You are likely to experience more stress during the holidays, particularly if you have flights planned for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Whether you’re flying within the US to visit family or friends or vacationing abroad, the following holiday travel trips may make your vacation easier. Today, we’ll discuss some lesser-known travel tips that may assist in reducing the stress of flying in the busy months of November and December.
Travel Tips For 2024
Most likely, you are already aware of a few crucial holiday travel tips: To ensure you have enough time to get through security and find your gate, arrive at the airport early. You could also enroll in TSA PreCheck to get through security check faster. Given how crowded some airports are over the holidays, most airlines advise arriving at the airport two hours before a domestic flight or three hours before an international one.
Expect Bad Weather and Traffic
Remember that some places are already experiencing true “winter weather” in” as early as November, even if you live in an area with a more mild climate. This could result in icy or even closed roadways in some areas. Additionally, a lot of places tend to have more people on the road than usual during the holidays. In major cities, expect very slow traffic. Take this into account when planning your trip. In general, you should always allow extra time to reach your destination. Even if your GPS indicates it will take an hour to get there from the airport, it could be much longer. After all, you can always stop for a coffee or look around your destination if you get there a bit too early.
The Worst Days to Travel
The busiest day for tourists traveling to their destination is usually the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which will be November 27th this year. Things will probably be busy on Tuesday, November 26th as well. Sunday, December 1st, is likely to be even busier. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, historically, is often the biggest travel day of the year.
Reserve Your Spot In The Security Line
Travelers can now reserve a place in security lines in advance at an increasing number of airports. This initiative, which is distinct from PreCheck, takes inspiration from the amusement park FastPass concept. Check out the specifics of which security line the reserve program is available in and how far in advance you may book your spot, as the restrictions for each airport differ.
Use Digital Hotel Keys
Thanks to the digital key options that many hotel chains provide through their mobile apps, you can bypass the front desk and go directly to your room when you arrive. This expedited check-in process is more practical for those who arrive late or want to avoid crowded lobbies during the holidays.
Make Sure Your Passports Meet Requirements
You have most likely already verified that your passport is still valid. However, other countries may have additional regulations, such as the need for two consecutive blank pages in your passport. Additionally, you may need to confirm that the expiration date is more than six months away from the date of your intended return. This is necessary in several countries. The U.S. State Department can tell you which nations require a passport with a six-month validity period.
Take the First Flight of the Day
Although you may need to get up very early (or you may want to stay up very late), taking the first flight of the day at your airport might be an advantageous move. This is especially true during the holidays. Early morning flights are less likely to be canceled or delayed, and even if you do encounter a problem with your early flight, you may have the chance to board a different one later that same day.