Travel Tips Top Ten Travel Tips to Keep You Flying to Your Holiday Destination

If you haven’t flown for a while you will notice a few changes in the check-in and security screening process at airports across the nation. To keep you flying high this holiday season and avoid delays we have gathered our Top 10 Tips for traveling this holiday season:

1. Arrive early for your flight. The airport will be very busy this holiday season so we suggest allowing 90 minutes to check in and clear security for flights during Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks. Early morning flights ( 5:30am-7:30am ) are very popular and you should allow plenty of time to catch these flights.

2. Do not wrap gifts, try shipping gifts in advance. Flights over the holidays will be very full and with heightened security measures we suggest ship gifts to friends and family in advance of your trip. This will avoid additional screening at checkpoint and will eliminate one more bag carried with you on your flight. If you do carry gifts with you please do not wrap them. Chances are they will be unwrapped for security checks.

3. Check in and print boarding passes from home. Many airlines offer customers the option of checking in and printing boarding passes for your flight up to 30 hours in advance of your trip from their website. So, if you are not checking bags you can bypass the ticket counter and go directly to checkpoint to board your flight.

4. Verify flight status prior to leaving home. Flight times can be checked by calling the airline’s 1-800 reservations number or visiting the airline’s web site. Also, most airlines offer a free flight notification service that will sent flight updates to your pager or e-mail mailbox informing you of changes to your flight.

5. Pack smart, don’t take items you won’t need. Many airlines have limited the number of bags you can check at the ticket counter free of charge. So, when traveling this holiday remember to save room for gifts you receive at your destination. Passengers are limited to one carry-on bag, one personal item and typically two checked bags.

6. Place identification inside and outside of your baggage. Name tags placed on the outside of luggage can sometimes fall off during transport. We recommend that passengers place contact information on the outside of the bag and on the inside in case your bag is misdirected or lost. Also, remember to place names or identifying marks on laptops, palm devices and other electronics to ensure you pick up the correct item at checkpoint.

7. If your flight is cancelled avoid lines by using airline 1-800 number or travel agent emergency number. In most cases, customers can rebook flights and change itineraries by phone instead of waiting in long lines at the airport saving time and frustration.

8. Keep all medicines and items you will need right away with you. If you baggage is misdirected or lost you want to ensure you have vital medications.

9. Keep your photo ID with you at all times. You will be asked to show your government issued photo ID a number of times during your journey. Keeping it handy will save you time at the airport. Only passengers 18 years and older are required to have a photo ID.

10. Remember the Kids. Travel can be very hard on children so remember to pack items to keep them occupied and happy during your trip. Snacks, small games, coloring books and the like will make time pass quickly. Make your trip a learning experience by creating aviation math and science games or tracking your trip on a map.