Is It Christmas Yet? - tips for reserving holiday flights

Holiday travel can be one of those love/hate experiences. You love to connect with friends and family; you hate that everyone else is trying to do it at the same time. Here are a few tips to save money and have the most enjoyable experience during the holiday travel season. Although I specifically refer to Thanksgiving and Christmas, these tips apply to any holiday travel.

Flexibility rules for the holidays. Because so many travelers can’t or won’t be flexible, those who can will score the best airfares while avoiding some of the crowds.

1) Historically, the best booking window for holiday air is between 10 and 12 weeks out. Utilize some of the flight search websites for comparison shopping, but NOT for booking. See #2.

2) Book directly with the airline. Utilizing a third party such as Expedia or Orbitz adds a non-human “middle-man” and can hamper you significantly if you experience problems such as flight delays or cancellations. I’ve heard some customer service horror stories of passengers being batted back and forth between the airline and the booking site when a problem arises. And good luck getting a live person on the phone from one of those booking engines. Additionally, any savings will probably be eaten up in hidden fees or inconveniences.

3) Avoid the popular travel days, if possible. Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are the busiest travel days of the YEAR in the US. Can you leave on Tuesday or return on Saturday? And, if it works for you, traveling on Thanksgiving Day is the cheapest.

Christmas and New Year’s Day are on Monday this year. Two long weekends to challenge you! Try to avoid Friday/Saturday before and Tuesday after. And, as with Thanksgiving, flying on the actual holidays can save you a lot of money.

4) Alternative airports. Are you traveling to or from an area with multiple airports? There can be some significant fare differences within the same market at different airports, so it’s always worth checking. Just make sure you factor in any additional ground transportation costs, if applicable.

As a bonus, smaller or alternative airports are usually much less crowded making security lines shorter and the airport experience more pleasant.

5) Try to book first flight out. If weather or mechanical issues pop up, you’ll stand a better chance of getting to your destination the same day on a later flight. And, if you don’t care what time you arrive, you may be able to score some free vouchers or extra miles if the airline needs volunteers for overbooked flights.

Have a wonderful time. Yes, it’s crowded and yes, holiday travel can be trying, but it can also be a lot of fun. Airports are the best for people watching. And folks, overall, are in a good mood. Friends and families reuniting, military personnel returning home, business travelers taking a much-needed break. It’s all good.

Will you be flying this year during the holidays? I'd love to know!

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Be a Roadrunner at Airport Security

 I get asked all the time if there is a trick or special sauce to get through airport security faster. While some of the process is out of our control, such as length of lines or how many security personnel are on point, there are many things you can do to speed yourself along and mitigate delays:

1) Have your ID and boarding pass out and ready to hand to the TSA agent. If you use your cell phone, take a screen shot of the boarding pass to avoid internet connection disruption.

2) Wear slip-on shoes. Unless you are 12 and under or 75 and over, you have to take your shoes off to go through the screening machines. Wear shoes that don’t require lacing, buckling, or boots that are difficult to get on/off. And on that note, I recommend a pair of socks (sans holes!) for going through screening. Change into your flip-flops or sandals after you’re finished at the checkpoint.

3) Don’t wear a belt. If you must, place it in an easy to get to pocket on your carryon and wait until you clear security before putting it on.

4) Place your liquids in an accessible compartment. There’s enough going on without rooting through your bags trying to find the little baggie.

5) Remove everything from your pockets, including loose change and place in your purse or backpack. Remove bulky jewelry and watches. If you don’t have a purse or backpack, put all loose items in one of the small baskets provided to decrease the likelihood of forgetting something.

6) If you are traveling with a laptop, pull it out and place in a bin. Or purchase a TSA approved carrying case. Otherwise, you’ll have your bag searched. If you don’t have a TSA case, place it in a bin with your shoes if they’ll fit. You’re less likely to walk off and forget it after screening. Laptops and small electronics are the most frequent items left behind at security checkpoints. And, it doesn’t hurt to tape a business card or small ID card with your name and cell to the laptop just in case.

7) If there is a long line, check out other security access points. Many airports have more than one screening area within a terminal. For example, there may be a screening area for gates 1- 15 and another for gates 16 - 30. But, you have access to all 30 after exiting the checkpoint. More than once I’ve seen lengthy lines at one checkpoint and no waiting at another. The TSA doesn’t care which one you use.

8) Get TSA Pre-Check. If you travel more than once or twice a year, this is really worth considering. It’s $85 - $100 for five years, depending on which version you select. TSA Pre-Check allows you to leave your shoes and jacket on, your toiletries and laptop snug in your bag, and a separate line that is usually shorter and definitely speedier!

And after you zip through security, you can relax, sit-back and enjoy a coffee or cocktail and watch everyone else scurry around! Beep beep!

Click here for TSA site.