

4) The Upgrade mystery

There’s a universe of articles written on how to “100%” get upgraded on your next flight. Well, let’s face it. If you book your economy ticket through some 3rd party low-cost sites and show up hoping to be bumped up to first class, you most likely end up disappointed.  It’s airline business, not airline lalaland.

However, there are still some smart ideas on how you can increase the chance to get upgraded on one of your next flights.

Book directly with the airline through their website or booking agent. Your booking class is regarded better-quality, meaning more eligible for potential upgrades, than when you booked through some 3rd party website.

No harm in asking. Airlines tend to overbook some flights and when everyone shows up suddenly, people get upgraded. This usually depends on your membership status (the higher the better); whether you have booked directly with the airline you are flying and your restrictions on your ticket. So ask nicely and charm the check-in staff to enquire whether there is any upgrade available.

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

5) Choose your seat wisely.

First in-first out: If you travel only with carry on, try to get a seat in the front. On a long flight, try to get an emergency exit seat (if you are frequent flyer of high status, you should have no problem unless the flight is overbooked) for greater leg-space. Airlines are smart and don’t let passengers choose these seats for free anymore. When you get to the airport, ask at the check-in counter for a seat-change or when you are on board, wait for the announcement “boarding completed” and check with the staff if the emergency seats are unoccupied.

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

6) Dress smart

Dress simple and smart as airport security is always a nightmare. We recommend smart casual wear and bring along a fresh shirt and pair of socks for when you arrive. Why socks? We tend to take off our shoes on planes for comfort but think a moment about the carpets (and toilet floors!) on planes. Yes, we don’t want to go into details. Always bring a small plastic bag to keep your in-flight socks after the flight.

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

7) Eat smart

If you’re not a fan of meals on the plane, stock up on nuts, bars and things you like to eat during the flight. For red eye flight, we would advise to eat before boarding the plane. Then you can sleep through the flight once you entered into a food-coma.

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

8) Plan ahead

If you plan to do a stopover in a country on your next trip, see if the country’s local airline offers a short stay at their hub without additional charges. On our last trip we stopped over in Dubai (go figure which airline) for 3 days and flew on to our final destination afterwards without having to pay extra, the airline treated it as one flight with a longer stopover. There is no fixed rule for this across airlines as we understand but do check with them, as many support tourism to their own country.

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

9)  Timing is key

Don’t we all love long queues for the washrooms on planes. Be smart on this one. If you order a special meal, you will usually be served before everyone else, meaning you’ll finish before everyone, which allows you to use the washroom first. For freshening up before landing, the plane starts to descend usually 30min before landing time and that’s when the captain will ask everyone to be seated. Use the washroom 45min before landing, when everyone else is still finishing their movies.

How to travel smart – 10 Essentials

10) Adjust your watch the right way

When changing the time always wind your watch forward, never backwards to avoid damaging the movement. Even if that means more turns, you’re still on a flight so take your time. If you are in need of a stunning timepiece, look no further, we got you covered with our latest arrivals here.

What about you? What's your smart travel tip?

No matter whether you’re off for a weekend in your favorite city or exploring unchartered lands, traveling is always a thrill and deeply rooted in MYKU’s DNA. Upgrade your travels next year (literally if you’re lucky) with our hints and keep us posted on your travels featuring #mymyku on your posts. Safe travels and happy new year from all of us!