Given the state of air travel these days, the entire concept of travel hacks seems a bit quaint.
Oh, you plan on saving a few minutes in security queues by going left at the airport instead of instinctively going right? Keep your fingers crossed that the government doesn’t shut down again, causing staffing shortages and hourslong lines left, right, and center.
You and your partner are going to score some extra lateral room with the middle seat trick? Psych! The entire airline has folded and you’re now scrambling with thousands of other people to get to your destination in any seat.
Now more than ever, the deck feels stacked against airline customers, many of whom regard travel as something to be outwitted or won rather than paid for and enjoyed.
Maybe that’s why hacks are still so dominant in our social media feeds—at a time of mass industry disruption and inflation, it’s nice to feel like you have an edge in the travel game, even if the advantages are marginal.
But some of what we’re seeing has to be ragebait, right?
Below, we’ve rounded up some airline hacks recently surfaced by our algorithms, and for each one we’ve delivered a verdict on whether the hack is worth the effort or should be consigned to oblivion along with your Spirit Airlines loyalty points.
The Hack: Text Yourself Your Flight Number
How it works: The morning of your flight, text yourself your flight number preceded by the airline’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) code. The code for Delta Air Lines, for example, is DL, so the text would read something like “DL1178.”
That text then becomes a live “Preview Flight” link showing up-to-date flight status, the boarding gate, departure time, flight duration, and even a map with a little trackable plane icon making its way across the route.
In most cases, you can get all the same info from the airline’s mobile app, but a lot of travelers don’t like toggling between screens. Some find it’s easier to pull up a text than logging in to an app, and it’s nice to have an easily shareable link to send folks you’re meeting up with at your destination.
This trick is mostly aimed at iOS users with iPhones and other Apple devices, but Android users can take advantage of a similar feature. Google will supply a similar tracking page with the same information mentioned above, but in a browser window instead of in your texts.
Verdict: GOOD
The Hack: BYOB—Bring Your Own (Water) Bottle
How it works: This one is so obvious it shouldn’t need calling out. But we still see people paying for overpriced plastic water bottles at airport shops and restaurants. So, one more time: Don’t do that.
Instead, pack an empty reusable bottle (empty because otherwise it won’t get past the TSA) and then fill the bottle up on the other side of the security checkpoint at complimentary water fountains and cafes like Starbucks.
You don’t have to carry around a heavy, unwieldy metal canister, either. Consider a lightweight, collapsible water bottle that can be folded up when empty. Though not as durable as a metal bottle, the collapsible alternative won’t take up nearly as much valuable bag space or create a cacophonous boom if you accidentally drop it.
As for the contents, a lot of videos we’ve seen specifically recommend Starbucks as the best spot at an airport to get free or low-cost water. And, yes, the coffee chain’s H20 is especially crisp-tasting on account of how it’s filtered. But refilling stations work just fine and won’t waste a plastic cup.
Verdict: GOOD
The Hack: Use a Barf Bag as a Screen Holder
How it works: When traveling on planes that don’t have seat-back screens (as on all flights operated by Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines), use the sick bag provided in the seat-back pocket to create a mount for your phone or tablet so you can watch your shows at a comfortable viewing angle. Take off your phone or tablet case, place the bag between the device and the case, pinch it all together, and then use the tray clip to hold up your device for a cinematic viewing experience. (Here’s a clip showing the assembly process in case you’re a visual learner.)
Listen, we’ve tried this in a pinch, and when it works, it works. But paper bags aren’t very sturdy (and are usually pretty glossy, increasing the risk of slippage). Add that structural flaw to the worn-down state of many tray-table clips, and you’ve got a situation where the slightest bump sends your jerry-rigged theater crashing down.
And even when the clip manages to hold the device, it does so at an angle that’s flush with the seat, meaning you’re still craning your neck a little.
Verdict: BAD
What to try instead: Modern phone and tablet mounts designed for travel are cheap, lightweight, and unobtrusive. Obviously, they only work if you remember to bring them, so we recommend leaving them inside your go-to carry-on between trips.
The Hack: Bring TSA-Compliant Espresso to the Airport
How it works: Take the uncertainty and high cost out of your morning airport iced coffee by brewing espresso shots at home, then pouring them into little glass jars smaller than the 3.4 ounces the TSA will allow for liquids. Once you’re through the airport security checkpoint, order an affordable cup of iced milk from a cafe and voilà, you’ve got a DIY iced latte.
But is this worth the effort? For starters, any coffee enthusiast who’s serious enough about their brew to own an expensive at-home espresso machine is probably particular enough to care about the difference between a freshly pulled shot and one that’s been oxidizing at room temperature for a while, even if it’s destined for a latte.
Then there’s the matter of the jar. Do you use an old spice jar that may have residual flavors? Or do you invest in a glass or plastic jar for this highly specific purpose? What’s the price difference on a fussy little glass mason jar versus an airport shot of espresso?
And it’s not like milk is freely distributed at airports. You’re still presumably waiting in line to overpay for a cup of iced milk to dump your little coffee shot into.
But hey, we’re not going to yuck anyone’s yum. If you’re partial to your beans and your brew method, bringing a few ounces of espresso to the airport is indeed TSA-compliant and will help ensure you’re drinking exactly what you prefer.
Verdict: LET YOUR CAFFEINATED HEART DECIDE
Or try this instead: If you’re determined to avoid buying coffee in the airport terminal, the New York Times’ Wirecutter team swears there are now some instant coffees that smell and taste pretty close to fresh-brewed. On the cheap side, Wirecutter’s reviewers recommend Mount Hagen instant packets. Airport cafes almost always sell or provide hot water upon request.
The Hack: Use a Foot Hammock for In-Flight Comfort
How it works: Connect a portable foot hammock to the tray table in front of you to achieve better posture and a more comfortable prolonged sitting position.
This hack is often proposed as a solution to the discomfort that shorter flyers experience while sitting for hours on end with dangling feet. We empathize with that issue. But because of the way a foot hammock can affect the user’s neighbors on a plane, we can’t recommend it. In fact, these infernal slings rival the notorious Knee Defender when it comes to designs seemingly guaranteed to fan the flames of air rage.
When the person in the seat behind you takes a drink menu out of the seat-back pocket, you feel it in your backside. When that person gets up to go to the bathroom, you feel it. So you will definitely feel a slingshot pulling on the back of your seat with the full weight of your neighbor’s legs every time they adjust or even twitch.
Verdict: UGLY
What to try instead: Inflatable footrest pillows are less of a nuisance for the passengers in front of you, although using the items depends on a few factors. An inflatable footrest can’t be used in a plane’s emergency exit row, must be collapsed during takeoff and landing, and is really only practical if you’re sitting by the window.
The Hack: Give Your Kids Painter’s Tape to Keep Them Busy During Flights
How it works: Let your kid stick a bunch of painter’s tape everywhere, for fun or something. While stuck in a plane seat, the tyke can decorate the seat back, armrests, windows, you name it. The child gets to exercise a little creativity and, afterward, painter’s tape is easy to remove.
OK, but tape can also leave a sticky residue that airline employees are going to have to remove later. And, worse, your little darling’s masterpiece could trip up evacuees in the event of an emergency.
Verdict: UGLY
What to try instead: We get that you don’t want to rot the kid’s brain with too much screen time, but have you never heard of a coloring book? Or a fidget? Or a squishy? Or NeeDoh? Or any of the gazillion other toys invented to keep children from screaming in public?
Related: 5 more idiotic viral travel hacks you shouldn’t try
