Tag: customs

plane at sunrise
Podcast

Episode 19: In Transit – High Flying

ltpmrs
  • Booking:
    • Discount flight notifications for deals from your nearest airport delivered to your email nearly daily for  $25/year – NextVacay.com
    • Join frequent flyer programs and look for ways to double dip
    • Prices often change late Monday nights so Tuesday is the best time to shop. Some advice suggests 3pm EST is the best time to shop for a fare on Tuesdays.
  • At the airport:
    • Research baggage prices and buy ahead – find out if the prices will increase if you wait to purchase at the airport
    • Also research size requirements as weight and dimension can differ by airline
    • Container store has nice small bottles for carry-on fluids
    • TSA Pre-check or  Global Entry are nice options for reducing your wait and streamlining your security experience; your credit company may reimburse this – look into it
    • Clear is a new option in a few airports
    • Global Entry is also a nice option which helps you clear customs faster when returning from out of the county; it includes TSA pre-check benefits
Airport bathroom
MicroBlog

Tip 37: No bathrooms before border patrol/customs

ltpmrs

Today I had to walk a mile, literally, in the Los Angeles airport just to arrive at the boarder entry & customs. There were zero bathrooms between my plane and baggage claim. Luckily I had anticipated this and made sure I wasn’t in desperate need of a bathroom stop when the plane landed.

I can only assume this is on purpose, but it is rather annoying nonetheless. Just remember to be sure to use the bathroom before you land on future flights that involve passport checks and customs.

MicroBlog

Tip 20: Border entry forms can be confusing

ltpmrs

You will need to fill out a card when arriving to many countries for customs and general entry through border protection. They are usually simple forms, but the fields are sometimes confusing. Here’s the US Customs form as an example.  We suggest searching online to view examples of forms you may need to complete on your journey.