The holiday season is fast approaching. Many already have their tickets in hand or are starting to look for flights. Many people who travel during the holidays are once- or twice-a-year air travelers, typically less experienced with the system and airport security than frequent business travelers. This means they may not be as familiar with protocols in place and how to traverse the system with minimal interruptions.
For those who have yet to purchase tickets, flying on off-peaks days will give you more flexibility (and perhaps less expensive fares). For example, traveling on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day is always easier than the day or two before. With Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, the travel window will be longer, which should make airports and airplanes less congested.
Airport security can be a breeze if you understand how it operates. The Transportation Security Administration is prepared for multiple days with around 3 million passengers to screen. They already experienced this volume on July 7, so they know how to manage such congestion.
If you want the swiftest pathway through security, enroll in TSA Precheck. Precheck-vetted passengers are subjected to expedited screening, which means you can leave your shoes on and keep laptops and 3-1-1 liquids in your carry-on bag.
If you are planning to bring gifts, do not wrap them until you get to your final destination. Depending on what you are bringing, the TSA officer may need to examine packages, which could mean unwrapping the items. Better yet, ship gifts ahead of time to your destination so they are waiting for you upon arrival.
Keep an eye on the weather. Inclement weather is one of the most common reasons why flights are delayed (the top cause is air traffic control restrictions). Begin to check the weather forecast two days before you travel. Airlines have begun to realize that proactively avoiding problems is better than solving problems in real-time when flights get delayed or canceled. Many will allow you to change flights at no cost to avoid such issues.
Expected the unexpected. Stuff happens. The air system is complex and intertwined, with many moving parts. You may be sitting in Chicago or Dallas under sunny skies, yet if your departing flight’s airplane is coming in from the Northeast where there is bad weather, your flight may be delayed. Airlines are constantly reassigning airplanes and crews to flights, which could result in a smaller than expected aircraft, so not all people booked on the flight can be accommodated.
If your flight is oversold and you have some flexibility, you may be able to secure a travel voucher for future travel. This may mean that you will arrive a day later than expected, but that voucher can be helpful when booking your next holiday trip.
Be kind. The airline agents working on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve are the frontline people. They are missing their holiday celebrations so you will not. They are the bearers of bad news when flights are delayed or canceled. Remember to thank them for all they are doing, even if your flight gets canceled and you arrive at your holiday event late.
Air travel during the holidays can be an adventure. The good news is that to make your holiday a good one, you don’t need a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer. Just follow these few simple rules and increase the chance that you can travel “like the down of a thistle.”
Sheldon H. Jacobson is a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. He wrote this for the Chicago Tribune.
