You need a travel Plan B
My time in the military molded me into someone who always anticipates alternatives in potentially stressful situations. It鈥檚 something we commonly referred to as having a 鈥減lan B.鈥�
I find this quality particularly helpful now that I鈥檓 a financial planner. I advise people whose lives might not follow the financial plan we鈥檝e designed. They often need a plan B.
Another part of my role as an advisor that requires plenty of plan B鈥檚 is my frequent travel. I fly or take trains all over the country to meet with my clients. As you can imagine, things come up:聽illness, flight delays or cancellations, and lost bags, to name a few.聽Again, you need a plan B.
Based on my years in the military, my travel experience and my penchant for having a backup plan, here are some ways聽to ensure that聽your pricey vacation isn鈥檛 ruined by foiled travel plans:
- Know the 800 number.聽Use it to rebook if聽the flight or other transit you plan to take聽is delayed significantly or canceled. You can also find alternative flights and nearby airports online.
- Be a frequent flier.聽Frequent flier status can help in many聽situations, especially once you鈥檝e accumulated聽miles. Keep enough on hand to buy a ticket 鈥� this is usually about 50,000 for domestic flights 鈥� in case聽you have to change your plans or travel at the last minute.聽Amtrak also offers a frequent traveler program that can help you amass points for the day when you have to buy a high-priced, last-minute ticket.
- Make copies of identification documents. This includes your passport, driver鈥檚 license, credit cards, Social Security card, known traveler card and any other documents that could be useful in a pinch. Save them as pictures on your smartphone and in a folder in the cloud that you can access from someone else鈥檚 computer, if needed.
- Take聽a screenshot of your boarding pass on your phone.聽You never know when the app or email you use to board will fail to work.
- Research potential travel troubles.聽Sites such as flyertalk.com and tripadvisor.com offer lots of advice聽about what to do in chaotic or risky situations. You can also get input from friends who travel often on how they plan ahead for potential disruptions.
Financial plan B鈥檚
When considering the bigger picture of your financial security, it鈥檚 even more critical to adapt to whatever life brings. Working with a financial planner can help you find the best alternatives聽for you and your family when things don鈥檛 go as planned.
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