Tips for Cheerful Holiday Trips
by Heather Pfeffer, Marketing & PR Coordinator at Asheville Regional Airport
The holidays are a time of joy and celebration and, for many, a time of travel. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are among the busiest times of the year for air travel. However, this doesn’t mean that traveling during the holidays needs to be stressful or chaotic. With some thought and planning, traveling during the holiday season can be merry and bright.
Don’t Delay
It is always important to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight’s boarding time, but it is especially important during the holidays. Boarding for domestic flights generally begins 30-50 minutes before the scheduled departure time, depending on the size of the aircraft, and the gates usually close 10-15 minutes (sometimes longer) before the flight is due to take off. It can be easy to underestimate the amount of time needed to navigate the airport from pulling in the entrance to sitting down on the plane. You need to allow yourself plenty of time to find parking, check in, go through security, and find your gate. If you don’t give yourself extra time for unexpected delays, you may find yourself watching your plane take off without you. The good news is that by arriving early you eliminate stress and allow yourself time to enjoy all of the amenities your airport has to offer. For example, Asheville Regional Airport offers plenty of opportunities for tasty food and drinks past the TSA checkpoint as well as a selection of local products that make great souvenirs and gifts!
Know the Flow
When it comes to holiday travel not all days are the same. Instead of being one solid wall of heavy traffic over the course of a holiday weekend, the traffic actually ebbs and flows. Each year the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) releases their air travel forecast for holidays. For Thanksgiving last year, the busiest days to travel were the Tuesday and Wednesday before, while travel on Thanksgiving itself was lighter. The same occurs in December, with the 22nd and 23rd being the heavy days and December 24th and 25th being lighter travel days. If you want to avoid the crowds, consider flying on the holiday itself.
Pack Smart
Packing for a trip can be difficult and on top of that you have to remember the various rules for packing for air travel. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources out there to help you make your list and check it twice when it comes to packing. The FAA’s and TSA’s websites offer valuable tools to make preparing for your trip a piece of (fruit)cake.
Most travelers are aware of the TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids policy. This policy requires that any liquids in a carry-on bag be 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or smaller sized containers that fit in one quart-sized resealable bag. All other liquids must be packed in a checked bag. However, it’s a festive season and when you buy a beautiful sparkling snow globe, the liquids policy isn’t the first thing the balls of wintery wonder bring to mind. In order to avoid a snag at the TSA checkpoint, make sure to pack snow globes and any other large liquids in a checked bag.
Another holiday packing conundrum is wrapping paper. While it may be tempting to wrap your presents before your trip, if an item needs additional screening it may need to be unwrapped. To save yourself time and effort, pack your presents and some wrapping paper and wrap them at your destination. Just make sure to pack the scissors in your checked bag.
And speaking of presents, electronics are great gifts to give during the holidays. But they also contain lithium batteries which can be hazardous on aircraft. Devices like smartphones, tablets, cameras, laptops, and electronic cigarettes or vaping devices can contain lithium, or lithium ion batteries. Airlines have guidelines for devices containing lithium and lithium ion batteries including quantity and size limits and requirements for packing, such as allowing them in a carry-on bag only. Be sure to check your airline’s guidelines if you will be traveling with electronics.
Be Weather Aware
Winter, and even late Fall, can be an unpredictable time when it comes to the weather. While having a white and snowy holiday sounds lovely, it can cause a headache for travelers. Not only do you need to be aware of the weather in your area, but in your destinations as well, especially if you are traveling to a snow-prone area. To get the most up-to-date information about delays and cancellations, download your airline’s app and have a plan in place in case of inclement weather.
Knowledge is Power
It is important to keep up-to-date with what it is happening at the airports you will be flying through. Airport websites have a lot of great information about parking, amenities, and important updates about things like road closures and construction. They also usually have terminal maps so that you can familiarize yourself with the layout. In the Asheville Regional Airport’s case, websites are an important tool to communicate with passengers during a major construction project. AVL Forward (flyavl.com/AVL_forward) provides construction updates, news, and sneak previews of the exciting new terminal. Airports do their best to relay important messages to passengers via social media and websites, so it is important to check these channels before, and during, travel.
Holidays are an amazing time to take a break and gather with the ones you love, all while enjoying good food and gifts. Many people have to travel, sometimes a large distance, to make this dream a reality. But while holiday travel may seem hectic and daunting, it doesn’t have to be. With some careful planning you can be a savvy holiday traveler. The most important thing while traveling during the holidays is to not stress, enjoy the ride, and spread holiday cheer to your fellow passengers and all the airport and airline staff who work hard to get everyone where you need to go. You may not have a sleigh and magic reindeer, but airports make it possible you fly and create holiday magic year after year.