In case you aren't familiar with the term, a 'life hack' is a way of doing something more efficiently. Everywhere you go on the internet today, there are videos on how to do something cheaper, easier or faster.
Hacks can be applied to travel too.
Kim DalPonte uses a variety of luggage hacks when she travels.
"I swear by using Space Bags and packing cubes in my luggage because they keep everything in order, unwrinkled and save a ton of space," said DalPonte, owner/consultant of Pixie Dust & Paradise Travel, Inc., in Chicago, Illinois. "That leaves room for souvenirs. I also either buy colorful luggage or put bright colored straps around dark luggage so I can quickly identify my bag and grab it off the belt at baggage claim."
Baggage claim?! James Berglie's time-saving hack is to actually skip baggage claim.
"On international travel, I skip the horribly long baggage check at the airport and use a computer kiosk to scan my passport and print my boarding pass," said Berglie of Be All Inclusive.
"Not having a checked bag saves me so much time. At some airports with some airlines, the airline reps are looking for people doing this and will advise that they must check in at the desk even if they are not checking bags-but it's not true! If you can get the computer to print your boarding pass, proceed thru security and have the airline verify your passport at the gate desk."
Jacquie Whitt travels to South America several times a year from her hometown area of Virginia, and she's found a cheaper way to fly.
"My regional airport in Virginia offers flights to all major hubs, but I have found it's sometimes several hundred dollars cheaper to drive two hours to another regional hub for those flights," said Whitt of Adios Adventure Travel in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
[READMORE]READ MORE: How to Hack Your Way to a Cheaper Vacation[/READMORE]
When she uses her frequent flyer miles, as Whitt has on all major US airlines, she has found the schedule for roundtrip bookings might not be ideal going one direction of the journey.
"In that case, I may choose to mix and match airlines and fly one-way to my destination on one airline, then return home on another airline," she said. "I can often avoid long layovers or awkward routings."
Rafa Mayer, Founder and CEO of Say Hueque said that the best hack actually comes from other people:
"Believe it or not, the world of travel is relatively small, and there's nothing quite like the power of personal relationships. Many of the people, vendors and other tourism companies that we work with have become friends over the years. So being able to reach out and request those special perks on behalf of our customers is a really valuable travel hack."
[READMORE]READ MORE: Travel Hacks to Make Trips a Breeze[/READMORE]
Debra Kasen's favorite time-saving travel hack is the US Mobile Passport app.
"It is free and from the US government. You can download it to your phone before you travel," said Kasen of Romance Globe Travel in Scottsdale, Arizona.
"You scan your passport (and other family members' if in the same household) before you leave home. When we land, we open the app, answer a few questions for customs and it gives us a paperless receipt on my phone. The lines are shorter for people using this app and can save valuable time if you need to make a tight connection. You still need to present your passport book when you arrive back to the U.S., but wow, what a time saver."
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