10 Tips for Holiday Traveling

Repost of my guest article on the travel blog Ready to Check In.

The holiday season can be stressful for travelers trying to make it home to their loved ones. Airports are packed, people are grumpy, and the lines are long and time consuming. What if you could avoid these downsides and make your trip more enjoyable? Here are 10 tips to improve your holiday traveling experience.

1. Budget extra time

Arriving early to an airport is a game changer! Frequent flyers know to arrive at an airport at least one hour before a flight. However, during the holiday season, airports become slammed with an influx of homesick travelers ready to get on their way. Lines are longer than usual, TSA agents are extra vigilant, and the general attitude is one of stress and anxiety over making flights on time. Avoid catching that feeling by arriving at the airport at least a couple hours earlier than usual, so you can stay confident that you will have no issue making your flight on time, even if you’re stuck in a crowd.

2. Avoid peak flying days

Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally the busiest time of the year for airlines. So too, are the Friday before Christmas and the day after New Year’s. By adjusting your travel dates around these times, you can avoid being part of never ending lines and hopefully even pay a little less for your ticket.

3. Reserve airport parking

You will be hard-pressed to find airport parking during the holiday season. Lots and garages fill up quickly and don’t empty until the season is over. To avoid this issue, reserve parking spots ahead of time either with airport parking or in private lots that provide shuttle service to your terminal. Off-site private parking services are often less expensive than airport property lots, and shuttles rotate often, which means you won’t have to worry about missing your flight.

4. Lighten your load

The holiday season is typically accompanied by gift-giving. Presents can take up valuable space in a suitcase and run the risk of being damaged by baggage handlers. Avoid this issue by instead having your gifts delivered to your destination ahead of time. This will take some advance planning, but will certainly improve your travel experience.

5. Keep basic necessities in a carry-on

As is often the case, inclement weather during the holiday season can seriously delay or even force a cancellation of your flight. If your bags have already been checked and you’re stuck for multiple hours, you’ll be pleased that you remembered to pack a few necessities in your carry-on luggage. A change of clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, and whatever else will help you freshen up can transform a nightmare situation into simply an annoyance not worth getting upset over.

6. Avoid airline ticket counter

As the crowds of travelers swarm an airport, many of them will stand in line at the airline ticket counters. By printing your boarding pass at home, you can skip those lines and move straight on towards the security checkpoint. Another option is to download the app for your airline, which will provide you with a mobile boarding pass. That way, the TSA agent will prompt you to simply scan your phone’s screen before moving on in the line. Another benefit to downloading the app, is that your mobile boarding pass is updated with current information on your flight, such as boarding time as well as gate.

7. Download entertainment

Airport wifi is often finicky and slow, preventing a reliable stream of your favorite movies, TV shows, or music on your device. Plan ahead and download them ahead of time, which provides you the additional bonus of being able to access them while in the air and away from service options.

8. Bring rechargeable battery packs

It can be difficult to locate an unoccupied wall outlet to charge your devices while at an airport, and even more difficult to locate one with an influx of travelers. Save yourself the frustration of a low battery, and bring a rechargeable battery pack. You saved some power by downloading your entertainment ahead of time, but you never know how long you’ll be stuck at an airport with no way of locating a wall outlet.

9. Load up on snacks

Airport food is famously pricey, as they know you don’t have any other options of places to order food. Additionally, long lines for that food can become overwhelming. Solve these problems by bringing bagged snacks from home. In case of delayed or cancelled flights, this action keeps you prepared for the worst.

10. Splurge on a one-time club pass

In large airports, many airlines provide clubs for their preferred frequent flyers. These clubs provide amenities such as high-speed wifi, complimentary bar service, and food. However, if you want to make your traveling experience truly enjoyable, these clubs often offer one-time club passes. Depending on the airline, you either purchase that pass in advance or at the concierge desk. Check out which clubs are available at your airport through the airport directory.