Top Five Tips to Save You Time at the Airport this Holiday
Crowds at the Las Vegas Airport. Photo by hyku.
Traveling for the holidays can test the patience of even the most seasoned traveler. Airports are at their busiest during Thanksgiving, making for hectic travel for you and your family. Below are some time-saving tips to help you navigate those bustling airports during the holiday season, courtesy of Orbitz.com (www.orbitz.com).
Choose alternate airports: If you haven't booked your Thanksgiving travel -- or if you're looking ahead to Christmas or New Year's -- consider using alternative smaller airports. These are often much easier to navigate and less crowded. For example, if you're traveling to Chicago, consider Chicago Midway (MDW); New York-bound travelers may have better luck with crowds at the White Plains Westchester County Airport (HPN); and those heading into or out of Los Angeles may save time by going through Burbank (BUR) or Orange County (SNA).
Flexibility is key: If your travel plans are flexible, investigate flying on days that Orbitz predicts will be less busy during the Thanksgiving period. The best bet would be to depart on Nov. 23, 2009 and return on Nov. 30, 2009.
Online check-in is your friend: Where possible take advantage of online check-in and print boarding passes before arriving at the airport.
Know your flight status: Always check the status of your flight before leaving for the airport. Orbitz bookers can choose to get flight status updates sent to their PDAs or mobile phones, while they're on the go. Plus, they can choose to send their alerts to 6 others, including those picking them up at the airport.
Security smarts: Keep anything you need to show airport security such as ID, boarding passes, liquids in a zip-top bag, or medication, in a separate compartment of your carry-on bag. Digging for these items once you get to the front of the security line will cause delays and certainly not make you any friends.
Photo by hyku
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