Surviving Holiday Travel
“There’s no place like home for the holidays…..” People can travel any week or weekend of the year, but millions of us choose to travel all at once, all on the same day, to make sure we are “home for the holidays”. This doesn’t just apply to Christmas…..also to Thanksgiving, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day Weekend, etc. Spending time with family and friends is important, and for many people the holidays are the only time they have a long weekend, or time off work to travel. Whether you are traveling “home” or anywhere else for the holidays, here are a few tips to stay sane and hopefully make it to your destination before the weekend is over.
Holiday Travel Security Lines…
The best way to survive holiday travel is to NOT TRAVEL ON THE HOLIDAYS!!! Get to your destination a few days or a week before and leave in the middle of the weekend or a few days after. Beat the crowds and beat the exorbitantly high airfares that surround the holidays! I understand that this is not possible for most, but if you have a flexible work schedule, can work remotely, or have a few extra vacation days to use around the holidays, it is worth the effort to avoid the chaos.
Take everything you need in your carry on. When millions of people are traversing the country, luggage is almost guaranteed to be delayed or lost. You can check a bag if you need to, but expect it to be lost for a minimum of 24 hours. Take all your electronics, chargers, medications, pajamas, change of clothes, favorite toiletries, shoes you will need, etc. Basically think about the first day or two of your holiday and take everything you will need so that you don’t waste time trying to go shopping for essentials or waiting at the airport for hours, desperate for your checked luggage. If your luggage is lost, go to baggage claim office, fill in the address for them to send the luggage to, and head out to start your holiday celebration knowing that you have everything you need with you.
Use Apple Air tags or another tracking device for your luggage. Ever since my luggage was lost for 4 days while on a business trip, I have used Apple Air tags to track my checked bag and be able to locate it in the airport in case it is on the wrong carousel or has been taken off and put in an office.
Nonstop flights are your best friend during the holiday season. Unfortunately, you will often pay a higher price, but if there are delays, you do not have to worry about connections. Also your luggage is much more likely to make it to your destination if it does not have to be transferred from one plane to another.
Make sure your connection is at least an hour, preferably two during a busy travel time. Flights will be delayed and you don’t want to be running for your gate or miss the flight altogether. Remember that the boarding gate doors close 10-15 minutes before the flight departs, so you don’t have as much time as you think to get on that next plane!
Take the first flight of the day. I hate that O’dark thirty Uber ride to the airport like everyone else, but if it means a guarantee that my plane is there waiting for me, it is sometimes worth it! The first flight of the day means that your plane arrived the night before and the captain and crew have slept overnight. There is much less chance of delay.
Avoid afternoon flights. If you don’t like the first flight of the day idea, at least try to book in the morning. Flights later in the day are more prone to delays due to previous flight problems. Also, in many regions, afternoon thunderstorms can ground or delay flights for hours. Weather is generally better in the morning and airlines do not take responsibility for flight delays due to weather.
Have a back up plan. If you must fly in the afternoon, or have multiple connections during a holiday weekend, make sure you know your options. Look up alternate flights on your airlines, so that if you miss a connection, you know which flight to need to get next. Be familiar with your airline app and whether or not you can re-book your connection on it. Know the customer service number to call if you miss a connection so they can re-book you on the phone and avoid waiting in a line of 200 people. If you are very travel savvy, you might book a back up flight with miles or a fully refundable fare that you can cancel at the last minute if your original flight actually goes as planned. Having a back up flight can give you great peace of mind if you really need to be at your destination that day.
Happy Travels!!!