Wow, it’s here again. The holiday season so loved for the time off and family visits and so feared for miserable travel experiences. During no other time of the year are loads so high, people so anxious to get home and weather patterns so unfortunate.
But things are different this year. You’ve got Gadling on your side, watching the travel radar, ear to the ground, listening to low fares and proofreading your travel itinerary. Follow these ten tips below to make your holiday travel awesome.
Buy your Ticket Early
If you haven’t already purchased your ticket, do it now. Right now. The earlier you buy your ticket the less expensive and the better routing you’ll get. That means more money for hard liquor and fewer layovers that could cause delays.
Plan your Route
Any layovers on your way home are an opportunity for disaster. It might be nice in Tuscon, but once you land in Chicago on your way to Charlotte, the snowstorm of this millennium may hit the city and you could be stuck for days. So if you absolutely have to take a layover, try to make it in Atlanta instead of Minneapolis.
Similarly, highest load times are the days before and after Thanksgiving and Christmas, so if you want to avoid the heaviest crowds, travel the day before, after or (godforbid) the day OF.
Get to the Airport Early
I can’t stress this enough. Everyone and their mother is going to be at the airport the day before Thanksgiving, security lines are going to be out the front door and the ticket line will be longer. Get there at least three hours before your flight and bring some reading material in your carry on (see below.)
In fact, get a ride to the Airport
All of those people in line at security and Starbucks got to the airport somehow. Chances are they’re parked in the last available spot at the cheapo-park. Call your best friend, bring over a case of beer and ask them to drive your family to the airport. As a bonus they’ll get a relieving kick of happiness when they pull out of departures and see you heading into pure bedlam inside.
Know your Baggage Allowance
Things aren’t the same as they were last year when you went home for Thanksgiving. Airline fees are everywhere, and chances are if you’re checking bags you need to pony up some cash at the ticket counter. Check your airline’s website to see what your quotas are, and if necessary, combine your bags into one checked or even one carry on bag. At the very worst, make sure you have twenty bucks in your bank account before you show up at the airport with a couple of carryons.
Engineer your Carry-on
If you must check bags, bring a carry on that contains important items for your time in transit. Prepare yourself for the worst case scenario, being stuck overnight or marooned in a foreign place for a long duration of time. Keep the things on you that will keep you functioning in a bind.
- Mobile phone / laptop charger
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Fiction
- Socks & underwear
Why “fiction,” you ask? Because in the event that you do get stuck somewhere overnight, you’re going to want something long and easy to read with you, not a periodical that will get old after two hours or something difficult that’s going to further stress you out.
Know your Airport
There are a lot of quiet corners to take a nap (try the chapel if you’re in a bind) internet hotspots and accoutrements available to you in the right airports. Take a walk around if you’ve got some spare time, figure out when the Chili’s closes and stock up for a long stay if you’re stuck for a while.
Join a Lounge
Most airlines have membership lounges that you can puchase day passes to. The $20-30 fee will usually get you free snacks, wireless internet a comfortable place to hang out and often some free booze. Any day of the week this might be a so-so deal, but when the airport is chocked full of screaming kids and is 95°, it’s totally worth it.
Don’t be afraid to wander into a lounge and ask either. Those agents behind the desk inside are paid to glare at you, but they’re also paid to sell you a day pass if their employer offers one. What you’re wearing, class of service (with exceptions that you probably don’t need to worry about,) what you paid for your ticket and who you’re with doesn’t matter either, so don’t feel excluded on that qualification.
Have your Airline and Hotel Phone Numbers Available
When your flight gets canceled and the line at the ticket desk backs up to Narnia, the only difference between YOU and Mr. Rill getting the last seat out to Ft. Lauderdale is who gets to the ticket agent first. If you’re in the back of the line, call the airline, give them your record locator ask to get rebooked and have a smoke while Mr. Rill waits in line.
Count your Kids
Hey, you wouldn’t be the first family to leave a child at home.