Pakt Hacks: Four Easy Tips for Carefree Air Travel

For some of us, prepping for a flight can be unnerving: scrambling to the airport is never fun, TSA can be a pain, and the risk of over- or under-packing can be anxiety inducing. Regardless of how you handle the pre-flight jitters, you can mitigate some stress by being consistent in how you prepare for your flights. To help with this, here are four easy tips to help make your future travel as seamless as possible:

Create a standard carry-on packing list for all future flights.

Chances are that many of your flights will be pretty much the same; you might read a book, watch a movie, sleep, etc. With this in mind, take a few minutes to think about your own personal travel style. What do you usually use, from the time you walk out of your home until the time you’re settled in your airplane seat? Develop a standard packing list based on your own needs, and keep it on your phone to refer back to each time you travel. Doing so will help you pack quickly and efficiently, and you can rest easy knowing that you remembered everything.

Keep a pouch of flight essentials at the ready

If you’re a frequent flyer, it may be worth setting aside a dedicated set of in-flight essentials that you can simply grab and go. This could include headphones, earplugs, a pen, a pack of gum, an eye mask, etc. In doing so, you can take a lot of the guesswork out of packing your carry-on and you won’t have to rummage around to find what you need for your flight. If possible, keep these items in a pouch that’s small enough to fit in the seat pocket, but large enough to hold additions like your book or tablet and passport. And if you want to go next-level, try keeping a copy of that packing list you made in there.

Have a go-to plane outfit

There’s nothing more frustrating than standing in security, watching the person in front of you fumble with a belt, a watch, or shoe laces like it’s their first time wearing them. Don’t be that person! Instead, pick a specific outfit that you can wear on all your flights that will be comfy, chic, and TSA-friendly. Try incorporating slip-on shoes, ditching the layers, and going beltless in order to breeze through security. If you must wear a belt and watch, consider stowing them in your bag (or TSA pocket) as early as your cab ride to the airport to make the first part of your trip as easy as possible.

Stash your belt, watch, and stray jewelry in the TSA pocket long before you get to security and you won't have to worry about holding up your fellow travelers or leaving something behind

Invest in a compartmentalized bag.

We all know to pack our laptop near the top and keep travel liquids easily accessible. But you can take that one step further by investing in packing cubes (here are some favorites from our friend Chase Reeves) or a carry-on with built-in compartments, such as our very own Pakt One bag. By keeping your flight essentials separate from your other trip materials, you can easily access what you need on the plane without compromising the neat packing job you did for the rest of the trip.

A compartmentalized bag like the Pakt One offers both interior and exterior organization through pockets and top access zippers, allowing easy access to your on flight essentials. 

Overall, the more you can standardize your carry-on list and packing process, the more worry-free your trip can be from the onset. Let us know what other flight tips you have, and happy travels!