Is There Any Such Thing As "Trouble-Free" Travel??

This question was answered by what most would be considered an expert in this field, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, best known for his landing a USAirways plane on the Hudson River in 2009....has it really been that long ago?!!!

He was quoted in a recent issue of the Dallas Morning News regarding some tips in traveling that he has been able to latch on to over his flying and traveling career. He still flies on public transportation when working or family flying, so he knows what it is like to sit “with the rest of us”.

One of his suggestions that made me like him even more was when sitting in front of someone, resist the urge to lay the seat back all the way in the persons lap. He envisions himself being the one sitting behind him....what a novel idea, thinking about the welfare of others!!

Another good suggestion is to consider taking less clothes than you think you'll need; most people take way too much. Pack intelligently and mix and match.

One suggestion he made that I disagree with to a certain extent is to plan to leave early in the morning; that weather is less of a factor then than in the afternoon, summer especially. I think that is fine in the major markets, but here in Abilene, the flights most vulnerable for cancellation are the early morning departures. Those planes that came in the night before might not have completed all their maintenance, or they might have to wait for a part, and the crew might not have had all their required “down” time. When that happens, that throws all the later flights full and running over with a lot of misconnects. . . and not a pretty picture.

Capt. Sullenberger says he likes to work out, so he always takes along a pair of good running shoes and then on the plane wears a pair of nice-looking casual shoes that are comfortable enough to do a lot of walking too. He enjoys walking in a new location, so another thing he remembers to take with him is a good map of the destination city. Nowadays the GPS on the phone is a nice tool, but the map will help to identify the sights that you might want to see.

He suggested one thing to do, especially on family trips. Consider writing down some of your travel experiences in a family journal. I wish I had thought of that!! As time goes by, your “forgetter” works overtime and you might forget some of the most surprising things you saw, or the funniest thing someone said, or what was the favorite thing you had to eat, or what was just out-of-this-world awesome. Having that journal to read 10 years later will resurrect those fun memories that have been overridden by current events.

The experienced travel agents at The Travel Factory revel in the fact that we get to help families and individuals build memories that last forever, so give us a call for some travel advice that will for sure save you some vacation planning time, and more often than not, save the family budget. We are located at 4150 Southwest Drive in the Plaza at Park Central, between Rosa's and Chick-Fil-A on the southside of our All-American city. Call us at 325-698-1421 or toll-free 800-760-4040. You can also be entertained on our website: www.thetravelfactoryabilene.com. You know, travel is one of the best Christmas presents you can give.....or receive....so let us help you wrap up your shopping!!!