How to Avoid Holiday Delays

Posted by Taylor , Nov, 2008 @ 10:15 am

Earlier this month, Brie posted a very helpful article about booking plane tickets. I thought I would follow up with advice from a New York Times article about avoiding holiday delays.

The article offers four suggestions:

Check Flight-Status Alerts – a lot of airlines and websites offer this service. It is used to inform you if there are any changes in your itinerary.
Cut Down on Wait Times - check the TSA’s website for wait times (did you know you could do that?). The website is: http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/index.html.
Check in as Early as You Can – Get there early or do it online.
Know Your Rights - this is what the Times reported:

The Department of Transportation requires airlines to pay passengers who are involuntarily bumped from a domestic flight a maximum of $400 in cash if they reach their destination within two hours of their original arrival time, and within four hours for international flights. Passengers are eligible for up to $800 if they are not rerouted by then. The final amount depends on the length of the flight and the price paid for the ticket.

5. Have a Backup Plan – Don’t wait until the last minute to research alternative flight plans.

Although I would love to be back in the States for the holidays, I can’t say I will miss the holiday travel mayhem.

Tags: holiday travel, travel advice, travel tips