But let's admit it, nothing puts a bigger damper on the fun than
leaving for the airport with ample time to check in and board your
flight, only to arrive and find out that your flight is delayed…or
worse yet, cancelled. And this summer, flight delays and
cancellations are inevitable. According to the Air Transport
Association, this summer will be the busiest summer travel season in
more than five years as an estimated 200 million people are expected
to take flights this summer. So combine the increase in
travel demand with the decrease in available aircraft, due to
airlines trimming the fat and cutting back on scheduled flights, mix
in a few thunderstorms…and you get lots of delays and cancellations.
But doing a little planning in advance could help minimize the
turbulence with your summer flight plans. Here are a few tips:
Reservations: Just as the old saying goes, "the
early bird catches the worm". When it comes to air travel, the early
bird catches the flight. Booking an early morning flight may
decrease the chance of dealing with flight delays or potential
cancellations. Most summer thunderstorms happen in the afternoon,
and booking early flights will help you avoid being stuck in the
airport waiting for a storm to pass. And if your morning flight is
cancelled, you will still have the afternoon to try and reschedule
your flight plans. Additionally, if your flight schedule requires a
connection to another flight, be sure and leave enough time in
between flights to make your connections, factoring in the
possibility of a short delay.
Check In: Save yourself some time by obtaining
your boarding pass online. Simply log onto the airline's website and
print your boarding pass before leaving your home or office, up to
24 hours in advance. You will improve your chances of getting a
better seat by checking in early, plus save time and hassle at the
airport by avoiding the kiosk or check in lines. Even if you are
checking luggage, most airlines have a designated area that you can
check in luggage only and avoid the boarding pass lines…or check
your luggage curbside, and you're ready to head to your gate with no
lines at all!
Luggage: But where luggage is concerned, try to
travel light and carry on all of your luggage if possible. Carrying
on your luggage will save you time hanging around baggage claim when
you land, and avoid the headache of trying to retrieve luggage if it
is lost. When you are carrying luggage on, be sure to be in line to
board as quickly as you can - as overhead space can fill up quickly,
and you might be forced to check bags anyways.
Airport / Flight Status: While you're printing
that boarding pass out, you can also obtain information about
airport delays by hitting http://www.fly.faa.gov/. Or another great site to
obtain information about airport delays or to check flight status is
http://www.flightstats.com/. You can even sign up
for FlightStats electronic alerts, and receive notifications about
flight delays or cancellations via email or text message. Most
airlines have flight status on their websites as well, which can
also be very handy if a friend or family member is picking you up at
the airport.
Weather: Log onto http://www.weather.com/ to check the weather in
the city you are departing from as well as in the city you will be
arriving at, to help determine any potential travel delays due to
weather conditions. It's also helpful to know weather conditions for
your destination, so you can pack appropriately.
Security: Even if your flight is on time and
there are no delays, long lines at security checkpoints could delay
you enough to cause you to miss your flight. To find out how long it
may take you to get through security, visit http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/index.html. And a few
hints on getting through security quickly - be prepared. Before you
step up to the security table, remove your belt, shoes, cell phone,
jewelry, keys and change from your pockets. Remove your outer jacket
and place in a bin with your other belongings. Make sure your laptop
computer is out of its case, and lying flat and unobstructed in its
own bin before sending it on the conveyor belt through security.
Keep your boarding pass in hand for the TSA agent to review - don't
put it on the conveyer belt. Be aware that if your boarding pass is
marked with "S's", you have been randomly selected for a full
screening, and should allow more time.
As you pass through the metal detector, be sure not to brush
against the sides, as this will set off the alarm. Metal detectors
work by measuring the aggregate amount of metal you are carrying as
you pass through, and some machines have higher sensitivity than
others. If your metal content exceeds the limit, the machine will
beep and you'll get one more chance through. This time, be careful
in trying to remove as much metal as possible, because if the alarm
goes off a second time, you will have to go through the full body
screening, which could delay you further. And if you do get selected
for "special screening", be cooperative with the agent. They are
just doing their job and working to keep passengers everywhere
safe.
Taking the above steps will not eliminate delays all
together, but will certainly help you avoid having to spend a good
part of your summer vacation in a terminal. Bon
Voyage! |
