Wanderlust Travel Blog - By Alicia Underlee Nelson

• Get a Passport. Technically, you can use a Passport ID Card to get into Mexico, Canada and selected other destinations by land or by sea, but unless you’re confident that you will not be flying anywhere outside of the US for 10 years, pay a little extra and get a passport so you’re covered in any situation. Getting your first passport requires you to apply in person, so check out http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html  for the closest facility. The steps for application are laid out there in detail. Current processing time is 4 to 6 weeks.
• Make Sure You’ll Get Through Customs : Check out the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol site to make sure you know what you can pack, what you can bring home and what items you’ll have to ship home or simply leave behind. Learn more at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/
• Decide What Currency to Bring: Travelers Checks are a thing of the past. Most major resorts and tourist areas will accept credit cards and US dollars, but once you venture off the beaten path, cash is king. An ATM usually gets you a better exchange rate than banks or airport currency exchanges. Just be aware that ATM distribution varies greatly from country to country.
• Talk To Your Bank About Your Travels: Nearly all banks say you can use their cards abroad, but I’ve seen firsthand that that’s not always the case. If your bank is local or regional, it would be wise to have a talk with a manager about how your debit or credit card will function abroad and start a back-up travel account with a larger bank (one with 20 or more branches) just in case. Here are some other items to discuss while you’re there.
  •  Tell your bank where and when you’ll be traveling so they don’t suspect fraud and block your card.
  • Ask about the international transaction fees on each card. (It’s typically 2% to 3% per transaction.) You’ll want to use the card with the lowest fees, but only if it meets your daily needs.
  • Find out the daily maximum for cash withdrawals from your debit card and discuss raising it if needed.
  • Get a new pin number for your debit card if you have a hard time remembering the one you have now. You don’t want to forget it when you’re halfway around the world!
• Learn Basic Language Skills:  Attempting to converse with people in their own language is one of the easiest and most appreciated gestures of goodwill you can make as a traveler. No one expects you to be fluent – your goal is to avoid being thought rude and/or an idiot. The following words and phrases are a good start –
  • Please, thank you, yes, no, how much does this cost?, excuse me, hello, good bye, sorry, I don’t speak (whatever language you don’t speak) and check please. Practice until you can pronounce them beautifully and on cue.
  •  Do you speak English?  This is a very useful phrase, but only if delivered in a humble tone of voice – never as a demand. And remember, speaking louder in English or any other language will not make you understood. It just will make you look silly and frustrate you both.
• Get Excited About Your Trip: Pour over the brochures your travel agent gave you, grab a stack of travel guidebooks at the library, practice eating with chopsticks, listen to flamenco music before you go to Spain or invite your friends over for a movie marathon featuring the city or country of your choice. You’re embarking on an adventure – enjoy it!

•  Consider Your Electrical Needs: First, stop to think if you really need to bring a hairdryer to the beach. Then check with your hosts, travel agent or hotel to see if you can borrow what you need. For necessities, you’ll need proper adapters. Visit your local travel store - like Maps, Travel and More in West Acres – or a site like http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/elect.htm to make sure you have the right ones.
•   Make Sure Your Carry-On Bags Meet Requirements: New travelers are often surprised by the 3-1-1 rule, but it’s not too complicated when you get the hang of it. The rule dictates that each traveler must limit any liquids in their carry-on bags to 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less and that all these liquid items must fit inside one re-sealable one-quart baggie. Each passenger is only allowed one baggie. Other than breast milk, formula and medications (which have to be declared) this includes all liquids. And don’t think they won’t find what you’re stashing - I’ve seen airport employees throw out everything from 20oz soda bottles to $400 bottles of perfume. If you’re going to carry it on the plane, it has to be 3.4 oz or less if you’re going to take it through the security line. Period

• Allow Plenty of Time For Check-In and Security Checks: The days of breezing through security checkpoints are gone. Most airlines recommend you check-in least one hour before domestic flights and two hours for international flights. Allow even more time if you haven’t done this in awhile. You can always grab a bite to eat or pick up a magazine near your gate.
• They Don’t Feed You On The Plane: Okay, some airlines are better than others and nearly all will give you something on long flights, but it’s safer to assume you’re not getting fed and check with your airline to be proven wrong than to show up starving.
• Electronic Check-In Kiosks: This option speeds up your check in, especially if you’re not checking bags. Just follow the signs to the E Check-In machines in your airline’s check-in area, insert a valid ID, passport or credit card into the machine and it prints your boarding pass for you. If you are checking bags, the machine will instruct you to bring these bags to the agent, just like you would if you were checking in with them.
• Observe Airport Security Changes: Post 9/11 security is tighter than ever and as a result, the security screening process may be different than what you remember. Here are some tips to get you through.

