Tips for Holiday Travel

1. Avoid peak travel days: Do NOT fly on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving day is usually much easier and less stressful. On the return, Friday is much less busy than Saturday or Sunday. Christmas Eve and New Years Eve both fall on Mondays this year. That means, the Friday before will be extremely busy and over-priced. To save money and stress, pick off-peak days to travel.

2. If you have not booked your holiday travel, now is the time! The longer you wait, the higher prices will go. If you are holding out for a last minute deal, now is the best time to buy. The closer we get to the holidays, prices will only go up. The best advice I can give is be flexible with dates and times of travel.

3. Shop around: Cast a wide net to look for the best deal on airline tickets. Jacksonville (OAJ) tends to be more expensive than Wilmington or Raleigh. Try different websites to find the best deal out there. Also keep in mind that smaller airports, like OAJ, see less flights so they also see less delays.

4. Know your airports: Price is not the only factor to consider when shopping for airline tickets. Keep in mind parking, traffic to and from, rental cars and hotels nearby.

5. Plot layovers carefully: Make sure you have plenty of time for connections, taking weather delays and airport traffic into consideration. Try to connect in airports in warmer climates, as they are less likely to experience delay.

6. Leave early: Many airport delays come in the form of security and check in. You don't want to miss your plane because you did not arrive early enough. Strive to leave for the airport early. Plan for traffic and long lines.


7. Pack wisely: It is always a good idea to carry on luggage instead of checking in. Keep in mind restrictions on liquids in luggage carried on. This website answers many questions about what is and is not allowed on airplanes these days:  

http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/air-travel/airport-security-q-and-a

8. Use the web for more than booking: Print boarding passes at home, if possible. Consider doing your holiday shopping online and having your gifts shipped to your destination, rather than cramming Susie's doll and Jimmy's firetruck into your carry on.


9. Travel when no one wants to: Airports are much less congested when normal human beings would rather be asleep. Choose flights that depart early or late in the day to avoid delay.


10. Give package deals a try:
Over the holidays, it can be more than worth it to bundle your flight, hotel and/or rental car.

11. No matter how you choose to travel, allow plenty of time and bring your patience!