Thanksgiving is less than a week away. If you are one of the hundreds of people flying this holiday season we have some tips for you to ease the pain of traveling during such a hectic time!
Don’t Be On Time, Be EARLY.
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Avoid unnecessary headaches by arriving to the airport early. Notice: early and on time are not the same. Typically if you fly domestic arriving an hour before your flight will more than likely still get you there on time but not during the holiday season. Make sure you arrive at least 2 hours before your flight for domestic travel & 3 hours for international travel. It’s also important to note that arriving to the airport 2 or 3 hours before your flight doesn’t mean leaving your house 2 or 3 hours before your departure time. Depending how far you live and taking into account traffic, might mean you have to leave your house at 3pm for a 7pm flight. If it is important for you to arrive to your destination, make it your priority to get there.
Home Is Where The Key Is
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Part of the reason there is chaos during the holiday season is because people who usually don’t travel all year round are the ones at the airports during this time of year. The check-in lines will be longer, the TSA lines will be longer and the weather will cause delays and cancelled flights. Therefore, we highly suggest that you do anything you can online prior to arriving to the airport. You can check-in online 24 hours before your flight. You can also manage your seating assignments online and pay for your bag online as well. Doing all of this will expedite the process once you get to the airport.
Be Santa Claus, With a Weight Limit
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Avoid having to take things out of your bag the day of at the airport, do it at home. For domestic travel, your check-in bag cannot exceed more than 50lbs in weight. Make sure you check with your airline prior to traveling what the weight and size limits are. Weigh your bag at home and put the excess things in your carry on. Anything that does not fit, leave behind. If you don’t want to leave them make sure you are aware that you will be required to pay overweight fees. Do not expect overweight fees to be ignored, it can’t be bypassed. However, you can avoid the fee by checking in a second bag. Checking in two bags versus one overweight bag is usually cheaper.
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Organize Your Carry-On
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Make sure you do not have any liquids, sprays, etc. bigger than 3.4oz in your carry-on bag. If you do put them in the bag you plan to check-in or leave them at home. Pack your credit cards, I.D and/or passport along with your charger in your purse or carry on for easy access. I highly suggest investing in a portable charger such as the Mophie Power station Mini. Portable chargers are a great way to charge your phone without having to hunt down an open outlet at the airport plus they also charge it a lot faster!
Don’t Be The Grinch This Season
Lastly, keep in mind: whatever issue you have with your flight this holiday season there are at least 20 others who do too. Patience is key, especially during holiday season. Despite popular belief, the person behind the counter is there to help you and they are not working against you. Be cautious of unreasonable requests. If you prepare ahead of time, things will be smoother for everyone!
As always, safe travels!
