How to Facebook and Tweet Your Way to a Better Trip: The Smart Traveler's Guide to Social Media

In the July 2014 issue of Travel + Leisure, I interviewed experts on how to maximize social media before, during, and after your trip.

One of my favorite tips came from Southwest's Rob Hahn, the airline's team leader for Customer Advocacy and Social Media: "Reaching out through more than one channel will multiply our efforts to assist that customer, and can inadvertently slow things down." 

Apparently it sometimes doesn't pay to be the squeaky wheel. Who knew?
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How To Beat Jet Lag, or At Least Try To

Travel Tips for the Holidays

I know, it's not even Halloween yet and people are already thinking about the winter holidays. In this Bankrate.com piece by Dana Dratch ("9 Ways to Manage Holiday Spending"), I shared some tried-and-true travel advice.

My biggest tip would be to cough up the extra money to fly nonstop. Blizzards have a funny way of occurring the busiest travel season of the year, and you don't want to deal with the extra stress of missed connections.

As for being flexible on travel dates, I've flown on Thanksgiving Day, when the airports were empty and the TSA agents were super-friendly. Upon seeing my slice of chocolate bourbon pecan pie that I was going to hand-carry onto the plane, the TSA agent joked, "No mashed potatoes?" A jovial TSA agent, imagine that.

Photo Caption: Last year's Snowtober, when it snowed in New York City a few days before Halloween
Photo by Amy Chen