• Pack light and carry on your bags whenever possible. Take the most important and/or breakable gifts, necessary medicines and cosmetics, cameras, pajamas and a change of clothes and check the things you can live without for a few hours or days.
• Make sure your carry-on bags meet requirements. A common mistake is violating the 3-1-1 rule, which dictates each traveler must limit their carry-on liquids to 3.4 oz (100 ml) bottles and that all these bottles must fit inside one re-sealable one-quart baggie. Each passenger is only allowed one baggie. Baby formula, medicine and breast milk are not included, but must be declared. You can find complete details are at www.tsa.gov.  
• Don’t wrap your gifts! Airport security can (and will) open packages if they look suspicious. And gifts pack easier if you’re not worried about squishing bows or tearing wrapping paper.
• Pack a small notebook and pen for taking notes on gate changes, important phone numbers , hotel confirmation numbers etc.
• Consider a small alarm clock and sleep aids (earplugs, eyeshade, neck pillow) to help you  sleep if your flight is delayed.
• Bring snacks. Nuts, dried fruit, crackers and granola bars are handy, especially if your delay happens after airport shops are closed. There’s nothing worse than being stranded and starving.

• Program the airline’s phone number into your phone so you can keep on top of any delays.
• Find and program hotel phone numbers into your phone. Focus on hotels near the airport that offer free 24-hour airport shuttles, continental breakfasts and restaurants on-site so you don’t have to pay for ground transportation or fight a storm to get something to eat.
• Print out airport maps to familiarize yourself with the layout. You’ll find your gate faster and know where to find a restaurant, internet work station or a place to take a nap if your flight is delayed.
• Find out if train travel is an alternative. Missed connections aren’t an issue on a train, so it might be a viable Plan B. Program Amtrak’s number into your phone just in case.

• Line-up at any gate for re-ticketing. Gate agents don’t publicize this, but they are usually able to assist with re-ticketing on any flight, not just the flight that’s posted above their heads. The lines will generally be shorter if you go one or two gates over. Just have your ID and original boarding pass handy.
• Consider taking any flight that gets you closer to your destination. Trains, buses or even taxis can get you the rest of the way to Christmas dinner.
• Don’t leave the building without a seat assignment and flight plan. If you just have a recommended time to check back, that means you’re on the standby list with everyone else.
• Check back the morning after, even if your confirmed flight isn’t until later. A lot can change in a day - people oversleep, alternate plans are made, connections are missed and seats open up.
• Be courteous. Give your gate agent and your fellow travelers a break and be kind. It will improve their morale and yours.

• Entertain yourself.  If you’re in for a long delay, you might as well enjoy it. Get a massage, get your shoes shined, linger over a beer or pick up some new reading material at the airport bookstore.
• Charge your electronic devises. Most airports offer Business Centers with semi-private workspaces or charging stations for laptops and phones. You can also usually find working outlets by janitors’ closets. (They have to plug in the vacuums somewhere!)
• If you need to sleep, find the best place to spread out. Check out www.sleepinginairports.net for hints on the best place to crash in dozens of airports worldwide.
• Secure your luggage. Stash your bags in a locker or use an old backpackers trick and bring a small padlock or bike lock to secure your bag handles to a chair rail (or yourself!) so you can sleep securely.

• Get a massage. Massage stations are located on Concourse A and B.
• Stretch out and rest on the round couches in the Main Terminal Lobby or on benches on the mezzanine levels above the terminals.
• Take advantage of free Wi-Fi in Jeppeson Terminal on Concourses A, B, C.
• Enjoy public art on every concourse, including sculptures, audio installations and murals.

• Stash your Luggage. Lockers are available for $3 an hour or a maximum of $9 per day in the Lindbergh Terminal near Security checkpoint 4, Gates C2, C6, C13, F9 and near the entrances to Concourses E and F. They offer fingerprint security – so only you can check your bag out again – and have a 48 hour maximum.
• Burn calories on the 1.4 mile Walking Track in the Lindbergh Terminal. The route is marked by green dots on overhead signs.
• Save money on food and gifts with the free online coupon book. Find it under “Save” on the airport website.
• Recharge at the Business Center. Enjoy semiprivate workstations, data ports and phone access in the Lindbergh Terminal on Concourses A, B, C, D, E and F and the Humphrey Terminal across from Gate H3.
• Hop the Light Rail and shop at The Mall of America. The line runs from both the Lindbergh Terminal (take the tram to the Transit Center, then follow the signs to the station) and the Humphrey Terminal (take the skyway from Level 2 to the parking ramps and follow the Light Rail Transit signs through the covered parking facility and go down a level to the station). Trains leave every 7-15 minutes and cost $1.75 - $2.25. You can purchase tickets at kiosks at the station. Just make sure you allow plenty of time to clear security and get back to your gate!

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