Our last tour is home from Italy, but we know that many of you still have trips ahead of you this holiday season. Here are our top tips to make your journeys as easy and pleasant as possible. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas!
- Book early and avoid the busy travel days. It’s better to fly on Thanksgiving than the day before and you still get there in time for that tasty lunch. Return on Friday and you’ll beat the return rush. For Christmas trips, avoid flying on Christmas Eve and returning Sunday night. We recommend looking at www.kayak.com or a new site called www.hipmunk.com for comparing flight options.
- Book direct flights or include a longer layover than normal. If you have extra time, you can always enjoy a cup of coffee at the connecting airport. It’s also a smart idea to fly into smaller airports, as they typically have fewer delays in bad weather.
- Print your boarding pass. You can do this online up to 24 hours before your flight and it’s a real time-saver, especially if you aren’t checking luggage. Bring a printed copy of your fight itinerary as well.
- Don’t wrap your gifts. The best idea is mail gifts to your destination or even better – buy online and ship direct! If you do take them with you, make sure you don’t wrap them. We recommend taking gift bags or folded gift wrap, tape and gift tags with you.
- Don’t check your bags. If you’ve followed tip #4, you won’t have much luggage anyway, but do take a spare bag with you, as you’ll be bringing those wonderful gifts home. If you are checking bags, there’s likely to be a fee, so if possible, bring one large bag for all the family and save by pre-paying before you get to the airport.
- Prepare your carry on. Remember that all gels and liquids must be in three-ounce or smaller containers in a single quart-sized zip-top clear plastic bag if you are just taking carry-on. You are allowed to purchase drinks etc. once you have cleared security and take them on the plane.
- Reserve your parking spot. In winter, it often takes longer than usual to get to the airport, so leave plenty of time to take the Metro-link or park your car. If you are driving to the airport, make sure that you fill the car with gas the night before and leave time to scrape windshields. For security reasons, don’t leave any valuables in your vehicle.
- Load your phone. If your flight gets delayed or cancelled, you’ll save time by having useful numbers with you like the frequent flyer reservation desk, the airline’s 800 phone number, the people who are meeting you at your destination, your car rental agency, your travel insurance company etc. Check your flight status frequently and sign-up for phone or text notifications. We like www.worldmate.com for iPhones. Take your charger with you in your carry-on.
- Plan for delays. It’s always good to have books and healthy snacks. If you are traveling with children, take an extra set of clothing, playing cards, books, quiet toys etc. When our kids were small, I would bring small gifts and space them out during the journey. If you are delayed, go straight to your airline desk for assistance. The polite people get the best service and may even get upgrades. Your calmness will help other travelers too.
- Put your address inside your bag. If you put your travel itinerary inside your bag, the airline will be able to contact you if your bag gets lost. Luggage tags often fall off, so make sure your address is inside as well.
