The holiday season is the busiest time of year for air travel.
The TSA estimates that nearly 18 million people took to the skies this past Thanksgiving. As airlines deal with changing weather patterns and continued shortages of air traffic controllers, passengers are often forced to pay the price with delays and cancellations.
As with other tasks in life, planning can make the task of traveling by air a little less daunting. Here are some top tips for how to keep your head on straight as you navigate the skies this winter.
Know your airport
Each airport has its own unique challenges and perks. These circumstances are determined by several factors, including passenger traffic, location and available infrastructure.
The busiest U.S. airports around Christmastime include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK). Some of the busiest airports overseas include London Heathrow (LHR) and Dubai International (DXB).
Get the timing right
Airports are often busiest the days before and after major holidays, but quiet down during the actual holidays themselves. Experts say the best times to fly out for Christmas are Dec. 24 and 25, with the worst days being Dec. 20-23.
On the returning side, experts say the best return dates are Dec. 28 and 30, with Dec. 26 and 27 being the worst days.
When traveling by air, early morning flights between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. are less likely to get canceled, along with overnight red-eyes.
What to do if you hit a snag
There are several resources available to passengers in the event of a delayed flight. Make sure you have your airline’s app downloaded on your smartphone. Most airlines have an option to receive push notifications of any changes to flights, including potential delays. The app FlightAware is also widely used by passengers seeking information about their flights.
If you do face a cancelation, make sure that you know your rights. Federal protections and rights for passengers have increased in recent years. The Department of Transportation has created a diagram that shows all the rights passengers flying on major U.S. airlines have in the event of cancellations or delays.
Other important notes
Remember that all passengers over the age of 18 are required to have a photo ID to get past airport security. Get to the airport at least two hours before your scheduled flight for domestic travel. For international flights, arrive three hours before to give yourself time to get through any additional immigration or customs screenings.
This story was written by Sahil Gupta. He can be reached at [email protected].
