8 Secrets for Stress-Free Holiday Travel

It’s that time again; you’re getting ready to gear up for the long flight to your family or a fun destination. Are you ready?

Here are 8 great secrets to making this year’s travel plans the best you can get from author/speaker/coach Barbara Pachter. Pachter is herself a world traveler for her speaking engagements so she knows these tips from lots of first-hand experience.

Prepare yourself and your family for delays

This is inevitable at this time of year due to heavy traffic and weather conditions. Make sure you have snacks and water, reading material or activities, and the necessities (toothbrush, brush, change of clothes, etc). Pachter also suggests making sure your cell phone is charged and you have a charger with you.

No rude behavior

Name calling, cursing and being generally rude does no one any good and makes everyone around you uncomfortable. This is especially true if you are asking someone to help you – like a customer service representative. Pachter asks: do you really think someone you were just rude to is going to go out of his or her way to help make your life easier?

Customer service reps are required to not be rude back but that doesn’t mean they’re going to optimize your experience. Many times, nice gets you helped and home much faster simply because of your treatment of those with the power to help.

Threats are a bad idea

Pachter says in this post-9/11 world, making threats is a good way to get detained or even arrested. Don’t do it. Don’t even joke about it.

Acknowledge the challenges

When you make a comment to someone who is trying to help such as “it’s been a rough day, eh?” it lets them know you are thinking of them too. That can get you better service too.

Be polite

Just like Mom said.  If you ask a polite question, you are going to get a better response – “Might you have any extra dinner coupons for us?” is way better than “We’d better get a dinner coupon out of this!”

Make friends

By chatting up your fellow passengers, you get the “we’re in this together” mentality that makes it easier to manage. Also, you never know who you’ll meet and they may look out for you too. Pachter tells of her experience befriending a fellow traveler who made sure to find her when a new line for the airline opened upstairs at the airport.

Stay alert but not pushy

Keep your eyes open for opportunities such as a new customer service line opening. However, you don’t need to push once you see these things. Again, be polite.

Be wary of announcing plans on social media

Lots of burglars watch the social media sites to see people’s travel plans. Maybe you think your friends won’t tell but, depending on your privacy settings, you may still have your plans available to people who are not your friends. Post pictures when you get back.

Pachter is a speaker, coach and author of numerous business books, including The Power of Positive Confrontation ($15.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.) and When the Little Things Count ($13.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.). She specializes in business etiquette and communication for companies worldwide. Her client list features major organizations, including Microsoft, Pfizer, Chrysler, Cisco and Genentech.