Is there a book of some sort of where I can get advice on tips on traveling so you don't have the slightest chance of being stuck in a city or another state for an unknown reason? I know I have contract information on booking a show and methods. However, I know there are traveling secrets like check in online before going to the airport and so forth so your not stuck in a city. I was just curious if there was such a thing? I am asking this because I have honestly never had the opportunity to travel much. But I want to know this because I am sick an tired of Colorado and want to perform else where and want to travel while getting to perform. Thanks if anyone can help.


sincerely,

Ryan

There's always a chance of getting stuck somewhere. If you're flying, you can have bad weather, mechanical trouble or overbooking. If you're driving, there is a possibility of car trouble, accidents, traffic, and so forth. The best you can do is try to include enough time in your schedule to deal with trouble, and when, not if, trouble happens, do everything in your power to make it on time.

Here are a few real life stories. I was going from California (Sacramento, if I recall correctly) to Anchorage. The flight was cancelled. The only way to get there in time for the show was to literally spend all night going from airport to airport to airport to airport.

Earlier this year, I was going from Michigan to Pennsylvania. My first flight was from a small airport, and was cancelled. At a small airport, there aren't a lot of options. It was too far to drive in time. For a while, I really thought I wasn't going to find a way to make it. I finally worked out a plan. I got a one-way car rental and drove quickly to another airport. I turned in the car and took the shuttle to the terminal, and barely made the cutoff to check in, and then barely made it through security to the plane. From there, I flew to another airport (not the one I needed to go to, unfortunately). From there, I got another one way rental and drove to the show. I literally made it to the venue right when the show was scheduled to start. The program started about ten minutes late, but I made it.

Here are a few random thoughts for dealing with air travel.

Know the rules - Know what you are allowed to bring, how big/heavy your bags can be, what the security procedures are, what you can carry on, how soon you need to be at the gate, and so forth.

Have the airline reservation phone # - If there is a line, such as after a cancelled flight, call the reservation number instead.

Make friends with the airport workers - It's almost never a good idea to tick off the people who are in a position to help you. A lot of people treat these workers badly. Treat them well. They'll do what they're required to do in any case, but the more they like you, the more likely they are to go above and beyond to help you out. (You will occasionally run across a "bad apple," but my experience is these are generally good people who will help you if they can.)

Know your rights - What airline employees are allowed to do depends on the situation. They can do more for you for a mechanical delay then they can for a weather delay. For example, depending on the situation, getting re-booked on a different airline may or may not be an option. Demanding rights you don't have is a waste of time, but there are times when you can push for other options.

Have a plan for delayed baggage - Different people use different approaches. Some carry on enough to get by. I have an "emergency show" planned out that I can do entirely with stuff I can buy locally. My bags have almost always made it at least barely in time, but I'm ready.

I hope that helps!

There are a number of good books filled with travel tips. Just do a search on Amazon.

I fly to a lot of my gigs, I I will tell you that if you don't want to get stuck somewhere, here are a few tips:

1) Don't take the last flight available to get to gig. If it is cancelled, you're stuck. Make sure there is at least one more flight available that day to get you to your destination.

2) Make sure you have plenty of time between connecting flights, especially if connecting at a busy airport like O'Hare in Chicago, - at least one hour. If you can avoid Chicago O'Hare entirely, that's even better.

3) Watch the weather across the country on the weather channel or www/weather.com . If you see bad weather heading towards your outgoing or connecting city, see if you can change the flight. I fly out of the Northeast, and bad weather in the winter is common. I try to avoid connecting in Chicago and Detroit in the winter.

4) When bad weather - snow or thunderstorms - are heading towards the Northeast, I avoid Philadelphia and Newark, preferring to fly over those cities and connect in Charlotte or some other hub.

5) If my flight is cancelled for any reason, I'll immediately get in line at the airport to rebook the flight and, while waiting on line, I call the airline 800 number to try to re-book the flight over the phone. If I wait for everyone waiting in line in front of me to get their seats, there may not be one left for me.

6) I always carry on all my luggage. It makes changing flights much easier. If it doesn't fit in the overhead compartment, it's not in the act.

7) Go to the bathroom just before you board the airplane. The plane could sit on the runway for an hour or more before taking off.

8) Avoid alcohol and caffeine when traveling. Drink lots of water.

9) An Ipod with the Bluesbreakers - Eric Clapton and John Mayal - will drown out any crying baby on airplanes. Noise canceling headphones are a plus.

10) Travel with two books.

11) Finally, a great tip from Michael Finney: If you want to sleep late in a hotel, use a coat hanger with pant clips from the closet to pinch the curtains together so the sunlight doesn't stream in the window in the morning. Hotel curtains never close completely.

Those tips should get the ball rolling on this thread.

Jim

Even the best laid plans of mice and men fall victim to the airlines, confused hotel clerks, and traffic. For years I traveled with some major entertainers. These people had road managers, stage managers, promoters, agents, all working together to make sure things ran smoothly. However, a fellow named Murphy always seemed to have a law that circumvented everyone's good intentions ! Jim's ideas are great. Print them out and put a copy in your suitcase, one in your magic case, and one in your wallet !

Mark

When going by plane, I fly in the day before. This means I've got an extra 24 hours to get there in event of an airline delay. It also means I am usually there, rested and ready to go for the show. The client pays for the extra day, I can't work and it buys them peace of mind.

My "flying" show fits in a Porter Case - a carry-on that folds out to a full blown luggage cart. I love that thing, it makes going through an airport very easy. I prefer to have my equipment with me. I can always purchase clothes and shoes if a suitcase gets lost.

I always include an inventory sheet with promo pic in every case and carry a back up list with me. This way, if security needs to open it, they will find everything is in order. Also this acts as a form of identification if a case gets lost.

