Air travel has set record upon record this year. And the holiday season shouldn’t be any exception, officials say.
“This will be the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of air travel,” said David Pekoske, head of the Transportation Security Administration, at a news conference last week. The agency expects to screen 18.3 million people from Tuesday through Dec. 2 and anticipates more than 3 million travelers going through checkpoints on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
“This is basically the Super Bowl of travel,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at the cheap-flight alert service Going.
Rainy or snowy weather could complicate plans for travelers in some parts of the country. And Michael Whitaker, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, warned last week that the agency would slow traffic over the holiday as needed if staffing shortages were an issue. Some airport workers in Charlotte went on strike Monday, but American Airlines said in a statement it did not expect significant disruption.
For some, the projections confirm that not traveling is the right move.
“Travel crowds are expected to be at all-time highs and this travel expert doesn’t want to deal with it,” said Sally French, a San Francisco-based travel expert with NerdWallet.
For those who must deal with it, here are some warnings and tips on managing the chaos.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
Long airport lines
With all those travelers, expect a mess at the airport, especially during peak times.
“Big crowds tend to create a snowball effect,” French said. “That means longer waits at TSA, limited seating, longer lines to order food.” When flights are canceled, competition for a spot on an open one is even tougher than usual because so many people are flying and vying for a seat.
TSA says to give yourself “plenty of time” at the airport and gauge how long you need by what you need to do there. Need to return a rental car, check bags, get special assistance or grab a meal? Build that time into your plans, remembering that lines for everything will be longer than usual. The MyTSA app provides information on FAA delays, estimated security wait times based on historical data and whether PreCheck lanes are open or closed.
Stacey Barber, vice president at AAA Travel, suggests arriving at the airport two to three hours ahead of a flight. She said she “highly recommends” signing up for free reservations to go through security at airports that offer the service. She also said travelers should be sure to reserve a parking spot either at the airport or off-site if possible.
Delayed or canceled flights
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Airlines have melted down in past holiday seasons, delaying or canceling flights for millions of travelers. Everyone hopes to avoid that fate this year, but under new rules announced by the Transportation Department, travelers are entitled to automatic refunds if their flights are canceled or significantly delayed and they choose not to fly.
Airlines are now required to proactively offer refunds rather than vouchers or credits without passengers having to ask. Flights must be delayed three hours domestically or six hours internationally to qualify for a refund.
For instances where delays or cancellations are controllable by the airline, carriers have committed to providing a meal or voucher when passengers are held up for three hours or more.
French said that if it’s crucial that a traveler gets to their destination, they should keep a backup plan in mind and be aware of other flights available, nearby airports and even alternatives like taking a train or renting a car.
She said she uses “the Southwest hack,” booking an alternate flight on Southwest that she will cancel if not needed. The airline allows changes or cancellations up to 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time; travelers who don’t have refundable tickets can get a flight credit.
Lost bags
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
If you choose to check your bags - or are forced to check them at the gate - there’s a chance you could be separated from your luggage. Airlines could owe you for that.
Under new protections that went into effect in October, travelers are entitled to a refund for lost or delayed bags if they are not delivered within 12 hours of arrival for a domestic flight. The timing varies for international flights: either 15 to 30 hours from arrival, depending on the length of the flight.
“Regardless of what happens, you are entitled to that refund on your bag fee,” Nastro said. She said travelers should always keep receipts for any expenses they rack up due to their possessions being lost, such as toiletries or clothes, so they can submit a claim to the airline for reimbursement.
French recommends including AirTag tracking devices in luggage, especially if travelers have connecting flights. That way if the bag gets lost, there’s a better chance of the owner finding it. Apple recently announced a new feature that will let users share the location with airlines, but that will roll out in the months to come.
If you don’t care to carry your bags along, it’s also possible to ship them ahead. We tested four options.
Bad traffic
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Nearly 72 million people are expected to drive 50 miles or more from home during the stretch between Tuesday and Dec. 2, according to a forecast from AAA. With that many people hitting the road, expect some traffic snarls. That could even be true on the way to the airport, so Nastro recommends taking public transportation whenever possible.
The transportation analytics firm INRIX expects pre-Thanksgiving traffic to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. The Sunday and Monday after the holiday are expected to be crowded as well. Travelers who need to drive on the heaviest traffic days before the holiday should leave before 10 a.m. On the ensuing Sunday, they should leave before 1 p.m., and on Monday, they should head out before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
Barber said drivers should give themselves more time than usual; she said leaving the morning of Thanksgiving could be a good option if the destination isn’t too far.
For people traveling in the cold, Barber recommended packing an emergency kit that includes blankets, wireless chargers and snacks.
Pricey seat assignments
Want a decent seat on the plane but don’t want to pay extra for it? If you’re daring and a bit savvy, you can play “Check-In Chicken” by waiting to check in long enough for the airline to assign its worst economy seats to fellow fliers. It takes some effort to game the system - find tips here - but the end result could be a better seat at no added charge.
For families flying together, some airlines guarantee that children will be seated next to an accompanying adult at no extra cost. Earlier this year, the Transportation Department proposed a ban on fees to seat parents and young kids together.
Tarmac delays
No one wants to get stuck on a plane at the airport. But those who do should be aware of their rights.
When a delay lasts longer than 30 minutes, airlines are required to give passengers a notification about the status of the delay. Carriers need to provide travelers with a snack and water no more than two hours after a tarmac delay starts.
Before a delay reaches three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international trips, operators need to give passengers the option to get off the plane unless a safety issue keeps the aircraft from the gate. Airlines are not, however, required to let passengers back on the plane if they’ve left, according to the Transportation Department.
Expensive hotels
According to the U.S. Travel Association, the cost of a hotel stay was up 13 percent in October compared with the same time in 2019.
If your budget is stretched by hotel rates, consider using points, booking through a cash-back site, checking for price drops or rolling the dice by using a site that doesn’t show the name of the hotel until after you book. Read more money-saving hotel booking hacks here.
Confusing rental car choices
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
You don’t want to be stuck at your cousin’s house with no getaway vehicle. That’s understandable. But now that you’ve booked a rental car, there are questions: Buy the insurance or not? How do you pay for tolls? And what’s up with all the taxes and fees?
We collected some of the most confusing rental car questions - and their answers - for occasions just like these.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Bankrupt airline
The good news: You booked a flight home for a bargain. The potentially alarming news: It was on Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this month.
Don’t fret. Spirit said it will continue to operate normally. “The most important thing to know is that you can continue to book and fly now and in the future,” the airline wrote in an open letter to customers.
Longer term, airline industry observers expect the carrier to carefully probe its schedule, route map and airport presence to maximize profitability. That could result in a smaller airline. What that means for next year’s holiday season is still not clear.
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