I have recently survived a six-hour stop over in Vancouver airport well I awaited my connecting Air Canada flight home to Toronto.   Flying as a student who was taking full advantage of the bargain rates aero plan offers to members my flight booking strategy had everything to do with the words cheap, discount, and promotion.   As you may have guessed this leaves very little room to consider things like comfort, speed, and luxury.  My epic stopover fell at the end of my 26-hour flight home from Sydney Australia, on the tail end of two sleepless days.

 Leaving home with my head full of surfing plans, and promises of kangaroo’s a solid stop over survival plan was the last thing on my mind.  Then I was merely a starry-eyed economy style backpacker, now I consider myself to be somewhat of a stop over black belt.  Time zones, schedule up dates, departure times running across monitors, flight news up-dates over loud speakers, accents, travel documents, all potential distractions and dangers for the stop over novice. With my help and training you too could become an airport ninja and survive even the most treacherous of stopovers.  Don’t let articles and reports on beautiful airport expansions fool you . . . it’s a jungle out there! 

Making the first “yellow belt” step towards becoming a member of the league of Airport ninjas is to learn the basic code of conduct.

Preparation is Key, a True Flight Ninja is Always Prepared

Take the time to make a list of everything you may need to spend time in an airport, you’ll be awaiting flights, you’ll need easy access to all your travel documents, forgetting essentials well lead to unplanned spending and cause you to lose value “cheapness” badges of honor.  Nothing in an airport sells at bargain rates, except maybe stand by tickets.

Know Your Stop

A well-trained ninja is prepared for a battle before it even begins.  A Canadian Traveling Domestically in Canada won’t have cultural difference to consider well stopped over in Halifax.   Consider language barriers when traveling internationally you may want to bring something to read in a language you understand.  Stopping in Quebec maybe it’s best to learn to ask for the rest room in French prior to your trip.

One-hour stopovers call for speed, efficiency, and a sharper sense of direction.  Longer stopovers require patients and ways to occupy the crafty ninja mind.  Stop over with Swiss chocolate require a master ninjas self control.  A true ninja must prepare for each journey on an individual basis.

With determination and practice your ninja skills could advance to a level that allows you to fly both domestically and international at dirt-cheap rates, on promotions that evolve endless stopovers.  May your tickets be many but your airfare be low and your bargain journey be economy adventure with first class experiences.