Airport Blackout Preparedness Tips

With the Christmas travel season around the corner, airports will be filled with families trying to visit relatives, and business travelers trying to get home. During this time, you may experience chaos and delay.
You walk up to the kiosk to get your boarding pass and punch the screen with no response. In fact, no one is moving. The power's out.
Like all experiences, there are lessons to be learned:
1. Carry a paper printout of your travel reservations. Because the computer systems were down, the airlines had no way of substantiating that you even had a reservation unless you had some kind of paper documentation with a reservation number on it. Even though you may be automatically booked on a later flight, you must show the printout to get your boarding pass. Save all my travel documents so it is easy to grab itineraries and related documents.
2. Travel with cash. Since cash machines and credit cards require electricity, your ability to buy food is directly related to the amount of cash you have available.
3. Keep your cell phone charged and a calling card handy. Despite sketchy service, without a battery you have no chance at all. Payphones worked intermittently, but many people scramble to borrow change to pay for the calls instead of when they had the chance.
4. Carry a flashlight.
5. Pack some protein. The day before stop in a nutrition store. I bought a whole box of protein bars if you have to.
6. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Keep in mind that temperatures vary widely - the airport is incredibly hot, but the airplane feels like a meat locker.
7. Carry wet wipes.
8. Keep physically fit. You will send a big "Thank You!" to your trainer every time you climbed the 2-story long escalator carrying your luggage. Passengers with checked luggage have to tote their own bags since luggage belts don’t function without the electricity.
9. Take an extra battery for your laptop. In spite of the chaos, you can manage to get some work done.
10. Carry a good book.
11. Be gracious. “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Getting upset doesn't solve any problems, and it always creates one more.
12. When you think you've got problems, look around. Other travelers are sick, elderly, physically or mentally handicapped, or traveling with children.