1. Lay longer. Don't pick the flight with the shortest layover time. Even though, on paper, it looks like the most efficient use of your time, you leave the airlines little to no room for error. They're not that good. In fact, they're not good at all. More often than not, you'll end up sprinting to your connection, and, if you're lucky enough to catch it, you'll be the stinky kid on the plane.2. The flight that cried delay. It is more common to be delayed than to have your flight actually leave on time. HOWEVER, you can't count on this fact when deciding what time to leave for the airport.
3. The board rarely lies. If the flight status board reports that your flight has been delayed 8 hours, it's probably not a typo. Yes, even if the delay is until 1:00 am. If they were going to cancel the flight, they would have canceled it... So get comfortable.
4. Disgusting default. When you book your hotel through Priceline or Expedia, it automatically defaults to a smoking room. YUCK. Even if you know this, if you're checking in super late, there won't be any non-smoking rooms left. Always call the hotel after booking and make sure they get you reserved for a non-smoking room.
5. Rental car. Don't pre-pay for your rental car (Orbitz doesn't require your credit card until you pick up the car... Priceline has your card as soon as you commit to the car). When your flight is incredibly delayed (which, if you haven't picked up on by now... happens A LOT) and you don't get in until after midnight, there's a good chance your rental car company will be closed. You'll end up renting a car with a different company and then spending the next few months arguing with the first company for a refund.
So after my incredibly delayed flight (well into the next morning), the rental car place being closed, and finally making it to the hotel only to be stuck in the smoking room (with BUGS!)... I think it's safe to say I'm earning my RW stripes.
Stay tuned for more lessons and rants from the road... Eat your hear out Kerouac.
6. Last flight out = overnight stay. I know that you have not yet had the distinct pleasure of regularly traveling during the winter season, but I would offer a word of caution on booking the last flight out. Flight delays tend to build throughout the day. And, as you probably know, pilots are limited to a certain number of consecutive hours in a given day per FAA regulations. Ergo, if a pilot were slated for 3 flights in a day, and the first two have been delayed a couple of hours, then you'll be camping out another night in your smokey hotel room. This is especially true when flying out of a smaller airport like Albany where there aren't a lot of pilots around to be swapped out. Fortunately, Denver is surprisingly one of the best airports for minimizing delays in the winter months.
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