(CNN) 鈥� Should you haul yourself out of bed in the middle of the night to be on the first flight of the day? Should you pack snacks or rely on airplane food? Who should you turn to if your flight is canceled?
Summer travel always brings highs 鈥� long-awaited vacations and sunshine 鈥� and lows 鈥� busy airports and packed planes. Navigating air travel at this time of year can be fraught, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be 鈥� and if anyone鈥檚 got intel on smoothly and successfully surviving summer travel, it鈥檚 the flight attendants who鈥檝e seen it all.
spoke with married flight attendants Rich Henderson and Andrew Henderson, who鈥檝e worked on major US airlines for roughly 10 and 20 years respectively, to get their take.
Rich and Andrew offer humor and insight into flying on their social media page, . We also chatted with Essence Griffin, who鈥檚 been flying for just over a year on a regional US airline, but has already amassed a whole lot of air travel know-how.
Read on for cabin crew top tips for summer travel.
If you can, travel early in the day
Delays can be hard to avoid in the busy summer months, but traveling first thing in the morning is your best bet for avoiding the ripple effect of a day of cancellations and delays.
Of course, you could still be unlucky and face the aftershocks of the day before. But generally speaking, the airport and airline system resets itself overnight.
鈥淵ou face less delays and less weather if you can get on the first flight of the day versus waiting until late afternoon,鈥� says Andrew.
Griffin echoes this: 鈥淭he earlier on in the day, the less delays you鈥檒l encounter,鈥� she says.
Of course, the downside to this plan is waking up at the crack of dawn. But the flight attendants say the lost sleep is worth it in the long run.
鈥淚 mean, nobody likes a 5 a.m. flight,鈥� says Rich. 鈥淏ut I tell you what, they鈥檙e way easier than the ones later in the day. There鈥檚 just fewer issues, there hasn鈥檛 been a chance for things to go wrong.鈥�
The flight attendants suggest this advice applies to any time of year, but is particularly true in the summer months when volume of people and summer storms make delays more likely.
鈥淭here鈥檚 just going to be delays,鈥� says Griffin of summer travel. 鈥淧eople should expect delays, it鈥檚 really hard to avoid.鈥�
Book off-peak travel days
The majority of passengers want to travel on peak days 鈥� Friday evening, for example, or Monday morning.
As a result, 鈥渢hese are both going to be really busy travel days,鈥� as Andrew puts it.
鈥淪o if you can go on Tuesday, you鈥檙e less likely to encounter as many people or problems that you would if you chose Friday at 5 p.m. when work is letting out,鈥� he says.
Avoid missing your best friend鈥檚 wedding and leave buffer time
Sure, it鈥檚 not always possible if you鈥檙e working with limited vacation days and a busy schedule.
But if you can, leaving a day buffer between your flight鈥檚 arrival and the big event 鈥� whether that鈥檚 a wedding, for example, or a cruise departure 鈥� will ensure delayed flights don鈥檛 wreak havoc on your plans.
鈥淚 see often people are trying to make the most of their time by cutting it really close. And that really just adds so much stress to your travel,鈥� says Rich.
鈥淟eave yourself a buffer if you鈥檝e got to be somewhere 鈥� if you can make it work, go a day early. Because that way you know you just take all the unpredictability out of it, you give yourself time to be delayed and that sort of stuff won鈥檛 stress you out as much.鈥�
Avoid tight connections
鈥淲e always see people running from plane to plane through terminals,鈥� says Rich. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l give themselves a minimum window of connecting time.鈥�
Avoiding being one of these people is wise. It may be the cheapest travel option equals minimal transit time, but Rich says it鈥檚 always worth shelling out more 鈥� or exploring other airline options 鈥� to give yourself more leeway.
Andrew adds that this advice is especially crucial if you鈥檙e flying internationally, suggesting that whatever you consider a 鈥渘ormal鈥� connection time, you should probably double if you鈥檙e flying long haul.
鈥淧articularly if you鈥檙e traveling to Europe from the US, because all of those flights leave in the evening, and the weather has had time to build up,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e see a lot more of those going delayed.鈥�
Read the fine print of your airline booking
Every airline has different policies, so it鈥檚 worth familiarizing yourself with what your chosen airline can and can鈥檛 offer you in the event things don鈥檛 go to plan.
Rich says this is especially important if you鈥檝e booked with a third party booking agent. You might be traveling with multiple different airlines and not even realize it.
Different airlines also offer different amenities, so doing research will avoid disappointment if you assume you鈥檒l be given food and then discover you have to pay for onboard catering.
鈥淏e prepared, always read the fine print, always know what you鈥檙e getting into, who you鈥檙e flying on,鈥� says Rich.
Download all the apps: airline, airport and flight tracker
If you don鈥檛 usually fly with your chosen airline, you might not see the point in clogging up cell phone memory with yet another app.
But for the duration of your journey, this airline app is going to be your new best friend (And of course, as soon as you鈥檙e done traveling, you can delete it).
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have the app, you are definitely flying blind. I would never travel without downloading the app for the airline I鈥檓 flying on,鈥� says Griffin.
鈥淚t鈥檒l tell you when you鈥檙e boarding, if you鈥檙e running late you鈥檒l know if the flight鈥檚 still there, if it got delayed. You鈥檒l see seat changes, gate changes, information about your boarding passes, upgrades鈥︹€�
Rich also suggests downloading the apps for your departure and destination airport, as well as apps that track flight arrivals, like FlightAware.
Sometimes the apps will update before the airport or airplane overhead announcements. And if you鈥檝e already got intel on your cell phone, it avoids you sitting at the gate or on a grounded airplane wondering what鈥檚 going on.
鈥淵ou can see delays coming, you can see where your plane is coming from,鈥� says Rich. 鈥淭hat helps alleviate a lot of the stress for people. Staying informed and staying connected and educating yourself about what鈥檚 happening will definitely help your journey.鈥�
Arrive at the gate early
If your flight is departing at 11 a.m. that doesn鈥檛 mean turning up to the gate at 11 a.m.
Maybe it sounds obvious, but Griffin says she鈥檚 often seen travelers arriving at the gate, takeout coffee in hand, in disbelief that they鈥檝e missed the flight despite having been at the airport for hours.
鈥淯sually boarding starts 30 minutes prior. And most of the time, they want to have that door closed within 10 to 15 minutes before departure,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd once the doors are closed, that鈥檚 it.鈥�
Griffin suggests keeping an eye on the flight time and boarding announcements from the minute you arrive at the airport.
If you鈥檝e got the airline and airport apps, check for updates there. If you can wait near your gate, that avoids you running across the airport. But also keep an eye out for any gate changes in the lead up to boarding.
If your flight is canceled or delayed, avoid the customer service line
When things go wrong, rather than waiting in a line of frustrated passengers, it鈥檚 worth using your cell phone to search options online or to call the airline helplines.
Griffin says she鈥檇 also recommend speaking with the gate agents over the customer service team. They鈥檝e often got intel they can pass on, and can help you resolve numerous situations.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e at your gate and you鈥檙e waiting and there鈥檚 delays, you can always talk to the gate agent right there,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey have the power and knowledge to get you on different flights.鈥�
Pack snacks
Relying on eating breakfast, lunch or dinner on your flight can lead to disappointment and 鈥渉anger.鈥� While you hope everything goes smoothly, there鈥檚 always the chance the flight might take off late or culinary offerings might be minimal.
鈥淒on鈥檛 rely on the airline as your primary source of food,鈥� advises Rich. 鈥淚f you can bring granola bars and different packable foods like that, or get food in the airport? I say definitely do it. And then if there is food available on the plane, that鈥檚 kind of just a bonus.鈥�
And while airlines should take into account your dietary requirements if they鈥檙e detailed on your booking, there鈥檚 always a chance information will get lost along the way and your meal won鈥檛 end up on the flight.
鈥淏ring something for you so that you鈥檙e not relying on the airline to meet those needs. Because they don鈥檛 always, unfortunately,鈥� says Rich.
鈥淵ou may have a perfect experience where you get all your food and all your amenities and needs are met 鈥� but you鈥檙e going to be a lot happier on your journey if you are prepared for all the things that could go awry during your journey.鈥�
Griffin also advises packing a reusable water bottle in your carry-on. Most airports are now kitted out with water fountains so you can refill it once you鈥檙e through security.
Dress for the journey, not the destination
This is one of Andrew鈥檚 go-to pieces of advice.
It might be tempting to embrace the vibes of your summer vacation destination and board the airline wearing shorts, flip-flops and a sunhat.
But the airplane cabin is its own ecosystem and whether it鈥檚 hot or cold outside will have little impact on the inflight temperature.
As well as being comfortable, you also want to allow for any eventualities. If your flight ends up getting canceled or delayed overnight, you might have to disembark and reboard.
So save those vacation-ready items for your arrival, and also bring layers you can easily pull on or take off during the flight.
Consider whether check-in luggage is necessary
As frequent flyers, most flight attendants are committed to the carry-on only lifestyle. Andrew and Rich are no different.
鈥淚 can say for sure we have not checked a bag since we鈥檝e been together 鈥� and we are coming up on nine years being together,鈥� says Rich.
鈥淚f you can鈥檛 pack it all in a small bag, then you鈥檙e probably packing wrong 鈥� just because I feel like people overpack so much for these trips sometimes.鈥�
Griffin is also a carry-on only convert.
鈥淚f you can, just do carry on. Don鈥檛 check your bag,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here are a lot of bags lost 鈥� it鈥檚 just easy for them to misplace your bag.鈥�
But it鈥檚 not just the risk of your checked in luggage getting waylaid 鈥� when packing, Rich says you should think about the whole journey.
Sure, your large bag might arrive at your destination with you, drama-free, but you might find yourself regretting your choices when you鈥檙e navigating a new place, weighed down by oversized luggage.
鈥淵ou get to these older cities in Europe and there鈥檚 stairs everywhere and there鈥檚 hills, and now you鈥檝e got three suitcases and you鈥檙e fumbling on public transportation and trying to find your way,鈥� he says.
鈥淟ess is definitely more 鈥� pack things that are multipurpose, pack things you can dress up, things you can dress down, pack shoes that you could pair with multiple different outfits.鈥�
On the flip side, Andrew points out that some travelers find hauling two overstuffed cabin bags around an airport exhausting. If that鈥檚 going to be tough for you 鈥渄efinitely check your bag in advance. Just walk in with a backpack, save yourself the time and hassle of trying to figure out what to do with all that stuff,鈥� he says.
As they never check bags, Griffin, Andrew and Rich haven鈥檛 experimented with air tags or other luggage trackers.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 used them before,鈥� says Griffin. 鈥淏ut I would start if I had to check bags, because I鈥檝e had family members, their bags have just got lost.鈥�
Pack your carry-on carefully
Whether you鈥檝e checked in luggage or not, Griffin advises thinking carefully about what you put in your carry on.
An easily accessible change of clothes and some toiletries means you won鈥檛 get caught out if your check-in bag gets lost, or if your flight is delayed overnight and you suddenly have to deplane and spend a night at an airport hotel.
Rich agrees with this advice. Hopefully, he says, you won鈥檛 need the spare t-shirt and pants.
鈥淏ut you鈥檙e going to be happier erring on the side of caution.鈥�
Even if your airline allows you to bring two pieces of carry-on, it鈥檚 worth remembering the smallest one that fits under the seat in front of you is the only one you鈥檙e really guaranteed 鈥� so make sure that bag鈥檚 kitted out accordingly.
鈥淚f you have an important medicine or documents or things like that, just put it in your purse or your bookbag,鈥� says Griffin.
Charge your devices and download your entertainment in advance
Download movies to your cell phone or tablet in advance, bring portable chargers and prepare to entertain yourself.
鈥淵es, airplanes have Wi-Fi, we have screens, we have chargers now. But you have to plan for all that to be broken and you have to plan to be sitting in an airport for hours,鈥� says Andrew.
Griffin agrees.
鈥淪ometimes the screen in front of you may not work and it just kind of sucks as a passenger, if you have nothing to watch or read or listen to,鈥� she says.
鈥淪o go ahead, download that audio book or go ahead and download the Netflix movie you want to see, because there鈥檚 a chance your screen may not work, or the Wi-Fi is weird on the plane.鈥�
If you鈥檙e flying with kids, make sure you鈥檝e also got entertainment on hand for them 鈥� whether it鈥檚 their favorite TV show downloaded and ready to play, or their favorite toys to comfort them.
And don鈥檛 feel bad if you鈥檙e traveling with young children and they鈥檙e crying, or can鈥檛 settle.
