Hello World Travelers,
As we approach the Christmas holiday and holiday travel, the weather is already wreaking havoc. A northeast snow storm blanketed Washington, DC (my home town), Philadelphia, New York and up through to Boston. For a change Chicago’s weather is better than DC’s weather but I don’t think that will be for long. The weather forecast is calling for snow on Christmas day in the Midwest! But by then I will be in DC.
The holiday travel season officially kicked off this weekend and Monday the 21st of December the is first day of winter and already somewhere in the US airports were closed and holiday travel was hindered.
I love the Christmas Holiday. I travel from Chicago to DC each year and the last thing I or anyone wants is to spend the holidays at the airport or stranded somewhere. While we may not be able to control this completely there are some things we can do to make things better. Here are some holiday and bad weather travel tips for you.
- Don’t travel with wrapped gifts, airport security can ask you to unwrap them. Also, TSA has every right to inspect your checked luggage and unwrap your gifts
- Book morning flights, even with delayed flights you may be able to get out that day and usually flights will take off before or as bad develops
- Try to book non-stop flights when possible and avoid connections in cities where bad weather is likely
- If you are on a connecting flight watch the weather channel and get ahead of weather problems at your connecting city. You may be able to have your flight rerouted before the masses are affected
- Give yourself an extra hour
- Have emergency and important phone numbers stored in your cell phone. The hotel where you will stay, the airline, the car rental company, etc.
- Register your cell phone number with the airline for alerts!
- If you’re traveling with children, make sure you bring things to keep them occupied in case of delays. And bring snacks so you won’t spend a fortune at the airport
- Be proactive and check the board at the airport
- If at all possible bring only carry on luggage. This will give you more flexibility when it comes to getting on other flights
- If you’re traveling by road make sure you have a road emergency kit in your car, it should include a blanket, flare, cables, a spare tire, water, snacks, jack, gas and roadside insurance
- Get a check up for your car to make sure it can make the long haul or the trip you’re taking
Lastly, just be prepared, this is not the time to hit the road without being prepared!
Good News, Now through January 4th most major US airlines have eliminated advance purchase rules for holiday travel. So if you have not purchased that airline ticket yet, there is still a chance to get an inexpensive ticket!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
The Traveling Eye, on The Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON or http://www.wvon.com/