The time between
Thanksgiving and New Year’s is both wonderful and terrible. Wonderful because
the holidays are awesome. Terrible because it is by far the most trying time of
the year to travel. With that in mind, I thought it might be helpful to the 2
or 3 readers I have to make a list of pitfalls to avoid and tips to make use of
to ensure your holiday travel is a breeze.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Short connections
If you’re
not traveling nonstop to your destination this season, leave plenty of time
between flights. At the major airports I’d say leave a good 90 minutes or more
if you can, and leave two hours at Newark. Delays are a problem at this time of
year because of winter weather. But the bigger problem is actually fuller
planes. Normally in a delay you can get switched to another flight pretty
easily. But when planes are full, this gets much more difficult. Don’t take
chances. Leave a lot of time.
- Back of the plane
This time of
year is the most popular for leisure travelers, and specifically for leisure
travelers who don’t travel almost ever. They’re understandably cost-conscious
so they won’t check a bag, but they also are not necessarily the most seasoned
of packers. The back of the plane will be overfilled with huge carry-ons. This
not only means you might not get your bag on there, it also means it will take
an extra long time to get off. If you have an option to sit up front, even if
it’s in a middle seat or you have to pay for it, I recommend doing so.
Tips
- Underwear and miniature toiletries in your backpack
Checked bags
get lost, and the increase in volume of checked bags during the holidays certainly
doesn’t help. You won’t always be saved by carrying on either, since with
packed planes it’s more likely you’ll be asked to gate-check your bag if you
are not in the first couple groups on the plane. Mitigate the consequences of a
lost bag by carrying a couple essentials in your regular backpack or carry-on
that goes under your seat. I got stuck in Atlanta once without my bag and I was
so glad I had a fresh pair of underwear and contacts solution for the night
after traveling the entire day.
- Take advantage of free changes during bad weather
The airlines
have developed an extremely consumer-friendly practice of allowing free changes
to itineraries when there is even the possibility of a storm. Take advantage of
this. Last year when the hurricane was threating the DC area it looked like my
girlfriend might not get out on her afternoon flight going through Chicago. We
called United and they switched her to the direct Saint Louis flight only a
couple hours earlier for free. Her old flights ended up going out just fine,
but she saved a layover and a few hours with the change.
- Show up early
Security
lines are out of control at this time of year. No point in missing your flight
because you didn’t get there early enough. I’d get there 90 minutes ahead of
time. Better safe than sorry.
Happy
holidays!
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