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I'll admit: airports are the one place where I can grow snarky in about two seconds. Something about the unflexible staff, the crowds, the luggage ... it's just enough to put my nerves over the edge.

But as we all know, you catch more flies with honey. Business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, author of numerous etiquette books including the latest "Greet! Eat! Tweet! 52 Business Etiquette Postings To Avoid Pitfalls & Boost Your Career," says that polite behaviour can make a bad situation better. Here are Pachter's 8 travel-smart tips for the holidays.

1. Be prepared for delays. Take food and water with you. (You have to buy your water after you pass through airport security.) Have your necessities in your carry-on. Make sure your cell phone and all electronic devices are fully charged. Always bring something to read, listen to or watch. If you're prepared for the worst, if and when it happens, you'll be less stressed and better able to handle the situation.

2. No cursing, name calling or rude behavior. Do you really think that the person you just called all sorts of names will want to help you? One ticket agent deliberately scheduled a foul-mouthed passenger for a four-hour wait when an earlier flight was available. Customer service people tell me that although they are required to help rude people, they will do as little as possible. If you are polite, they are more likely to go out of their way for you.

3. Don't make threats. In the post-911 world, threats are taken seriously. Don't joke around or try to intimidate people.

4. Acknowledge the difficulty. When talking to the customer service person who can potentially help you, acknowledging his or her challenges can go a long way in helping you connect. Simply say: "It looks like it has been a really tough day," or "It has been a difficult time, hasn't it?"

5. Politely ask for what you want. If you ask for what you want and it's a reasonable request, you are more apt to get it. Saying "Any chance for a dinner coupon?" may very well produce one.

6. Befriend other passengers. It makes for a more pleasant trip when things get difficult. You will have a "we're in this together" mentality. As a bonus, people may share what they know. During one recent delay, a man that I had spoken to earlier found out that the airline had opened a new line upstairs. Before he went upstairs, he came and told me.

7. Be alert but don't be a bully. Pay attention to your surroundings. Additional customer service personnel may appear and new lines may open up. You'll need to be ready to move quickly...but it's not okay to push or shove.

8. Don't announce your travel plans on your social media sites. There are numerous examples of people's homes being burglarized because they let their "friends" know they were away. A New York Times headline summed it up best: Burglars Said to Have Picked Houses Based on Facebook Updates.

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(c)2011 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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