Broken headphones on your flight? We've got a fix. Photo / Danel McCullogh, Unsplash
Broken headphones on your flight? We've got a fix. Photo / Danel McCullogh, Unsplash
As a traveller you often find yourself having to adapt to new challengers in an unfamiliar setting.
However, after a pandemic pause, we might be a little rusty. Some of the common problems experienced at airports and hotels are back with a vengeance. Broken headphones and lamentable WiFi return likethe trials of Sisyphus.
The MacGyver of travel hacks Mark Saltzman recently revealed five tech related travel problems that will save you both time and money.
Talking to USA Today he has brought some new solutions to old problems.
Taking screengrabs on your phone of boarding passes can be a space and time saver. Increasingly air carriers are accepting tickets on phone screens for check in and boarding, rather than print outs.
Your camera roll is a great place to store these, rather than scrolling through your emails on patchy roaming internet.
"Take a screengrab of your boarding pass on your phone to create an offline version, in case the Internet connection isn't good at the airport you won't hold everyone up behind you," he said.
Similarly photos of your airport parking and andy travel itineraries, can help you can easily store travel info and share details should anything go awry.
Big picture: The TV in your room may have more uses than just playing films. Photo / Thom Milkovic, Unsplash
Use TV USB chargers to keep devices topped up
Travel adapters are another bulky item often left behind at hotels.
If you've lost your plug, or simply not bothered to pack one for your destination, there's often a USB port somewhere in your hotel room - it's in the TV.
"If you left home without your smartphone plug but you still have the cable, plug it into the hotel room's television and it will charge up your device.
A common charging source for phones, tablets and cameras, it can be a lifesaver.
WiFi hunting at higher ground
Looking for a reliable source of internet can feel like a scavenger hunt.
Saltzman has one tip for those looking for a network: head to higher ground.
The signal can sometimes be better, and the competition for shared networks (and seating) lower.
"Most people don't think to go to the second floor – sometimes referred to as a mezzanine – to find plenty of seating, quiet, and AC plugs, too," he says.
Perfect for anyone who has to get work done on the go.
For someone as tech reliant as Saltzman, being without juice for his mobile phone is a catastrophe. Flights can be a vital chance to top up cell-phone batteries.
However if you're on a short hop he advises using the AC plugs rather than lower-powered USBs.
"If you're on an airplane or at an airport that has an option to charge your phone or tablet via USB port or AC plug, always use your AC plug (if you have it) as it can charge your device two to three times faster than USB."
Phones and e-readers are constantly hungry for power, and require knowing where to find a charge. However there's a failsafe boredom buster that is a great backup:
