Travel Guide for the Curvy Girl

There are many things that people do at the airport that honestly make me ask “why?” From full arguments to undressing in the middle of the airport I have questioned a lot of what I have seen. And as the days get longer, with the lines and the delays, there are a few things we should avoid while traveling. Here is a list of don’t’s that I have noticed since traveling.

1. DO NOT ARGUE WITH TSA!! I can not begin to explain how quickly this can go wrong. And I am not saying they are always right but it will cost you more in the long run if you start an argument with them. Oh and if they want to pat you down let them do it in front of everyone. Safety for you and for them.

2. If it is sharp LEAVE IT HOME!! I don’t care if it is a baby fingernail clipper, the last thing you want is your unmentionables all over the scanning belt because TSA has to figure out what the little thing in the bottom of your bag is. I promise its not worth it in the end.

3. So they said no liquids right? THEY MEAN THAT! Don’t get mad when they tell you to pour out that $7 drink you just bought. Starbucks, pour it out. Coke, pour it out. Water bottle….POUR IT OUT! Don’t argue just pour it out.

4. TAKE THE FOOD OUT OF YOUR BAG! They probably won’t make you throw it away but it saves time if you take it out instead of having them either go through all your stuff to find the food and putting your bags back through the machine again to search for whatever that square is that they can’t seem to figure out. I have seen frozen fish, foreign foods, spices and yogurt pulled out if bags to be searched and researched all because the person didn’t just pull it out BEFORE it went through screening.

5. I get it…….your jewelry looks nice but here’s the thing…..IT’S FAKE! Put it in the scanner and move on. Nothing more aggravating then the person in front of you going back and forth through the metal detector just because they are refusing to remove their $3 earrings or their gold chain that for some reason the metal detector is detecting its not gold. It is not the worst thing in the world to put it in the scanner and honestly no one cares. Just take it off and move on!

6. Last but not in the least bit least…….Do not wait until you get to the TSA Screener to pull out your passport/identification and plane ticket. You literally see what is happening before you. There is no reason for you to wait until the last second to do this. More than likely the line is already long. We are all waiting. You have time. GET IT OUT ASAP!!

So for those of you 5’7 and taller this section is for you. It doesn’t really matter what airlines you fly none of them have legroom like that unless you flying first class, emergency exit row, Jet Blue, KLM or United.

As I’m sure you all know first class is just that. First boarding, seated in the front of the plane, comfortable seats, the blanket if you get cold, a pillow to take a nap, great snacks and last but surely not least the legroom of a life time. I looked at the seats in the first class cabin and for every row of three seat for the main cabin there are only two seats for the same amount of space. On to the emergency exit row….

Emergency exit row is always by the wings and/or the hatch to a door that in the event of an emergency there’s more than one way out. Yes of course I know I didn’t have to explain that but that’s for the people in the back who didn’t know. This row is for the folks who don’t mind saying they are willing to be of some help during an emergency event. Not saying they will or they won’t I just have my doubts. Anyway there is no extra comfortable seats, no blanket or pillow and the snacks are the same as the main cabin and you are usually in the main cabin. Now the leg room is usually about the same as first class just without the bells and whistles. 

I can attest to the leg room on Jet Blue and United. Jet Blue has amazing legroom on every aisle regardless if you are by the window, in the middle or on the aisle seat. I am 5’9 and it was such a shock to be in the back of the plane and was able to stretch out, not to mention I had the row to myself! My United flight with the legroom was an international flight from Brussels. I was about six rows from the back and the legroom was very good.

The unpredictable but very inconvenient flight delays. Sometimes it’s mechanical, weather related or human error but whatever the case is it is mad annoying. You wake up two hours early and you still rush to the airport. You finally get all your stuff back in your bag from TSA only to get to the boarding gate and board the plane for them to deboard you and say “sorry there’s a delay”!

The worst part to me is that the only person who really knows what’s going on is the captain of the plane but he is rarely the person explaining what the problem is. “We are so sorry for the inconvenience that this delay is causing. When we get any new information we will tell you.” The sad part is they never really come back with any better information. It all sounds like excuses until the captain says “Folks we’re very sorry for the inconvenience. The reason for the delay is…….”

Now here is the good part! There are many times when the words “VOUCHER” will be said. When you hear this don’t run to the first offer. I promise you there will be a second and probably a third if it’s a popular flight. Vouchers can start as low as $100 and can go waaaayyy up! Patience is always your friend when the airlines starts speaking about vouchers. First figure out if it’s convenient for you to be delayed. Some delays are a few hours and some can be a day or two. It really depends on the destination. After that, you have to decide what dollar amount is going to be your asking amount. Like I said they can get up there. I have seen some go up to $800, $1200 even up to $2400. Keep in mind the destination and the location matters when waiting for the price of a voucher to go up. Again the key here is patience!! 💰

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton