WHAT WOULD A FREQUENT FLYER DO?

Which is the best day to board a plane? 10 air travel tips worth knowing

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Depending on the details, air travel can make for a pleasant experience or a hideous one. The Internet is crawling with advice on how to improve this endeavor and, while some of it is very much on point, many other sources offer dubious or outdated information.

Listed below are ten tips that can help smooth the ride and even save you a few bucks in the process.

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An early check-in to your flight will not only save you valuable time at the airport, and let you choose a better seat, but it will also prevent some airlines from re-selling your place (yes, that happens).

Also, checking in early through the website or airline app can earn you bonus miles. Too many positive things for a little effort at home.

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This one is obvious: any liquids you're carrying through TSA checkpoints must be less than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) and placed in a see-through bag no larger than a quart.

Also, leave at home that mini pocket knife you use as a keychain and any sharp objects, as it too, won’t make it past the TSA checkpoint. Or, put them in the checked baggage.

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Overseas travel involves filling out paper forms that are usually handed out during the flight. And there is a great possibility that the onboard personnel won’t have enough pens to go around.

So, take a pen from home. You’ll need it to fill out immigration forms onboard. And your flight attendant will appreciate not having to supply the entire flight with extra ink.

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God forbid it happens but, if your checked bags get lost or delayed, it’s important to have your essentials packed into your carry-on. Make a list of the most important things and start with prescription medications and medical supplies.

Follow the list with a cell phone charger, a change of clothes, and the necessary paperwork to get you through security and into your hotel. What you can pack in a carry-on is different than what you can pack in a checked bag.

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It’s no secret that airlines have strict size limits for carry-on bags, which are enforced by gate agents. So, check your bag's dimensions at home and make sure they adhere to your airline's limits.

And keep in mind that European carriers' limits vary slightly from those in the U.S. Blame it on standard versus metric. Carry-on requirements vary by airline (9″x14″x22″ is standard for Delta, United, and American Airlines; Southwest allows 10″x16″x24″). it’s best to confirm space allotments and measure your bag before you pack.

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Electronic devices can take up space pretty quickly, especially when you are traveling with a smartphone, charger, laptop, tablet, photo camera, etc.

So, get those items ordered and make sure you are not forgetting anything, including chargers, extra batteries, etc. And maybe think about getting an organizer if these things create too much of a mess.

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Dressed up women and men in suits toasting with a champagne glass in their ample seats while the steward attendant smiles are probably not the sort of thing you will encounter when air traveling these days. Crumpled seats and tight aisles are the norm instead.

And, in this scenario, being comfortable is paramount. So, dress up with that situation in mind. Airplane cabin climate settings vacillate between icebox and toaster oven, with no habitable medium in between. Dress for any contingency by wearing multiple light layers.

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Really, it’s as simple as that. Larger crowds lead to more chaotic parking and drop-off situations and longer wait times at security checkpoints so, plan accordingly.

Airports tend to be most crowded on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons, as these days bear the brunt of business travel. As for seasonal variations, expect Fridays to get even busier in the summer months as recreational travel peaks.

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If you are not a frequent traveler, spending your hard-earned money on those several hundred dollar annual fees that are associated with airline lounges makes no sense at all. But if you’ve got a long wait, it might be worth it to purchase a daily pass.

The cost is usually much less than you expect and you don’t need to have a certain credit card brand to access it. You will be able to spend those hours in a more comfortable environment, with amenities like complimentary food and drinks, better seats, showers, and more.

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If motion sickness is a problem for you, then the front seats might not be the best location on the plane. The front and back of the aircraft are the areas that move and bounce the most.

In contrast, the middle part is the most stable one. As a pilot said: "A plane is like a seesaw. If you’re in the middle, you don’t move as much". So, while a last-minute upgrade might seem like a good idea, those front seats are not the best for those with motion sickness.

SAYING THE SAME THING

These 10 American Idioms Have Their Foreign Counterparts

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No matter where we come from or what language we speak, we all have things in common. You might be surprised to know that, in different parts of the world, people often express the same ideas in very similar ways, even if they're using different languages. Idioms such as "Like father, like son" have a couple of creative versions in other languages, such as the one that translates to "A fish's young knows how to swim." If you want to know more, join us to discover the foreign counterparts of these 10 everyday American idioms!

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When you're faced with a situation where you have to take what is available without being able to choose, you can say: "Beggars can't be choosers." This idiom invites us to appreciate opportunities, especially those offered to us by others.

We can find the same idea in the German expression In der Not frisst der Teufel fliegen ("In times of need, the devil eats flies"). With their characteristic creativity, the French say Faute de grives, on mange des merles ("When there's a lack of thrushes, one eats blackbirds.") And there's a similar idiom in Spanish, too: A caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes (One shouldn't look at a gifted horse's teeth.) The latter comes from the tradition of inspecting a horse's teeth to determine its age and health. Pretty witty, right?

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Our experiences shape us, that's why the idiom "Once bitten, twice shy" is so right. It means that someone who's been hurt or had an unpleasant experience will be more cautious the next time, trying to avoid similar situations.

