Sit back and relax might not be the words to use during holiday air travel. With a little help from travel experts here are six holiday air travel tips that will make it easier and possible for you and your family to sit back and relax.
One: Timing
Get the earliest flight possible when the airport is less crowded. Air tickets are often cheaper and flights are less likely to be delayed. Winter weather may cause delays and the domino effect of delays will affect the rest of the flights but not so for the earliest flight. So you may be saving money and headache as well. If you live in a big city with heavy traffic, you will avoid the morning rush hour traffic.
Two: Non-stop
If at all possible, get non-stop flights. Delays and cancellations due to snowstorms and any undesirable weather condition can happen anywhere. You don’t want to miss your connecting flights.
Find non-stop flights from your hometown to your destination, here’s how:
If you are flying from Chicago, IL to Charlotte, NC, click on Travelmath’s direct flights calculator. It shows three non-stop flights to your destination.
American Airlines, United and US Airways fly non-stop from Chicago to Charlotte. To make it even easier for you, just click on the search flight button and you can search for the best deals and book your flights directly.
Usually non-stop flights are slightly more expensive compared to flights with connections but if you book early, you may get a good deal for a direct flight (may be cheaper than flights with connections).
Three: If you have to take connecting flights, get to know the airports and weather conditions
In some parts of the country there is no other way to travel but to get connecting flights. If you live in Tampa and want to get to Vancouver, there is no direct flight even if you want to pay triple the price. Travelmath’s calculator will let you know there are no direct flights. But there are 14 connecting flights from Tampa to Vancouver, Canada.
Before buying your air tickets, get familiarized with the airports for your connecting flights. Questions like:
How far are the terminals?
What are the typical weather conditions in the connecting city during the time you are traveling (snow storm, etc)?
Is the airport known for delays?
When you have your answers, make sure you have enough time to get from one terminal to the other at your connecting airport. We prefer connecting cities in the Southern region of USA because there is a less likely chance of being caught in a snow storm or blizzard.
For example the 14 connecting flights from Tampa to Vancouver listed Denver, Dallas, Minneapolis, Houston, Chicago and Phoenix as connecting cities. We would choose either Dallas or Houston and avoid Chicago and Minneapolis or Denver during the holiday season (winter months).
Four: Your luggage and packing tips
With check-in luggage fees, excess luggage fees and overhead compartments loaded with carry-on luggage, our advice is to travel light. Instead of bringing a luggage full of gifts, give the gift of gift cards or send your gift from home or get the gifts sent directly to your recipients. Companies like Zappos or Amazon will gladly ship all your gifts for you without extra charge.
Get lightweight carry-on bags that can easily fit under a seat if all the overhead compartments are taken. Wear your heavy coats and shirts and leave lightweight clothing in your carry-on.
For updated information about liquids, baby foods and other restrictions about carry-on bags, please check with TSA.
Five: Seat assignments
According to Scott Mayerowitz in his timely article Tips to snag seats together on holiday flights it is fairly difficult for groups of travelers to sit together unless you pay more (an extra $25 per person). You can read the entire article on this link and find out tips to sit together with your family. Here is a video about it:
Six: TSA Pre Expedited Screening
For smooth air travels, TSA has screening procedures for children under 12, seniors, special pre expedited screening, a list of things you can carry on board and more. Please check the website before traveling.
This holiday season make time to visit those you love or take a vacation to a destination of your dreams. For help in planning please check out Travelmath’s travel calculators. Happy and safe travels to you and your family.
