How to Navigate Holiday Air Travel Like a Pro
Tips to fly By
Seasonal Vacations and Leisure Activities
Air travel typically undergoes a significant surge during the holiday season for several key reasons. First, the holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, are periods during which people prioritize family gatherings, seasonal vacations, and fun leisure activities. Many people bravely travel thousands of miles to be with loved ones, especially in places where families are spread out across the country or live internationally. This rush in demand for commercial flights leads to a huge spike in air travel-related stress.
Sales and Promotions
As is the case, the holiday season coincides perfectly with annual breaks from work and school for many, making it one of the most popular times for traveling by air. Retailers routinely offer end-of-year sales or promotions, such as Black Friday, further fueling the desire to travel for holiday shopping or family trips.
Peak Holiday Season
2024 is expected to see a precipitous increase in air travel. According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), close to 2.5 million people are projected to fly daily in the U.S. during peak holiday season, marking an increase of nearly 5-6% over 2023. Globally, IATA (International Air Transport Association) forecasts that international passenger demand will reach 90-95% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024, driven by strong travel demand and the ending of COVID-19 restrictions.
The Pressure of Tight Flight Connections
Holiday air travel frequently leads to increased stress levels in people for several reasons. The surge in passenger congestion, long security line wait-times, flight cancelations and delays, and crowded airport terminals quickly create a tense atmosphere. Travelers must deal with the pressure of tight flight connections when trying to arrive on time for a family holiday gathering. Add to this unpredictable weather, overbooked flights, and the potential for chronic cancellations, and you have the perfect air travel “storm,” as it were.
Complex Travel Itineraries
Travelers are also commonly subjected to weighty emotional pressure during the holiday season. The desire to reunite with loved ones, along with the demands of navigating complex travel itineraries, can lead to anxiety, stress, and frustration. For families transiting through airports with small children or elderly family members, the potential for even more stress is a very real concern.
Make The Holiday Travel Experience More Manageable
Despite these challenges, there are some excellent ways of reducing the pressure, making the seasonal holiday travel experience more manageable, more rewarding, and simply more fun. Below, we outline some basic yet frequently overlooked ways to lighten the load during the most overwhelming travel times of the year. The good news is that these tips are easy to implement, with the payoff being less stress and more holiday enjoyment.
Morning Flights Are the Best Bet
While it is true that flights are available throughout the day, even late at night, there is a hack that can improve your chances of arriving at your destination without getting stuck in the airport. This simply involves booking the very first flight of the day. It is a smart strategy because even when faced with flight cancelations or delays, travelers that book early morning flights have multiple options to still get to their destination on the same day. Airlines can quickly reroute or book the very next flight of the day so that travelers reach their destination as planned.
Flight Crew Rest Issues
There are other reasons that early morning flights are the best option for holiday travel. For example, catching the first flight out in the morning usually means the aircraft has been sitting at the gate overnight, meaning there is less chance of a mechanical delay. If there are any minor mechanical issues, they are likely remedied overnight by maintenance crews. Also, flight crews are fresh and rested and less likely to have crew rest issues in the early morning hours.
Travel Days Do Matter
Choosing the best day to travel is important, too. Some days are clearly better than others when it comes to taking a flight during the holidays. For example, it is well reported that traveling the day before Thanksgiving is never a good option. It is a busy, crowded, and congested time to be making your way through a passenger terminal. The day before Christmas is equally as challenging. Planning a flight two or more days before a major holiday is always best.
Cancelations and Delays
Alternately, for those with the flexibility, traveling on the actual day of a holiday like Thanksgiving is not only a less congested time, but airfares are often much less costly. In addition, with air traffic being lighter, cancelations and delays can be expected to be less likely to occur. In the same light, it may be worth considering using an alternate or smaller airport for your holiday travel needs. Today, many regional airports are served by discount airlines. These smaller airports are easier and faster to navigate and transit, making holiday travel far more relaxing.
The Impact of Weather
As every traveler knows, the weather is one of the biggest upset factors in air transportation. When the weather turns bad, airport activity slows and can even stop completely. Being proactive by watching the weather a few days before travel can save a trip to the airport only to find that your flight has been canceled. It is much easier to arrange a better flight from the comfort of your home than from an uncomfortable airport terminal chair. Make the weather channel your best friend when planning holiday travel.
It’s All About the Security Line
Perhaps one of the biggest anxieties a holiday traveler experiences is the long and intrusive security checkpoint lines. Come prepared and follow all the TSA directives so that you are not flagged and delayed when transiting security. Check the TSA website and be sure to comply with all the rules, including container sizes for liquids. All liquids must be less than 3.4 ounces and fit into one one-quart bag (known as the 3-1-1 rule). Always review the TSA’s What Can I Bring page.
The TSA PreCheck
Applying for TSA PreCheck is always a good idea. This will allow you to skip the longest lines at security. Best of all, you can keep your shoes, jacket, and belts on. The TSA PreCheck fee is good for five years, and for parents, kids 12 and under can go into the Fast Pass line, making the entire experience far more palatable. As a note, even for those without TSA PreCheck, if you are running late for a flight, talk to a TSA agent and ask them for priority handling. There are no guarantees, but they sometimes will move you to the front of the line. Never hurts to ask.
Pack Like a Pro
When possible, pack light and avoid checking bags. This one hack can save you not only considerable time but also greatly reduces the chances of being the victim of lost luggage during the holiday season. Travel light and plan to wash clothes more often while on the road. Today, more than ever before, hotels have full-size washers and dryers or just wash at the home of your friends or family. Not checking luggage simply means moving through the airport much quicker, and it’s less stressful with fewer bags to weigh you down.
Bring Your Own Food
Not only is airport and airline food usually bad for you, but it is prohibitively expensive. The easy fix here is to pack your own food when possible. Carry a reusable water bottle and pack snacks that travel well. Granola and trail mix are top picks among savvy travelers. Healthy items like carrots and fresh fruit are not only better for you, but they will keep you feeling better on long flights. Most importantly, always stay hydrated when flying commercially. Remember that aircraft cabin air at altitude is very dry and dehydrating.
The Apps
Finally, a few other things that are helpful when traveling during the holiday season is to download and make full use of all travel apps. Your preferred airline and its native app will typically give the best flight update information. Best of all, you can track your rewards miles and even gain easy access to first-class lounges and such. Rental car companies offer many discounts when using their apps as well. Uber and similar ride share apps can make arriving to or exiting the airport a breeze. Embrace these modern digital conveniences and enjoy a better travel experience. Consider these simple tips and travel with confidence this coming holiday season.
