If this holiday travel season traffic continues to grow in numbers like the rest of 2022 has, travelers who haven’t flown since the pandemic lifted should be ready for changes that they might not have seen before.
Here are some possible wrinkles and ideas that ConsumerAffairs found that may be worth considering. It may be worth printing this out and using it as a guide as you plan out your holiday air travel.
Flights might be packed to the gills. “Flights will all be full so if sitting together with family and friends is important, ensure you have seats reserved,” Sandra McLemore, travel TV host and industry expert told ConsumerAffairs, adding an extra warning that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to switch on the day of travel without asking another passenger.
AirlineRatings‘ Geoffrey Thomas said that if you want more comfort, seating-wise, consider buying an exit row. “It is an excellent investment and not only gives more comfort but reduces stress levels,” he said.
Drop off your luggage ahead of time. One of the little known tricks of the trade for seasoned travelers is that you actually check your luggage ahead of time!
“If you’re able to do this it can help cut down the amount of time you need to spend in the airport, potentially avoiding some queues. Alternatively, if you can opt just for hand luggage you can reduce any wait times even further,” Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner’s trend and destination expert told ConsumerAffairs.
For a complete list of airlines that offer this service, click here.
Pack a ton of patience for the airport. McLemore says travelers should arrive at the airport 2-3 hours earlier than normal if they don’t have TSA and/or CLEAR* membership. Lines will be long, less experienced travelers and people with special needs will take longer to maneuver through the airport.”
*CLEAR is an airport security membership platform that helps passengers get through security faster at these U.S. airports.
Some U.S. airports will be especially busy over the Thanksgiving weekend – among them, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Charlotte. Hopper offers a list of the 10 busiest airports and the 10 that suffer the most disruptions. You can find that here.
If you can, avoid checking luggage. In her opinion, McLemore thinks that a carry-on offers faster movement and less chance of your items going astray.
However, for those who need to check a bag or are concerned that they could lose or misplace something while traveling, ConsumerAffairs recently found something called PingTag, “lost and found” QR code stickers that can go on things like luggage so if a bag gets lost, anyone who finds it can scan the code and contact the owner.
App up! Mary DeSpain, President at Destination CLEs told ConsumerAffairs that travelers should be sure to have their airline’s app downloaded. You’ll be able to use it for boarding, baggage tracking, getting immediate updates, etc.
Check-in online. “Checking in online can really save time on arrival at the airport. Online check-in is obligatory for some airlines, but even for airlines where it’s not, it’s usually an option,” Lindsay said.
“If you’ve already checked in online, you can completely avoid the first check-in queue at the airport, going straight to bag drop or security. You’ll also be able to choose your seats in advance, snagging some extra leg room or a window seat before the other passengers get the chance.”
Watch for weather changes. Putting on her weathercaster hat, DeSpain added that if a traveler sees bad weather coming, they should call their airline immediately to see if they can make changes to their itinerary.
Travelers can check on whether their flight is on time or stuck somewhere else because of bad weather at FlightAware, ConsumerAffairs go-to site for flight snafus.
Check how long the lines are in advance. “You can always check the airport’s website for information on whether the security lines are longer than usual,” noted Mercedes Zach, a travel expert at ASAP Tickets. “To save time, check in online or at a self-service desk at the airport whenever possible.”
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