The good news is that there remain plenty of cheap traveloptions, including cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages. The bad news is that airports are expected tobe packed over the holidays, with planes having few, if any, empty seats.
If you are traveling with others, you may find that youhave to sit apart from a family member or friend, unless you already haveassigned seats or you are willing to pay extra.
Slightly over 25 million people are expected to fly duringthe 12 day Thanksgiving travel period this year, an increase of about 2percent. If people fly as expected, thiswill be the busiest flying holiday since 2007, when as estimated 26 milliontook to the air.
The busiest travel day will be Sunday, December 1stwhen over 2.5 million people will fly, followed by Wednesday, November 27th,with 2.4 million passengers. The slowesttravel day will be on Thanksgiving when about 1.4 people are expected to fly.
The following are suggestions as to how best to deal withthe surprises you may face traveling over the holidays:
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If youmiss your connection or your flight is cancelled, your airline shouldautomatically rebook you on the next available flight. Unfortunately with planes flying at nearcapacity the next open seat could be several days away. If you dont want the flight you are rebookedon, call the airline directly. Sometimessending a Tweet that describes your situation helps.
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If youare stuck at an airport for an extended period of time, consider purchasing aone day pass to an airline lounge associated with your airline. Such lounges usually offer free drinks andlight snacks. Airlines tend to stafftheir lounges with some of their best and friendliest ticket agents. These agents are sometimes able to magicallyfind empty seats. One day passes usuallycost $50.
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If youdo not already have assigned seats together with whomever you are travelingwith and do not want to pay extra for premium coach seats, it is likely thatyou will sit apart. However all hope isnot lost. Arrange to receive alerts forseat openings. The website ExpertFlyerprovides free notifications when a window or aisle seat becomes available. For 99 cents it will send an email ifadjacent seats are vacant.
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Startchecking your airlines website five days before departure. That is typically when some elite fliers areupgraded to first class, freeing up their coach seats. Additional waves ofupgrades occur every 24 to 48 hours.
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Checkin exactly 24 hours in advance of the scheduled take off time of your flightwhich is when airlines start releasing more seats. Dont give up. Even if you are not able to find seatstogether online, seats can often be changed at airport kiosks and on someairlines mobile apps.
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Make apoint of weighing any bags you are planning on checking at home. Bags in excess of 50 pounds (40 pounds onselect airlines such as Spirit) result in an expensive overweight surchargethat usually runs $100 in addition to the $25 checked bag fee.
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Beforedropping off your bag at an airline counter, make certain that the airlines taghas your name, flight number, and final destination. Place a copy of your flight itinerary insideof your bag with your cellphone number and name of where you will bestaying. Otherwise a lost bag may neverreach your destination and instead simply be returned to your home.
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Rememberif there is something in a bag that you cannot live without (such asmedication, an outfit for a meeting or wedding, or jewelry or electronics),then pack those things in your carry-on.
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Sinceoverhead space is particularly limited during holiday travel periods, pack asmall bag inside your carry-on. That wayyou will be able to retain your valuables if you are forced at the last minute tocheck your carry-on.
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