{"id":8242,"date":"2014-12-23T17:49:44","date_gmt":"2014-12-23T22:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/multi.nycnewsnetwork.com\/brooklynbuzz\/?p=8242"},"modified":"2014-12-23T17:49:44","modified_gmt":"2014-12-23T22:49:44","slug":"8-last-minute-holiday-travel-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/brooklynbuzz\/8-last-minute-holiday-travel-hacks\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Last-Minute Holiday Travel Hacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

There are moments when it pays to be a scrappy, native New Yorker with some travel hacks on autopilot. It\u2019s important to know\u00a0the weak spots in the travel system.\u00a0These tips are quick, easy things you all can do to save some dough and keep last-minute travel feeling holly and jolly.<\/span><\/p>\n

TICKETS PLEASE<\/h3>\n

\"Your<\/p>\n

Buy Your Plane Tickets TODAY!<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this bustling city, it\u2019s easy to fall behind on things like buying your plane tickets. The cheap seats are likely long gone, according this year\u2019s\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0of 4 million flights by CheapAir.com. It found the low point for pricing to be 54 days before departure. The price should steadily go up after that, but it really accelerates once you\u2019re within 14 days of your flight.<\/p>\n

You better watch out: Today (12\/11) is 14 days before Santa Claus is coming to town. It\u2019s time to lock down those seats.<\/p>\n

Want $1 Megabus tickets?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Want to score one of the much advertised\u00a0$1 Megabus tickets<\/a>? Well, too late. Set your alarm for 90 days before your trip next time. Tisn\u2019t the season to snag one of these for winter.<\/p>\n

But you can think warm thoughts and gift yourself a $1 trip for spring. People do sell their tickets on Craigslist, but it\u2019s probably always a scam, as a few online horror stories attest. Just like with anything scalped, someone could easily provide a cancelled or fake receipt, or sell one ticket to multiple people, so be careful.<\/p>\n

PACKING<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The holidays are a particularly difficult time to pack. More clothes are needed due to the cold. Plus, there are gifts to consider. This often requires checking bags, which means exorbitant fees and the potential for grandma\u2019s gift to somehow end up on a flight to Bermuda. But if you pack like a pro, those potentialities can be eliminated, or at least reduced by saving space in four ways.<\/p>\n

Avoid overpacking<\/strong><\/p>\n

The hotel or home you\u2019re headed to is not likely to be the dense squalor in which we reside; there will be a washer and dryer. It\u2019s safe to underpack and then wash and re-wear outfits. After all, Grandpa isn\u2019t a Grinch. You\u2019re likely returning with gifts and could use all the extra space can could get.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what\u2019s underneath that counts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Replace jackets and heavy sweaters with thermals or light sweaters you can layer. The form fitting clothes bicyclists and runners use are fantastically thin and light while keeping you toasty. The snowy season can upend one\u2019s quest for lean luggage by requiring bulkier items like boots. In that case, wear the heavier apparel to the airport.<\/p>\n

Pack like a pilot<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Roll,<\/p>\n

Roll your clothes instead of folding them. The amount of space it saves varies based on what clothing you\u2019re packing, but it is legitimately one weird trick that pilots and flight attendants\u00a0swear by<\/a>. Research on the subject is scant, but the\u00a0photos comparing the two<\/a>\u00a0are pretty convincing.<\/p>\n

Ziplock bags come in various sizes that can be used to organize and compress items together, while keeping them dry, making any secondary inspection during the security screening a breeze.<\/p>\n

For carry ons, bag > suitcase<\/strong><\/p>\n

As flight attendants oft repeat, \u201cPlease, place your [two] bags, in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you.\u201d If you have more than two bags, then you\u2019re likely to have a bag checked. However, if your bags are small enough that you can combine them in a tote or department store bag, it\u2019s more likely to make it through unchecked.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the bag can change shape as you cram it in, unlike an overstuffed suitcase. That said, don\u2019t overdo it by taking up all the space, folks.<\/p>\n

BEFORE TAKEOFF<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cLose\u201d your unlimited Metrocard<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlimited, 30-day Metrocards are obviously a cheaper cost per ride than paying as you go. But when you go out of town for a week or two, you\u2019re basically making a donation to the MTA. Would you get a day pass at a theme park if you could only go on rides for one hour? [Note: this is only a tip we’re suggesting if you’re really, really hard-up on cash for the holiday season.]<\/p>\n

If you didn\u2019t use up your MetroCard before heading on vacation, the MTA\u00a0will compensate you<\/a>\u00a0at a rate of $3.74\/day if you report your MetroCard lost\/stolen \u2013 no questions asked \u2013 twice per year. The folks who do the refunding are around during working hours at (718) 330-1234.<\/p>\n

Use the \u201cKindly Brontosaurus\u201d for delays and cancellations<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Be<\/p>\n

If a flight gets delayed or cancelled, the folks who can be assertive (but not aggressive!) benefit the most. The Kindly Brontosaurus, as\u00a0described in Slate this year,<\/a>\u00a0is a technique that involves being persistent, stating your predicament and then hovering nearby like the vegetarian brontosaurus; kindly, nonthreatening, looming large in an agent\u2019s vision, and not accepting scripted, brief overtures.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t become extinct. It is your best chance to get onto the flight, or at least get refunded.<\/p>\n

Source: brokelyn.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are moments when it pays to be a scrappy, native New Yorker with some travel hacks on autopilot. It\u2019s important to know\u00a0the weak spots in the travel system.\u00a0These tips are quick, easy things you all can do to save some dough and keep last-minute travel feeling holly and jolly. 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