Holiday travel is about as stressful as it is rewarding. The airport’s insane lines and tedious security checks can turn even the jolliest people into Grinches. But there’s a lot you can do to make those long flights more bearable. Here are KKday’s holiday travel tips to make your flights and airport stops more bearable.
1. Make use of apps for your holiday travel
Everyone knows that holiday travel can put a very painful dent in your wallet. Which is why it definitely pays to purchase your tickets ahead. Use apps like Skyscanner to compare prices across airlines as early as three months ahead—but don’t get trigger happy. Watch out for holiday seat sales and promotional fares, and set up price alerts so you can get the best price possible.
2. Use your points and rewards to get huge discounts
Lots of loyalty programs offer discounts or cash back during the holiday travel season, so if you aren’t already part of one, it’s as good a time as any to sign up. Call your credit card company to check out any loyalty points and rewards you may have accrued over the last year. Check with the airline you frequent to see if you’ve racked up enough miles to use on your trip. Even during the season of giving, you can feel the pinch, so take advantage of any discount you’ve earned.
3. Fly early in the morning
With a crazy influx of travelers and overcrowded runways, flight delays are inevitable. And once one plane doesn’t make it on time, the delays just snowball throughout the rest of the day. Sometimes it can get as bad as an overnight stay in the airport. Avoid this nightmare scenario by taking flights as early in the day as possible.
4. Don’t check-in at the airport
Whether you’re flying domestically or internationally, you’ll find long queues everywhere. So before you even get to the airport, see if you can check in online and print your boarding pass ahead of time. Most airlines have their own smartphone app that lets you do it as early as 48 hours before departure. Apart from skipping the long lines, this usually lets you choose your plane seat—an absolute blessing for long-haul flights.
5. Don’t accessorize (as much)
The holiday travel season brings about the crowds and lines which means security check-ins can be a real pain. Knowing how to dress and pack can help save you a lot of time. Items like your keys, jewelry, laptop, watch, and even coins trigger the metal detectors. So save your crown jewels for when you land or place them in a bag or jacket security you can easily place on the security scan. Wear simple runners or sandals that you don’t need to remove when walking through the detector.
6. Get a flu shot
The last thing you want is to spend your Christmas vacation locked in your hotel room with a cold—or worse, alone and at home with canceled plans. The airport crowds multiply during the holiday season, increasing your chances of catching something. And with airlines getting stricter about sick passengers, as well as sudden climate changes to wherever you’re headed, keep your immune system in check and take your vitamins.
7. Take advantage of airport transfers and chartered services
Expect your tour bus to be a little more cramped this holiday season, which can make traveling in big groups a lot trickier. Chartered services are great if you’ve got a specific itinerary in mind and want to take your time without the pressure of keeping up with a tour group of strangers. This is especially convenient for families traveling with toddlers, children, or Senior Citizens. Check out which transfers you can avail of on the KKday website, over here.
8. Check out the local Christmas celebrations
So this one isn’t exactly for the airport. But while waiting for your flight, you can browse through the local holiday scene of your destination and see what you can do.One of the best things about spending the holidays abroad is seeing how different cultures decide to celebrate. For exciting tours and activities, head to KKday.com where you can book things even at the last minute. Wherever you’re headed, read up and watch out for nearby celebrations and get into the holiday spirit with a local twist.
