Travel has become an exciting part in most of our lives today, be it for business or for leisure. A bit of pre-planning, be it getting the best hotel deals or cashing in on extra travel miles or connecting to free WiFi anywhere, can go a long way in making traveling smooth, fun and memorable.

So what are the travel hacks frequent flyers swear by? Read this post to find out the best kept travel secrets from how to get the cheapest tickets to how to get free WiFi anywhere you go!

1. Clear your computer of cookies

The first rule that all frequent travelers follow is to clear their computers of any cookies before making bookings. Most travel booking sites use cookies to track visitor patterns on a site. A cookie is essentially a set of information about a site which includes user name, date and time of site visit. The travel websites then use the information to increase the prices if you have been running the same searches over a period of time. Hence, ensure that you clear your computer of cookies before making travel bookings.

2. Take the first flight of the day

Seasoned travelers will always tell you that taking the first flight of the day to any travel destination is the best way to ensure that travel plans stay on schedule. More often than not, early morning/morning flights are mostly on schedule and even if there are any delays, it gives you sufficient time to book another flight the same day.

3. Select seats on your flight

To ensure maximum comfort especially on long haul flights, it is best to select your flight seats in advance. Choose the aisle seat for good mobility or the emergency exit seat in case you prefer extra legroom. Many budget carriers however charge you for seat allocation. In case you are on a backpacking trip and do not wish to spend extra, a trick which works many times is to go to the airport ahead of schedule and request the airline staff to give you a seat of your choice.

4. Be ready for security checks

To ensure that you have a smooth experience at the airport, it is important to be ready for security checks. Ensure that any liquid products and your laptop are easily reachable along with your ID card details and boarding pass.

5. Connect to free WiFi

Many leading airports offer free WiFi so that travelers can catch up on news, social media or even make phone calls. Such airport WiFi hotspots often collect email addresses and OTPs from the user. Savvy travelers today however simplify this manual process by using free WiFi apps like WiFire. Here is an interesting post on how to get free WiFi anywhere you go from airports to cafes to restaurants among others in a single tap, without the need to enter OTPs or fill lengthy web forms. Here is an interesting list of restaurants with WiFi that is also available on WiFire.

6. Invest in loyalty programs

When investing in loyalty programs always look at programs that have partnerships or agreements with a wide range of airlines or hotels. Starwood hotel group and the Star Alliance are good examples of such programs. Loyalty plans from such groups easily allow you to accumulate points across a wide range of associated travel brands. In addition, such programs allow travelers to exchange points across different benefits. For example, in case you are running short of 500 points for your free hotel stay, you can use the extra points from your airline program in order to make up for the shortfall.

7. Choose the right hotel

It is essential for travelers to choose a hotel based on their budget and other travel requirements. Even if you are a budget traveler, it is essential to ensure certain key aspects like hotel cleanliness and safety. A good tip to saving money if you are a budget traveler is to avoid all extra services at the hotel, such as laundry and room service. Stepping out to dine will not only save you some money, but it will also help you explore the local culture better. In fact, there are many restaurants with WiFi today and this might be a good opportunity to access free WiFi while you travel.

Have you discovered any other travel hack? Do let us know about it by writing in the comments section below.

WiFire on Android is currently helping scores of travelers hook on to free WiFi wherever they go. Here is how you can get WiFi anywhere on your iPhone, in case you are an iOS user.