鈥淚 get so many moms on planes apologizing constantly,鈥� says Griffin. 鈥淚鈥檓 just like, 鈥業t鈥檚 okay, you have a child. They鈥檙e going to cry.鈥欌€�
Most flight attendants, she adds, are happy to help out too 鈥� they鈥檒l do what they can to help you get your child settled.
If you want to guarantee you can sit with your traveling partner, pay up or check in early
If you choose the lowest air fare, there鈥檚 usually no guarantee you鈥檒l end up seated with the family or friends you鈥檙e traveling with.
To avoid any onboard stress, Andrew says you should 鈥減ay for what you want.鈥�
But on some airlines, checking in early allows you to pick your seat, free of charge. Griffin says this is another reason why downloading the airline app is a good shout 鈥� you鈥檒l likely get a push notification when check-in opens. Then, you can be among the first to secure your seat and make sure you鈥檙e next to loved ones.
Looking into seating options in advance is key because if you鈥檙e hoping cabin crew can do some maneuvering once you鈥檙e on board, you might end up disappointed.
鈥淔light attendants are going to do the best they can. But a lot of times we鈥檙e on full flights and time crunches and we don鈥檛 have the ability to assist,鈥� says Andrew. 鈥淎nd if people aren鈥檛 willing to give up to move their seats, there鈥檚 not a lot we can do to force people to move.鈥�
Rather than asking flight attendants to intervene, Rich says passengers should ask other passengers if they would mind moving. Then, make the flight attendants aware of what鈥檚 gone down.
鈥淲e鈥檙e usually willing to comp that person鈥檚 drinks to say thank you for what they did,鈥� he says.
If you are delayed and have a connecting flight, let the cabin crew know
If a flight is delayed, the cabin crew will usually make an announcement asking those with connecting flights to make themselves known. Then, flight attendants will aim to get those passengers off first.
If you鈥檙e not in a rush, be prepared to sit back for a moment or two and let those on a deadline deplane before you.
As Griffin says, 鈥渆veryone just wants to get off.鈥� But for those trying to make a connection, every minute counts.
鈥淲hen there鈥檚 a lot of people that are trying to get somewhere, it really is a nice thing to just stay seated and let those people who are in a rush to get up first,鈥� she says.
Flight attendants are on your side
Cabin crew want flights to leave on time and want the travel process to be as smooth as possible.
Flight attendant shifts often technically don鈥檛 start - and therefore they鈥檙e not paid - until the airplane doors close and boarding鈥檚 complete. It鈥檚 not in their interest to spend hours sitting on Tarmac.
While it might sometimes feel that way to passengers, Andrew, Rich and Griffin insist flight attendants aren鈥檛 usually hiding information on delays or disruptions from travelers.
Often flight attendants are just as clueless as passengers. In fact, travelers tracking flight updates via airline or airport apps might sometimes have more information than flight crew.
鈥淥ftentimes, we鈥檙e in the same boat, we鈥檙e just as frustrated, and we want to make this as comfortable for you as we can,鈥� says Rich.
Travel with kindness
In just over a year of flying, Griffin has her fair share of angry passengers. But she always tries to remember that not all travelers are vacationers 鈥� sometimes people are sometimes flying under very trying circumstances.
鈥淚 just try not to take things personal when people are upset,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut it does help when people are kind. Because it鈥檚 exhausting. Being a flight attendant is a great experience, you get to travel to a lot of places. But it鈥檚 very glamorized. And it鈥檚 a lot more exhausting than people think.鈥�
Griffin鈥檚 currently on a break from flying, 鈥渏ust because of the craziness.鈥�
But while she鈥檚 currently feeling 鈥渂urnt out,鈥� Griffin says flying 鈥渋s something that I would definitely come back to in the future.鈥�
Andew and Rich, who鈥檝e both been working on airplanes for years, say that they鈥檝e noticed travelers with shorter fuses in recent years, especially since air travel returned in the wake of the pandemic.
But interestingly, they鈥檝e also noticed more kind gestures and moments of understanding and connection between passengers and cabin crew in recent times. It makes a huge difference, and they鈥檙e big proponents of traveling with kindness.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the nicer people are getting nicer, and then the rude people are getting more rude,鈥� says Rich. 鈥淭here鈥檚 people who have so much compassion now and who are going out of their way to say, 鈥楾hank you for getting us here. Thank you for keeping us safe.鈥欌€�
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