Jackson Miller

Since I have spent so much time in airports this year I thought it might be useful to share my thoughts and methods for making holiday travel as painless as possible. If I was going to be flying with my family for the holidays we would follow every single one of these tips.

• Be nice
  Be nice to every single person who is working in the airport or on the airplane. You both have the same goal, to get you to your destination as quick as possible. feel free to ask for what you want (aisle seat, blanket, any rental car but a Ford Taurus); just ask it with a smile.
• Don’t buy a ticket with multiple airlines
  This is a huge no-no. What typically happens is that someone will buy their ticket from one of those online travel sites and their flight will have multiple carriers on a single day. This may very well be the absolute cheapest ticket, but it is not worth it no matter how much you save. The reason is that no one is accountable for you to actually get to your destination.
  Let’s say that you are flying from Nashville to Buffalo for Christmas. You buy a ticket from an online travel site that has you flying to Newark on Continental and then from Newark to Buffalo on Delta. When you get to the Nashville airport you learn that there is bad weather in Newark. Your flight is a little delayed, but you should still make your connection. As you are getting ready to board you get delayed a little more. Now you are pretty sure you are going to miss your connection. At this point you are screwed. Continental has agreed to get you from Nashville to Newark; from their perspective you are getting what you want. Delta has agreed to get you from Newark to Buffalo; until you get to Newark they aren’t obligated to fly you anywhere.
  If your ticket was all with one carrier then they would have agreed to get you from Nashville to Buffalo. As Newark got backed up they would have re-routed you and you would get to Buffalo for Christmas.
• Don’t expect a free hotel room
  I have seen lot’s of people who were genuinely shocked to learn that the airline was not going to provide a free hotel room when the last flight out got canceled. If the delay is anything remotely close to weather related then they will not provide a hotel room.
• Plan ahead for security
  Wear shoes that easily slip on and off. Pack everything into a bag so there are no loose items. As you approach the security line, put everything other than your license and boarding pass into your carry-on bag; this way you are not worrying about emptying your pockets. Don’t wear a belt with a big buckle and don’t take your belt off for security.
• Check your bags
  If you get delayed, lugging your bags around with you sucks. Even if you don’t get delayed it is easier to get through the airport without your bags.
• Look for kids areas during layovers
  A fair number of airports have play areas for kids. If you have a layover with kids then it is a good idea to scope out the airport online before your trip. I think O’hare even has a museum in the airport.
• Send presents ahead
  You want to guarantee that your presents get there? Use UPS or FedEx. they are way more accountable for your package than the airlines.
• Put your coat in your checked luggage
  You don’t need a coat in the airport or the airplane. It is much easier to just pack your coat in your suitcase when you get to the airport and then get it out when you pick up your bags. Less stuff to keep up with means less stress (and an easier time getting through security).
• Call for rebooking
  In the unfortunate event that you have a flight get canceled, call the airline while waiting in line. That way you are in two lines at once. Just don’t tell everyone in line with you what you are doing.
• Don’t take a taxi, call ahead for a sedan
  Taxi lines can get long, especially during the holidays. Sedan/limo drivers get special treatment. A sedan should only cost a few more dollars, but it is much easier. It also alleviates the fear of over paying in cities that do not have flat-rate airport pricing.

  Note: if you have family flying to see you for the holidays, send a sedan instead of picking them up. They will feel pampered and you avoid the mess. In Nashville I recommend Metro Livery.

• Don’t be an asshole
  Some times it is hard to follow the “be nice” guideline. In that case, just don’t be an asshole. Note: I have trouble with this one at times