Pre-flight countdown

Before your next trip, checkout these expert tips that frequent fliers do prior to their next flight.

• Immediately after purchase: Making sure they register their email address with the airline to be notified of scheduled change. Also register travel information such as passport or known-traveler numbers, if applicable. (Unless their travel agent already provides this service for them).
• Starting 30-days prior to departure: (and a couple of times thereafter prior to departure) – check to see if more preferable seats have become available. Also checking to see if discounted business class upgrades are available.
• One week prior to departure: (If applicable) pre-reserve meals for your flight. Evaluate other paid options. Double checking fligh schedule
• Twenty-four hours prior to departure: Check for schedule changes, evaluate seat placement, and then print boarding passes. Consider pre-paying for checked bags (although most frequent fliers have credit cards which provide complementary luggage).
• Before leaving for the airport: One last check to ensure the flight is scheduled to depart on time. If is far better to learn before you leave the house that you’re flight has been cancelled. However, if it is delayed, it still a good idea to head to the airport because they can always move the time sooner, closer to the scheduled departure time, and you’d be out of luck if you waited for the later time.

Final tip, whenever possible, I highly recommend that you consider the request when checking-in to volunteer to be bumped should the need arise. You can always change your mind between when you volunteer at check-in and when they actually need to bump you. But in many cases you can afford to be on the next flight, and the compensation can be pretty nice.