Everyone who is anyone enjoys flying in style and with ease, which is why so many of us say a firm, ‘No thank you!’ to horrendously early morning flights. Nobody likes dragging themselves out of bed and battling pre-dawn transport to get to the airport.

However, we might just be prepared to sacrifice our beauty sleep after uncovering this top travel hack from a flight attendant, which makes a very good case for booking an early flight time on holiday. 

After all, with so many gorgeous places to visit, from strolling the streets of Paris to cycling around the canals of Amsterdam, anything we can do to make our trips run as smoothly as possible is absolutely ‘need to know’ level stuff.

And although we’re already a deft hand at organising our annual leave days to score 18 days off in a row and a pro at selecting the best sun and UV protection products for our beauty bag for some time away, nothing beats some practical travel tips when booking a flight. 

Flight attendant Stella Connolly, author of the blog Fly With Stella, has told NBC News that early morning flights are the best option.

Connolly explains that the first flight of the day is the most likely to be on time, because “as the day goes by, if one flight is late it’s a snowball effect and there’s a higher chance flights will be delayed.”

She also said that although the plane will be cleaned in-between each flight, the most efficient clean happens first thing in the morning as there’s no passengers on board at that time. So if the idea of several plane loads of people a day using those toilets makes you feel a little squirmish then this might be something to factor into your decision. 

Here’s three other travel hacks to bear in mind while you’re booking your next holiday. 

Sit at the back of the aircraft for better service

Speaking to Oyster.com, flight attendant Annie Kingston revealed that if you’re perched on one of the last rows of an airplane, you’re closer to the flight attendant section at the back of the plane and can therefore chat to them more easily. 

She says that in her experience, flight attendants try to avoid answering call bells from the front of the plane because it deviates their service schedule: however, it’s much easier to help someone who is within reach.

Kingston writes: “We like to avoid responding to call bells from the front of the plane because answering one means potentially flaunting whatever item the passenger has requested to everyone else along the way.

“This can cause a problem since planes often don’t have enough extra vodka, pillows, earplugs, and toothbrushes, or the time on shorter flights to deviate from the service schedule. For passengers sitting near the back of the plane, however, it’s much easier to slip in that second mini bottle of wine.”

So, if you want your journey to be that little bit easier, try and get towards the back of the plane and make friends with those working on the flight. 

Book on a busy flight for an upgrade

Fancy improving your chances of getting a free upgrade? Throw yourself a curve ball and deliberately book onto an oversold flight.

If all the economy seats are taken the airline should start filling up first class seats. Why? Well, because they have effectively screwed you over (at least that’s what they think), they should be trying to “win back favour” – and what better way to do that than by offering you a luxe flight experience, eh?

Know when to visit your dream destination

Thinking of going to Mexico in April? Think again: popular travel hotspot Cancun is overrun with American students partying on their spring break. Considering Bali for a sun-soaked October break? Don’t: at the end of the year this paradisaical place is caught in rainy season, which will definitely put a dampener on your beach plans.

In other words, it’s important to know when it’s the right time to visit your dream holiday destination. Luckily, our guide has done all the hard work for you: it takes you through each month of the year, and details the best and worse places to go. You’re welcome.

With all these handy travel tips at your disposal there’s nothing holding you back from checking out our travel section for inspiration, is there? 

Images: Unsplash - Mael Balland / Ross Parmly