Orlando International Airport is not anywhere near as big as some others are. JFK, Miami, Huston and all those airports make Orlando airport look small. But it’s still a major airport, and most of the people coming in are tourist. With the holidays here there are so many traveling at the same time. So it really creates a bottleneck at the check-in counters and luggage pickup.
This is where I find myself getting a bit smug. You see, I’m single, and so most often when I fly it’s by myself. The biggest hassle of flying is your luggage. In fact if not for luggage the whole flying experience would be pretty enjoyable,,,, almost! After a few dozen trips back and forth from Orlando to Vermont where I am from, I have my flying secret down.
What I do is, I NEVER check any bags, ever! Normally because I travel by myself I can take just two carry-ons. But on my last trip I even cut that down. I take my laptop everywhere I go, I must have that with me at all times. That’s really all I want to have on me when I fly. So, the last time I flew up to Vermont I packed all my stuff except for my laptop in a large box and UPS’ed it up!
That way When I left for my trip I just printed out my boarding pass at home and drove to the airport. Then I went straight to the gate. Going through the security line was a breeze, no liquids or anything to have in a plastic bag or anything. Once I was at the gate with plenty of time to spare I bought some drinks and snacks, got a book and waited to board.
The feeling I felt walking pass everyone in line at the luggage check-in was fantastic! Once on the plane I put my single laptop case under the seat. So now I did not even have to fool with those damn overhead compartments! It don’t get any better than that! So if your traveling by yourself, try to at least take everything in two carry-ons.
If you can’t, think about using UPS or FedEx to ship your stuff up in a box, or just wrap clear wrap around your luggage. Even a couple with kids can do that, but of course it cost more. However the piece of mind you get from not worrying about lost luggage or waiting at the check in counter is priceless. So that’s how I travel, stress free with just a laptop!
