How to Navigate Busy Airports This Holiday Season
The period just before Christmas through New Year’s Day is one of the busiest times for travel, as is the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. If you’re considering a December vacation, there is still time to plan. Of course, airports will be especially busy.
The industry organization Airlines for America projected in 2018 that 45.7 million people would fly on U.S. carriers over the 18-day holiday travel period ending after New Year’s Day. That’s an increase of 5.2 percent from previous year. If recent trends hold, even more people will be flying over the holidays in 2019. So it’s important to book your flight early.
If your travel plans are flexible you could save money by flying at a time that’s less in demand, like early in the morning or later in the evening. Airlines for America ranks Dec. 20-21 as the busiest days for holiday air travel, followed by Dec. 26. The lightest travel days are usually Dec. 24-25, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, followed by the first few days after Jan. 1.
Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth are routinely among the nation’s busiest airports. If you have other airports nearby, you may want to consider alternatives. For example, several smaller airports serve Southern California in addition to Los Angeles International Airport. While flying out of a smaller airport may not save money, it could make your trip less stressful. Security checkpoints are likely to be less crowded and you could find it easier to get a space in the airport lots. You may also find that it’s easier to travel to and from a smaller airport.
When choosing your flight, remember to take into account the weather in late December. If you have to make a connection, be sure to give yourself plenty of time in case there are any weather-related delays. You don’t want to be rushing to make a connecting flight, especially if you’re in an unfamiliar airport where the gates can be far apart, or even in different terminals.
If you are going to fly out of a large airport, and have other trips planned over the next few years, it may be worth it to apply for the federal government’s TSA Pre. The program allows enrollees to get through security quicker and with less hassle – qualifying passengers don’t need to remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belts or light jackets. Travelers pay an $85 fee that’s good for five years. You can find more information about the program at tsa.gov.
For help planning a vacation over Christmas, or at any time of year, contact us.
