The news was full of travel stories this past weekend. Between the floods in Yellowstone and the nearly endless stories of flight cancellations and delays in airports around the world, nearly none of the news was good.
What can you do to help cut down on some of the stress of travel right now? I’ve got a few tips:
#1 – Add at least another hour to your arrival time at the airport. The airlines are now recommending you arrive at airport at least 3 hours before domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights. Perhaps longer if you are checking a bag. You’ve heard me say many times, I’d rather you have time to stop at the Starbucks across from your gate than wonder if you are going to make it through the security line before the boarding door closes.
#2 – When you do encounter a delay, contact us right away. The sooner we know about a potential issue, the more options we may have available. Yes, you’ll still have to stand in line, but we can assist in the meantime so you know what the options are.
#3 – Take the earliest flights of the day, not the latest. If you are planning your own flights please pay close attention to the connection times. Domestically, an hour is good, two is better with summer delay potential. Internationally, you’ll need 2-3 hours at the very least.
#4 – Don’t check your bags, use carry on whenever possible. Have you heard about the “luggage mountain” at London’s Heathrow airport? Airports everywhere are understaffed and luggage handlers are no exception. If you must check a bag keep extra changes of clothes in your carry on. I’ve also heard of success stories where travelers were able to point airport staff to a lost bag due to an Apple AirTag that they placed in the bag for tracking before they checked in.
#5 – Be kind – seriously, this should go without saying! We all get frustrated, but loosing your temper isn’t going to suddenly make a plane appear, or lost luggage turn up. Keep calm and carry on!