Most frequent fliers know the airport drill at this point, get there early, limit your carry-on liquids, wear shoes that are easy to get on and off, etc. And, of course, board as early as possible if you have bags that need to go overhead.
During holiday periods, even regular travelers can get caught up in the craziness. Thus, here is a handful of additional tips for surviving what some of my clients refer to as “amateur week.”
1. Weigh your checked bag(s). Business travelers who are carrying gifts or extra warm clothes may find a bag can end up over the limit pretty quickly. These days, most domestic carriers have a 50 pound maximum; being even a few pounds over can result in significantly higher fees, even for elites. (Sometimes it’s possible to repack at checkin, and/or put some things in carry-on, but travelers pressed for time, or loaded down with holiday goodies, may be out of luck.)
Also, if you have to bring a lot of stuff, check your carrier’s policy. It may be considerably cheaper to bring two smaller bags than one heavier one.
2. If possible, bring food or at least snacks. Infrequent travelers don’t just clog security and check-in lines, they also mean longer waits at airport food outlets. Lately I’ve been hearing more and more complaints about carriers running out of “buy-on-board” food mid-flight.
This isn’t such a big deal for short flights, but it’s no fun making it through security just as a cross-country flight is beginning to board and realizing buying lunch might mean missing the plane.
A tight connection, whether scheduled or due to a delay, can cause the same problem. I’ve seen lines at fast-food outlets and, of course, Starbucks that rival the TSA lines.
3. Even as a seasoned traveler, keep an eye on departure monitors for times and possible gate changes. Airlines know holiday times are a priority for fliers to get to their destination, and one employee told me they try harder than normal to minimize delays. Which could be a delayed flight leaving earlier than expected, or a gate change to avoid another possible delay.
Remember, holiday weeks are a bad time to miss flights, because there are so few empty seats.
4. Double-check that you have chargers, batteries, whatever it takes to keep your travel entertainment of choice operating. Ditto your ability to work. It could mean the difference between a productive and somewhat pleasant delay and interminable hours watching CNN airport edition or reading limited book/magazine choices. The more you can focus on anything but the holiday airport craziness, the less stressful it is. (Just don’t miss the plane.)
5. Arrive at the airport early. This is somewhat obvious, but there’s almost no downside to arriving early, especially with a laptop, smart-phone or a good book/Kindle. Besides, any extra work that gets done at the airport is less work that needs to be done over the holiday.
Photo: ©Leocha
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
