Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel holiday periods of the year. If you are flying to grandma’s house, avoid stress by following these tips for smarter travel –
Check in online up to 24 hours before departure, and print out your boading pass. Be sure to click the online prompt for boarding pass only, or you’ll be printing a bunch of additional pages of ads for hotels, rental cars and local attractions that you may not need.
A growing number of airlines, including Delta and United, now have smartphone apps that allow you to check in via a QR code and eReader. This is available only at major airports, such as New York City’s JFK, London’s Heathrow, plus Frankfurt, London and even Santiago, Chile.
Arrive at the airport in ample time. Check-in times are longer at peak holiday travel periods, such as Thanksgiving. Arrive at least 90 minutes ahead of a domestic flight, and at least three hours ahead of an international one, or you could be denied boarding.
Avoid excess baggage fees by packing light. In addition to the $15-$35 airlines now charge for checked luggage, bags over 50 lbs. can cost an additional $25 to $100, so leave the bricks and the full-size toiletries at home. Wear your heaviest shoes for the flight, and bring a pair of comfy slippers in your carry-on for the flight.
Be sure you carry-on luggage fits the airline’s requirements, generally no larger than 22″ x 14″ x 9″ with wheels and handles. Some airlines, including JetBlue, will gate check an oversized carry-on for free, but others will charge a checked baggage fee. If in doubt, check with the airline to avoid costly surprises.
Submit a request for a wheelchair or a special meal at least 24 hours before you travel. You also should have your seat already booked.
Try to reserve your seat when you book your flight, when you’ll have the greatest selection of seat choices. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to get what’s left, which is most often the dreaded middle seat. Be aware that most airlines freeze seat choices 24 hours before the flight, turning them over to airport check-in personnel.
Remember the rules for carry-on liquids – no individual container larger than three ounces, and everything must fit into a one quart or liter see-through zip-close plastic bag or case.
Since I travel a lot, my own travel trick is to keep two kits pre-packed – one for longer trips to go in my checked luggage, and another for quick getaways that passes the three-ounce/one-quart rule.
Another trick is to squeeze a bit of air out of a tube or bottle before twisting or clicking the lid shut. That creates a small vacuum and makes the tube or bottle less likely to spill or leak under cabin pressure.
I also always travel with a bag of raisins and nuts or other snacks, and an empty water bottle to refill as needed. The snacks have saved me and my children from starvation during late or missed flights, and having my own water bottle saves me the expense of buying bottled water.
Finally, be sure you have travel insurance that will cover expenses for delayed baggage, missed flights and even emergency medical evacuation and treatment.