We’ve all heard our fair share of holiday hacks, and we know how helpful and time-saving they can be.
Well, for all you hack lovers, I’ve got some good news as there’s a one that you may not know that will massively improve your holiday experience.
Now, it’s only fitting that we start to think about, and perhaps book, holidays as spring is will and truly here.
Actually travelling to your final destination can get quite hectic, so it’s worth utilising methods that can save stress and time.
In comes TikTok user @durbinmalonster, aka Darby, a former airline employee with three years of experience who has over 267k followers on the social media app.
She has provided people with flight hacks in the past, but none have gone as viral as this recent clip, which has over seven million views at the time of writing.
Darby begins by explaining that this is her ‘number one flying hack’ aside from pre-check, which in the US, is a way to save time at security by registering beforehand and not having to take your belt/shoes/jewellery off.
She begins to explain: “The morning of your flight, you’re going to text yourself your flight number. The key is you have to include your airline code, for example, if I’m flying American Airlines Flight 686, I’m gonna type AA 686.”
TikTok/@DurbinMalonster
She further explains that each airline has its own code, such as DL for Delta.
Darby also says not only to send it to yourself, but send it to the person picking you up so they can benefit from the hack too.
It turns out that the flight number text becomes a link, that will tell you everything you need to know for the flight.
She only covers American flights, but it works for international ones too.
If you click on the link, it will show you information about if it’s on time or not, what time it departed, what time it’s arriving, and even which gate to check-in at and which baggage claim belt to go to.
@durbinmalonster S/O @Brooke Webster ♬ original sound – Darby
Truly life-changing stuff.
And as a bonus, the person picking you up can check for delays and they can see, as Darby puts it: “Your little airplane flying across the screen.”
She also concludes by saying: “I never have to look at the screens in the airport anymore.”
If you’re on connecting flights, Darby says to text both flight numbers to yourself so you can check as soon as you land.
Users shared their shock at the hack in the comments section of the video.
TikTok/@DurbinMalonster
One commented: “I’ve learned more on TikTok than 8 years in college”
Another put: “I have NEVER known this! This makes my type A airport self so happy”
A third said: “I’m old I didn’t know I could text myself. LMAO”.
However, some were unmoved by the discovery, as one user commented: “Or just… use their apps. Way easier and quicker”
Another pointed out: “I believe it only works for iPhone”.