While the good news is that there remain plenty of cheap traveloptions, including cheapairplane tickets, cheapdeals, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, forholiday travel, typically crowds and weather combine to create a less thanoptimal travel outlook.
Crowdstend to be heavy the days leading up to and following winter holidays. You are likely to find long, slow moving lines,whether waiting to get through a security checkpoint, enter a bathroom, or boardyour plane.
Advance planning and flexibility are yourbest tools to fight against holiday crowd fatigue. If possible, reserve your travel for one ofthe less busy holiday air travel days. AroundThanksgiving, that may mean traveling on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday. If flying around Christmas, try to avoidDecember 22nd through 24th, December 29th, and January 2nd. By not flying on these days you will not onlyescape the worst of the crowds but also the most expensive airline tickets.
If you must travel on the busiest daysover the holiday, be prepared to practice patience. You will face waits, though if you haveGlobal Entry or TSA PreCheck, you can avoid the worst of the security lines.
If youwant to pay less, or at least not top dollar for your holiday flights thenfocus on two factors: when you book and when you fly. Unlike other times of the year when waitinguntil the last minute to purchase tickets can sometimes result in scoringcheaper flights, holiday flights usually get more expensive the closer you getto the travel date.
The key to finding more affordable holidayairfare is to travel on lower demand travel days. Reserving tickets on off peak days can resultin prices up to three times less than peak holiday travel dates.
Tominimize your chances of facing flight delays, try picking direct, nonstopholiday flights both to and from your destinations. Connecting flights significantly increaseyour odds of experiencing delays and cancellations. If you must select multiple flight legs, tryto connect through airports less likely to be impacted by winter storms. For example, instead of connecting throughDenver or Chicago, opt for Houston, if possible. Minimize your chance of delays by bookingearly morning flights, before your airline and airport have had much time tocompound delays.
Beingin close proximity in security lines, waiting to board, and in the confinedspace of an airplane cabin exposes you to the germs of fellow passengers. Before departing make certain to get enoughsleep and stay hydrated while traveling to keep your immune system strong.
Once seated on a plane wipe down thearmrests, tray table, including the latch, and any touchscreens with asanitizing wipe. Avoid an aisle seat,since that exposes you to more of other passengers germs. Keep your air vent open and blowing airslight in front of your face. Wash yourhands with warm water and soap at every opportunity.
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