Every year for more than a decade, Val and I, have traveled home for the holidays. Flying at this time of year can be difficult and annoying, but there are a few tips and tricks to make things more pleasant. While most of this advice is more geared towards the US Thanksgiving and December Holidays, it can also apply to busy travel days like Memorial Day or Labor Day.
Bottom Line: Airports are not an apocalyptic wasteland during the holidays, but they are extremely busy. It’s best to be prepared and plan your travel accordingly.
Plan Travel Days
Planning travel during the holidays can be somewhat unpleasant, the prices are high and the airports are crowded. However there are a few ways to to make the most of it. Certain days will be the most busy and others are lighter. Around the Thanksgiving holiday, the Saturday and Sunday after are the most busy days of the year for traveling. In 2023 TSA screened more passengers on the Sunday after Thanksgiving than any previous day ever. (Source TSA) This means if you can leave a day early, or stay a day late, you’ll save some headache. Traveling on Thanksgiving day is also a good option as that’s a very low volume day.
The same applies around the Christmas and New Years. If the holiday is on a weekday, the following weekend will be a heavy travel day. Traveling on the Holiday directly is usually much more pleasant. If you do have to travel on a heavy travel day, expect higher prices as well.
Consider Secondary Airports
We often travel to Florida(where our parents live) for the December Holidays. Instead of flying into the major airports like TPA or MCO, smaller airports are often less busy and easier to deal with. For this reason, we often use GNV. GNV and MCO are nearly the same distance from where we need to be anyway.
Secondary airports are also valuable on departure. They are smaller allowing you to arrive later, have shorter lines, and getting into/out of the airport is just easier. The downside is that smaller airports have less connectivity and fewer flights.
Book Flights Early and Monitor Them
In my experience, the pricing of flights around the holidays is relatively stable. Unlike in other situations where waiting can lead to lower prices, with holiday travel, demand is high enough that prices tend to only increase. I think the sweet spot is booking 3-5 months in advance. The good news is that the US legacy airlines are very flexible these days and will issue travel credit if the price decreases. Avoid basic economy fares to gain this flexibility.
As always, monitor your flights at least once every few weeks. As airlines’ schedules change flight times change and seats can also change. I always keep an eye on this to make sure any new flight times work for my trip. Also that I don’t end up in crappy seats.
Pre-book Parking or Airport Transportation
Parking at airports in 2023 is not only expensive, but in some cases is very difficult as lots are full. To combat this consider pre-booking parking or using alternative means to get to the airport. Greenville doesn’t have public transportation to GSP, so on longer flights it makes sense to use a ride share to get to the airport. Both Uber and Lyft offer pre-booking service for getting to the airport. These do cost a little more than just requesting a ride as needed.
Pack Correctly-Know the TSA Rules
Traveling around the holidays usually means bringing items you wouldn’t. Things like gifts and food need to be packed properly to comply with TSA rules. When it comes to gifts, I don’t wrap them until I get to my destination. Then if TSA needs to inspect them, I don’t have to open them.
For food, I’ve been know to bring lots of odd items on planes. I mostly just clean out the fridge and bring it along. This is absolutely ok as long as there are no liquids. Keep in mind that things like hummus and mayonnaise count as a liquid.
The Christmas holiday is pretty much the only time of year I check a bag. Mostly to carry gifts and other large items. I tend to just check a cardboard box, and not a suitcase. This allows me to dispose of the box or add another item very easily. Airlines will gladly check a cardboard box, just follow the size and weight requirements.
As always, keep valuable items with you. Don’t check jewelry, medicine, or loose lithium batteries.
Be Self Sufficent
Around any holiday, airports are busy. This means the lounges are busy, the restaurants are full, and seating is crowded. I’m always self sufficient with a sandwich, USB power bank, and a water bottle. That way I’m not hungry, my phone is charged, and I’m hydrated no matter what. I also like to travel with a spare shirt and underwear in my carry on, even if I checked everything else. I don’t want to get caught out.
Onboard the plane, having a snack is a nice break, bring one with you. Same with entertainment, many airlines offer in seat entertainment, but not all and sometimes the systems fail. Have something downloaded on your phone or bring a book.
Stay Flexible
Thanksgiving is in November, Christmas is in December, New Years is January, weather is unpredictable these times of year. As Southwest travelers found out in 2022, when things go wrong, they go very wrong.
Yes, it sucks to be delayed, but becoming angry and upset doesn’t help. It’s always a good idea to have travel insurance or a credit card that offers protection in those cases. Don’t expect to be reimbursed for a whole new flight, but a hotel room reimbursement is likely. Make sure you’re phone is charged and ready to make backup car reservations or to contact an airline.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, the most important things to remember about traveling at the holidays are to book early, monitor your reservations, pack correctly, be self sufficient, and stay flexible. Fly to and from smaller airports and prepare for the worst.