Going home for Christmas? Or jetting off to escape the chaos?
Either way, travelling during the festive period can bring out the ‘bah humbug’ in us all; whether it’s struggling through busy airports, or the anxiety of making it to the Christmas table before distant relatives steal all the roast spuds. But spare a thought for the airline stewards, hotel receptionists, taxi drivers and the thousands of other travel industry workers who’ll be spending the holidays making sure you have a merry journey.
Supress your inner Scrooge this Noël on the road with these 13 tips on how to be a Christmas travel hero:
1. Lend a hand at the self-check in kiosk
Congratulations, you’re all organised, printed off your boarding pass at home and left your bags at the check-in desk with an efficiency that puts Santa’s present drop to shame. But you spot someone struggling at the self-check-in kiosk. Between the passport scanner and the infuriatingly misaligned touchscreen keyboard, self-check-ins can be a pretty stressful start to festive travel plans. Give them five minutes of your time and help get them on their way. This small act of kindness is bound to get you a spot on the nice list.
2. Have a laugh with security
Spending all day telling people to check their pockets for change and remove belts must get pretty repetitive, especially at Christmas when you’d probably rather be sitting in front of the TV watching a soppy movie with a mince pie. Put a smile on the face of airport security staff with a timeless cracker joke, for example: How do snowmen get around? Riding an icicle. If stand-up’s not your thing then just follow simple instructions and don’t go through the scanner with your mobile phone in your pocket. Security staff won’t feel like they’re wasting their breath and you’ll get through to all that Duty Free last-minute Christmas shopping a lot quicker.
More: 10 things never to do at the airport
3. Don’t be a gate lurker
We all know the type: looking shifty at the gate, ready to pounce as soon as the flight opens, regardless of whether or not your row is actually boarding. Make yours a cool Yule and chill out. Crowding the gate can slow down the boarding process for everyone else. Go for a gingerbread latte, sit and listen to some Bing Crosby, and when you’re flight is called wait your turn to queue for boarding. You’ll have a much merrier time and your fellow flyers will thank you for it.
Read more: 6 of the most annoying plane passengers and how to beat them
4. Keep your shoes on
You wouldn’t get on a bus, take your shoes off and start walking around – well we hope not – so, for the sake of fellow passengers keep your piggies tucked away inside your shoes. If you’re worried about cabin pressure or swelling then make sure you travel in comfortable shoes, get up and walk around the cabin, and leave the stilettos for rocking around the Christmas tree.
5. Help people get their luggage off the carousel
You’ve jostled your way to the front of the baggage carousel and managed to haul your Santa sack off the conveyor belt. Then you spot someone struggling with theirs; show goodwill to all men and help them safely retrieve their luggage. It’s a great way to make festive friends and guaranteed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, without getting too merry on glühwein.
6. Buy a teddy bear
They’re not just for Christmas, but it is the perfect time of year to buy something cute and fluffy from Duty Free. Pick up one of the airline mascots as a gift for that special someone, make them your own travel buddy, or, best of all, give it to that crying child kicking your seat on board. It’ll cheer them up and give you a break from their annoying bleating. Everyone wins.
7. Don’t order a diet coke on the plane
Well of course you can, but actually, pouring any fizzy drink is tricky at altitude. Increased cabin pressure plays havoc with the bubbles and apparently a flight attendant could serve three other passengers in the time it takes to give you your carbonated caffeine fix. So be considerate of your follower travellers’ hydration levels and order refreshments with this in mind.
Read more: The Secret Pilot – 21 air travel truths revealed
8. Swap seats so groups can stay together
No one wants to be alone at this time of year. Help keep the Christmas spirit alive by offering your seat to parties of travellers who have been separated by the Grinch that is automated seat selection. This way friends and families can enjoy an inflight festive movie together, and you might even get a cheeky upgrade for your kindness.
9. Don’t rush to get off the aircraft
You may be excited to disembark and rush straight in to the arms of loved ones at the arrivals gate, but pushing to get off first won’t get you very far and irritates other passengers. Similarly, removing your luggage from the overhead compartments before the seatbelt sign has been switched off is only going to result in public humiliation when the cabin crew reprimand you, that or you’ll end up hitting someone on the head. Avoid injury and a shaming by waiting your turn.
10. Tip the taxi driver
You’ve landed, disembarked the plane in an orderly fashion, smiling at the flight attendants on your way, collected your luggage and now you’re speeding along in a taxi to spend Yule with your loved ones. Don’t forget to tip your friendly cabbie when you finally arrive. It can be lonely on the road at Christmas, so even if he gets lost or insists on using Google Maps to get you there, do like the Three Kings and leave him some gold to get his Christmas off to a cracking start.
Read more: A guide to tipping etiquette around the world
11. Learn a few local phrases from the hotel staff
Exploring distant lands this festive season? Learn a bit of the lingo from the hotel staff. Not only will this help you communicate all your Noël needs with them, but you’ll be able to wish them a merry Christmas in the local language, a friendly festive touch that will make staff feel appreciated and help you understand the local culture a bit better. Find the perfect hotel for the holidays with Skyscanner Hotels.
12. Leave your hotel room as you found it
Unless you’re a Rolling Stone, you have no right to leave your hotel room looking like Santa’s ransacked grotto. We’re not talking about giving it a deep-clean before you leave, but it wouldn’t hurt to make the bed or make sure the bathroom’s not too grimy before you check out. Think about the smile on your room attendant’s face when they open the door to find a thank you note on the dresser rather than just your room service leftovers from the night before.
13. Compliment the hotel chef
Leaving the hard work, and endless washing up, of Christmas lunch to someone else this year? Stuff your face with turkey and all the trimmings, but remember to say thank you to the chef who slaved over your dinner. Passing on compliments to the chef will make his Christmas Day, and may just get you some leftovers to take home for Boxing Day sarnies.
Do you have your own Christmas hero? From flight crew to hotel waiters, nominate the person who makes the travel experience exceptional for you and they could win the trip of a lifetime! For more details on how to enter, click here.
If you enjoyed reading this, hopefully you’ll like these:
10 tips for stress-free Christmas travel
10 best xmas presents to buy at the airport – and how to bag a bargain
