Tips for surviving airplane travel during the holidays

Tips for surviving airplane travel during holidays

Since probably the busiest travel period of all year has just ended, and I survived plane travel during it, I decided to write a blog post, dedicated to a stress - free holiday travel. Well, it will probably not be entirely stress free, so I should say ‘dedicated to reducing the stress of holiday travel’. But as a person who often flies during the busiest holidays, I can say I am somehow an expert in getting to my destination without having to worry too much about it.

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I love airplane travel, but sometimes, it can be a hassle to travel during busy periods.

First of all, prepare to pay more

Holiday travel is always more expensive than travel on less busy times. Airlines know that people want to travel during major holidays, and they also know people are prepared to spend more money on holiday travel. So do not be surprised if a plane ticket to a certain destination during the off peak travel periods costs one hundred dollars, but the price can jump up to one thousand dollars during major holidays.

Hint: January is usually the cheapest month to travel, so go ahead and book that ticket!

Be prepared for the delays

Flights are delayed for various reasons. For holiday travel, the two main reasons are the following: a huge amount of passengers and weather conditions, especially snow storms and high winds. Both of these two weather conditions are extremely common in winter months. I cannot decide which one of the two is worse. All I know is that when I travel, I want to get to my destination as soon as I can, but if a delay happens, I know that I have chosen a busy travel period and cherish it as a part of the experience.

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Delayed, or even worse, cancelled flights are extremely common during major holidays, especially in winter.

Leave home early to get to the airport on time

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get to the airport on time. Airlines usually suggest being at the airport two hours before the plane departure for domestic flights and three hours before the plane departure for international flights. Speaking from my own experience, add at least one hour to these suggested times during holiday travel periods. After all, I would rather be bored at the airport, while waiting for my flight, than cry because of a missed flight and therefore the lost money.

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The bigger the airport, the busier it is.

If you are checking a bag, try arranging a self baggage drop online.

If you have ever travelled by a plane (well, I sure hope you did! ), you probably know how an airport looks like. Once you arrive, you find the counter of your airline for the bag drop and boarding pass. And you probably also know that one airline counter can serve as a check - in point for multiple flights at the same time. So if a few flights from the same airline are happening at the same time, or at least close to each other, you are basically screwed if you arrive to the airport late, because all these people from multiple flights will be waiting in line in front of you. And do not expect anyone to let you skip the line - they have to wait for their turn too!

Some airlines offer an alternative to long lines at check - in counters. When doing a check - in online, you choose an option for a self baggage drop. This means that, once you arrive to the airport, you have to go to a special counter where you simply drop your bag, print your own luggage tag, and you are all set. I travel a lot, and I have literally never seen more than two people at the self baggage drop counter at the same time, as opposed to sometimes hundreds of people at the regular check - in counter. You are welcome.

Prepare for long lines at the security checkpoint

This is by far my least favourite part of plane travel. Having to take off my shoes and jacket and separating the liquids and electronics from the rest of my luggage, while also trying not to look too suspicious to a security officer is annoying enough, but some people take it to a whole new level by arguing with security officers that their liquids do not need to be in a zip lock bag or that they had no idea the containers need to be smaller than 100 millilitres.

I have never been selected for a secondary screening, at least not yet (knocking on wood), but that can happen as well. Do not panic, and do not be rude to anyone. Remember, they are just doing their jobs.

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As a seasoned traveler, this is one of my worst nightmares - long lines at security checkpoints.

Be nice to the employees

As stressful as airplane travel can be during the holidays, flying is still the fastest way to get to your desired destination. You can spend forty hours on a Greyhound bus, or fly to your destination and use these extra two days to do something fun.

I would say this is the most important piece of advice I can give you. People who work on big holidays, want to be at the airport as much as you do (hint: they do not) and a smile and a few nice words from you will definitely go a long way. And whenever I fly for the holidays, I buy some chocolate for the flight attendants. It will make their day and they might even give you a free champagne! Speaking from a personal experience.

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