Extra cash & a credit card with a decent credit limit will help.

I wouldn't travel without a laptop computer - Internet is usually available and a must to stay in touch with the world. I also use Skype for phone communications, especially when out of the country. Don't leave your cell phone at home either.

If driving, make certain you have the car checked prior to your trip. Breakdowns on the road are time consuming and usually expensive. I am a member of AAA - which comes in handy if you need it. A GPS and printouts of Mapquest are also helpful.

Traveling can be fun, but it can also be stressful. I miss a lot of time with my family and friends so I can earn a living. If you travel alone, it can also be very lonely. Like Jim said - take a few books...

Oh yes...Porter Cases!

Jim

I have found this thread extremely informative as this is something that I will be experiencing soon with my magic business. Thanks everyone for sharing your experience and tips!

I, too, am a big fan of the Porter Case. It won't prevent you from getting stuck somewhere, but it will make the journey much easier.

Very good advice above. I travel ALOT and found that you should also carry CASH! It will get you out of MOST situations

Money talks

There was a book out called "Road Warriors" put out by Randy Prior around 2002. It's a compilation of tips and advice from fellow magicians ( it's like a who's who in magic) who's do tons of traveling and heck I am even in it. You may want to contact him he may still have a few left...
hope this helps cheers chris

Just thought of this one - missed it because to me it is obvious, but then to others it may not be.

Stay in decent hotels. It is worth paying a bit extra. I try to schedule Hampton Inn (guarantee & breakfast), similar or better. A clean room that you are comfortable in at a decent location provides a much better rest than a filthy flea bag where you are nervous your car will be gone in the morning. Been to those - won't go back...

Most chains have a "Priority Club" that will get you free nights and perks too.

From traveling by car A LOT I can heartily recommend hotwire.com for cheap hotel prices at nice hotels. It doesn't tell you the name of the hotel until after you book it, however, it gives you a pretty specific area AND it ranks the choices, 4-star, 3-star, etc. I have stayed at several 3-star hotels - these include Marriotts, Hyatts, etc. Very nice places.

Last week in Atlanta I stayed all week at the Hyatt Place in Norcross and it only cost me $39 a night. Same the week before right next door at the Marriott. I have also stayed at the Omni in Atlanta (4-star) for $100 a night via hotwire, which was very convenient considering I was going to an event at Philips Arena which is adjacent to it!

All you do is book it online and then show up and give them your name, license, and credit card for incidentals and you are all set.

Highly recommend looking into it if you travel a lot.
Chad

Thanks for the tips everyone. I was wondering on carrying my show with me is what if you have the dangerous opener as an effect. How in the world can you travel with that item on an airplane can that be possible under security reasons I would think no or is there other routes. I know have outs to be able to change it up. But I don't have an out for that effect so maybe I should look up something for an out or a effect as I have still contemplated at the moment. Just wondering on how to travel with effects like knifes for instance so there is no possibility that I can lose item? I was thinking mail it the function but any help in that area would be greatly appreciated.


sincerely,

Ryan

You can carry most "dangerous" things as checked baggage. You can get the specifics of what you can and can't check at the TSA website. However, there is a very real possibility of delayed baggage. In the US, my checked bags have always at least barely made it by showtime.

If you do check your bags, be sure to get them checked in early enough so there is time for TSA to do their thing before the flight. Tight connections between flights increase the chance of your bags missing the connection. Changing airlines is an even bigger risk. The earlier you arrive, the greater the chance that any delayed bags will catch up with you in time.

Schedule permitting, you can overnight your props. Services like FedEx will be more reliable than checked baggage with the airline. However, even with those services delays do happen at times.

Either way you go, you need to have a plan to deal with delays.

If you are working outside the U.S., a shipping service may not be reliable. When you start doing that, I'd recommend you have backups of all your props. (Which is a smart thing to do in any case.)

Thanks I know have back up plans I just figured it out for the dangerous opener use a nail instead of a knife. So I figured out that. However, I know most about the traveling part of the travels and what I need to know. But I was curious what do you do if the flight cancels and there is not another flight? How do you cancel you gig and make the customer happy? I know find someone in the area who can perform for them but what if that's not possible? I am just curious because I don't want to be stuck in any weird situations that I am not aware of and let people see me nervous or scared. I need my game face on as Richard Nakata has told me.


sincerely,

Ryan

Ryan,
Read Jim's post again, it covers the flight cancellations. The easiest thing to do is allow plenty of time for travel, and charge the client to cover that time. It buys them (and you) peace of mind knowing you will be there. Plus, arriving a day early gives you time to explore the area. Too many times I've been in and out of great places and never had a chance to experience them. Do it!

I also believe it is impossible to cancel a gig and make a client happy. Have everything spelled out in your contract. Then you have no reason to be nervous or scared.
Tom

Thanks Tom I was just curious if there was anything I wasn't aware which I knew there probably wasn't. But it couldn't hurt to ask if there was anything new so yeah I printed off this whole topic. I will reread it and really use the advice so I can get out of Colorado.

Tom is right. There is no way to please a client if you can't make it. If you take the contract, you get to the venue, even if it means driving all night because of a cancelled flight.

I usually book a morning flight out and try not to book late afternoon flights. The entire system backs up during the day and afternoon flights are more likely to be delayed.

And like Tom says, getting there early gives you time to explore. A side trip can make traveling fun.


Jim

Canceling is simply not an option unless from "an act of God". I have been performing regionally and nationally now for 36 years and have never cancelled or missed a gig. It's your responsibility to make the booking on time and within terms of the agreement, that's your end of the deal. By offering a local replacement devalues you, your service and your performance - it's as if to say you are replaceable or that any other magician can do the same job.