Other languages express the same idea with idioms like the Danish Brændt barn skyr ilden ("A burned child avoids fire") or French Chat échaudé craint l'eau froide ("Scalded cat fears cold water").

In Portuguese, people say Cão picado por cobra, tem tem medo de linguiça ("A dog that has been bitten by a snake fears sausages"). And in Spanish, you can say El que se quema con leche, ve una vaca y llora ("Whoever gets burned by milk cries when they see a cow.")

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You've probably heard a wise friend saying, "A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush." This idiom reminds us to appreciate and value what we have.

Like us, other cultures also use birds to communicate this same idea. For example, in Spanish, they say Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando ("Better a bird in the hand than a hundred flying"). Germans use specific species of birds, saying Lieber den Spatz in der Hand als die Taube auf dem Dach ("Better a sparrow in your hand than a dove on the roof").

Other examples include Russian Лучше синица в в руке, чем журавль в небе ("Better a bird in your hand than a crane in the sky"), and Hungarian Jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok ("It is better a sparrow today than a bustard tomorrow.") What about you? How many birds do you have in your hands?

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In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Marcellus says, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," after seeing the ghost of King Hamlet. With that phrase, the character shows his suspicion that there is corruption within the Danish court.

Thus, in English, we use this phrase to point out when something appears suspicious or dishonest, implying that there might be hidden issues. Hungarian has a similar version: Valami bűzlik Dániában ("Something stinks in Denmark"). However, other languages have their own phrases to express the same. If you travel to Finland, you can say Kauppaan on koira haudattuna (There is a dog buried in the affair). Spanish speakers say Hay gato encerrado (There is a hidden/enclosed cat.)

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When you solve something quickly and effortlessly, you say it is "A piece of cake." While the origins of this idiom are not entirely clear, it is thought to have emerged in the early 20th century, related to the exact experience of eating a piece of cake: easy, quick, and even enjoyable. In Polish, the expression is very similar, but they use another recipe. They say Bułka z masłem ("Bread roll with butter.")

But if you translate the phrase literally into another language, it can sound a bit weird. If you want to say that something is easy or simple in Russian, you can say И ежу понятно ("It would be understandable to a hedgehog.") With a more powerful phrase, in Slovakia, they say ľahké ako facka ("As easy as a slap.") And the French say Simple comme bonjour ("As easy as hello.")

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This idiom explains that incompetent people will often blame their failures on the environment, other people, or circumstances, but won't assume their fault.

In Bulgarian, they say На крива ракета космосът й пречи ("For a crooked rocket, the space gets in the way"). There's an idiom in German that reflects the same idea: Wenn der Bauer nicht schwimmen kann, liegt es an der Badehose ("If the farmer can't swim, it's due to his swimsuit").

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We're sure no one's ever really tried to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, but that's the point of the idiom! The exaggeration emphasizes that you can't easily transform something of low value or poor quality into something refined and elegant. It's a way of saying that essential features or characteristics can't be changed quickly.

Other languages have their own ways of expressing the same idea, and some even use silk in their phrases, too. Spanish speakers say Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda ("Even if the monkey dresses in silk, it is still a monkey.") In Russian, the expression Рожденный ползать летать не может means "If you're born to crawl, you can't fly." Finally, French people say On ne peut faire d'une buse un épervier (You can't turn a buzzard / a dolt into a sparrowhawk.)

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When two people love each other, they are always together and know everything about each other, you might say they're "thick as thieves."

The idiom is believed to have arisen in the early 19th century. In this phrase, "thick" means "close". It's a metaphorical way to describe two people who are inseparable, much like saying they are "partners in crime".

In Spanish, a very similar idiom expresses people can be Como carne y uña ("Like flesh and nails"). Graphic, isn't it? The same idea is used in the Portuguese Ser unha e carne.

In other languages, similar expressions use different objects to bring the same concept. For instance, in Finnish, the phrase Kuin kaksi marjaa translates to "like two berries".

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People often resemble one of their parents, whether in appearance or personality and attitudes. And this is where the idiom "Like father, like son" comes in, expressing that similarity.

In other languages, you can find similar idioms. For example, in Portuguese, they say Filho de peixe sabe nadar ("A fish's young knows how to swim.") Russians say От осинки не родятся апельсинки ("Oranges can't grow on an aspen tree.")

Closer to our idiom is the Catalan phrase De tal riu, tal aigua (Like river, like water), and the Spanish De tal palo tal astilla (Like stick, like splinter).

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This idiom comes from the world of hunting. In medieval times, hunters employed an indirect method to capture animals. Instead of pursuing animals directly, they would literally beat the bushes to flush out the creatures hiding there. And that's how we got the phrase "to beat around the bush," which means that someone is being evasive or avoiding a certain topic.

French has a similar idiom to express that someone is diverting or getting distracted from the main path or topic: Y aller par quatre chemins ("To get there by four paths"). In Spanish, you can say Se va por las ramas ("He or she goes along the branches").