Travel season is here: 7 tips and tricks from a tech and travel pro

I've been to 32 different countries and let me tell you, traveling can be stressful. But a little knowledge and planning can make your getaway more relaxing than worrying.

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Stick to sites you know and trust

I AM A TECHNICAL EXPERT AND YOU NEED TO MAKE THESE TECHNICAL CHANGES NOW, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

Criminals are great at creating fake travel apps and sites to scam, and AI tools make it even easier to create them. Fortunately, there are signs to pay attention to that can help you avoid them.

Check the official resources: The Better Business Bureau can be a great help in determining if a business is legitimate. The agency lists real companies; If you can't find who you're working with, it's best to run away.
Online Reviews and Ratings: Read online reviews and ratings on sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, or Google. Incredibly positive and negative reviews. could be false. Look for a balance of consistent reviews and themes.
Accreditation and licensing: Many legitimate travel agencies are members of recognized industry organizations such as the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) or have IATA (International Air Transport Association) accreditation. Verify the credentials on your site.
Transparent prices: Legitimate sites are clear and upfront about all costs. Be wary of sites that have hidden fees or don't clearly explain costs.
Secure payment options: Reputable travel sites offer safe and popular payment options. Be wary of sites that only allow bank transfers or money orders.

Speaking of which, I recently took a fantastic trip to Japan. Check out my travel tips on YouTube. You'll definitely want to put this on your wish list!

Keep track of your bag

Lost luggage can ruin your trip. Many major airlines (including United, American, Delta, and Air New Zealand) allow you to track your luggage in real time through the airline's official app, so download it before you hit the road.

Travelers with luggage use smartphones while waiting in line to board at an airport. (iStock)

Pro Tip: Searching app stores can lead you to imitators. Go to your airline's official website and look for a link to the app in the header or footer.

I throw an Apple AirTag in my checked luggage for added peace of mind.

Apple AirTags are ideal for an iPhone, Mac or iPad.
The Tile Essentials 4-pack comes with several labels for your keys, wallet, luggage, or anything else you want to try. Good option for Android.

Set your Gmail and Drive to offline mode.

Sometimes the connection is so bad that you can't even load your inbox. Luckily, you can still get all your responses queued if you plan for it.

In Gmail on your desktop:

Hit the configuration gear > See all settings.
Choose the Disconnected tab, then check the box next to Enable offline mail.
From here, choose how many days of messages you want to sync.
Click Save Changes.

FIX AUTOCORRECT IF IT'S DRIVING YOU CRAZY

Now, do the same with your most used documents in Google Drive. You must do this for each document, so be sure to do it in advance.

First, enable the setting:

Open Google Drive.
At the top right, click configuration gear > Settings.
Fold in Disconnected.

Depending on your storage, recent files will be automatically saved offline. To manually select files:

On the file you want to use, press Archive > Make available offline.

Score, Wi-Fi on board! Before you start browsing…

Most of us see a network name that looks right and click on it without giving it much thought. That's what hackers rely on! Criminals can create fake Wi-Fi networks with almost identical names to those of the airline. If you're not careful, you could connect to a copycat network instead of a legitimate one.

If several options seem similar, ask an airline staff member which network is correct. Hey, you might even get an on-air PSA if you spot a fake.

A Wi-Fi signal on a Delta Air Lines plane

An illuminated Wi-Fi and fasten seat belt sign on a Delta Air Lines aircraft at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in Morrisville, North Carolina, U.S., on Thursday, January 20, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Oh, and turn on a VPN

Typically, what you do on the Internet is open to anyone with the right knowledge. A VPN (virtual private network) encrypts your data and acts as a shield from prying eyes. VPNs aren't as reliable over the air, but they're still worth activating.

No optional if you visit any site that contains important and identifiable financial or other information.

Double-check your AirDrop settings

I once had a strange photo sent to my phone at the airport. I looked around and saw the teenagers laughing. Yes, it was fun, but not all jokes are innocent.

Keyloggers keep track of everything you type, and criminals love to transmit them using Apple's AirDrop feature. Do not accept falls from strangers during the flight.

On your iPhone:

Gonna Settings > General > Airdrop.

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You can set your phone to reject all AirDrop requests, allow them only to contacts, or allow them to everyone. (That last one isn't the best idea for traveling.)

On a Mac:

Click Control center in the menu bar (it is the icon with two toggles).
Click Airdrop. From here, you can turn it on or off and choose who can send items.

Your phone is worth a lot

It is much more valuable than simply the amount someone could sell it for. (Although it's a pretty attractive amount if you have a newer phone.) Think about all the accounts connected to it: your bank and other financial apps, your email inbox, and the private text messages containing who knows what.

When you are in public, protect your PIN. If you really need to open your phone in front of other people, use Face ID or your fingerprint.
Don't use an easy PIN either. Nothing four digits! Make it as long as you can remember.
If you don't want to use Face ID, use a password with numbers and letters if your phone allows it.