Traveling for the holidays can bring up a lot of stressful feelings. But even though things can get a little taxing toward the end of the year, there’s one tip you can incorporate into your “airport routine” to make your travel experience a little more enjoyable.
Samantha Brown, who has been a television travel host for over 25 years (you may know her from hosting Travel Channel shows like Great Hotels and Passport to Europe), recently posted a video on Instagram about an incredibly helpful and thoughtful tip: “Here is my best travel hack on how you can make the airport a wonderful place; a great experience.”
“Okay, you know how I say, ‘Always confirm your gate before you do anything else?’ (i.e., you go to the restroom, get a cup of coffee, or that kind of thing).”
“So, you’re at your gate. Right now, take a look around. Is there a person who’s in a wheelchair that’s all alone? They can’t go anywhere. Maybe there’s a single caregiver whose hands are full with kids or an aging parent. Go up to them and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to get a cup of coffee, would you like one? Or can I get you anything? Can I get ya a bottle of water, a snack?'”
“It’s my privilege; of course, I don’t charge — and it’s just a nice thing to do. As we’re all talking about how we can make the world a kinder place, this is just one way to do it.”
After when Samantha posted this video, not only did people love this idea, but someone who uses a wheelchair confirmed this tip could be helpful for those who need assistance.
A person with kids also confirmed this as well.
And finally, another person from the loved one’s point of view provided their thoughts.
People also provided alternative, non-financial ways to show kindness to others in the airport.
For instance, this person said to ask if a wheelchair user needs to go to the bathroom.
Then someone provided an example of how they helped someone who just broke their foot.
Someone else said you can also ask the ticket agents if they need anything if they can’t leave their post.
However, another user said it would be great for airports to hire teams to provide assistance as well.
At the end of the day, it’s nice to hear all the ways we can be kinder to strangers.
So, do you have any kind travel gestures that may help others? Tell us what they are and why they work in the comments below.
