Thanksgiving Travel

Did you know the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is known as the biggest travel day of the year? With so many people rushing home to loved ones for the holidays, 2018 is supposed to be record breaking with a 4.8% travel increase from last year. Not a fan of holiday stress? Allow us to ease it with some helpful tips and tricks so that your only worry is whether to bring pumpkin or pecan pie to Thanksgiving!

• Give yourself plenty of time – Lines are sure to be longer at the airport during the week of Thanksgiving so leave extra early to avoid missing your flight just because you had to wait too long in line to check your bag.
• Plan ahead – Not only should you try to book your airfare as far in advance as possible to avoid inflated costs but you should try to take care of all airport check-in before you leave for the airport. These days airlines allow you to do a lot at home in order to avoid lines or congestion at the airport. Take the time to pick out your seat on your flight ahead of time as well to avoid any added stress once you get to the airport.
• Try to pack lightly – Checking bags always takes longer at the airport so try to consolidate everything into a carry-on suitcase or even a backpack if you can. This will save you time and money when rushing through a busy security line.
• Follow the rules – Make sure all your liquids are up to par with TSA regulations. Transfer small items from your pocket into your carry on before going through security to make for a smoother process. It also doesn’t hurt to wear easy shoes to slip on and off.
• Be TSA approved – Anyone who has ever been TSA pre-checked knows just how much shorter these lines are compared to the regular line. Getting TSA approved only takes 5 minutes to submit an online application and it lasts 5 years.
• Consider alternative travel plans – Instead of booking at the closest airport available, try looking at other airports in the area for cheaper fares. Also traveling on Thanksgiving day can sometimes be cheaper than traveling the day before. Lastly, flights aren’t the only way to travel for the holidays. Trains and buses still exist and can be much less costly and almost as efficient as a plane ride.
• Download airline apps – It’s 2018 which means… Airline apps have made travel a lot easier by providing a place for your mobile ticket as well as all your flight notifications.