1) If you are travelling across Canada or the US, or even internationally this holiday season, remember one thing: give yourself a lot of extra time. The Christmas season is without a doubt the busiest time of the year at the airports.
Always make sure you’re arriving at the airport at least 2 hours prior for a domestic or transborder flight, that way you won’t have to endure the long line ups closer to departure time. And if you’re taking a charter flight, be there 3 hours prior, as most charter airlines close their check in desks 1 hour prior to departure.
2) Pay Attention! There are so many flights departing at the same time, that sometimes your gate information may not be posted until a few minutes before your flight. It happened to me on boxing day one year, the busiest day of travel.
I went from one side of the airport to the other in a tizzy, trying to find my flight. The departures screen said one thing, which I was following. I did not notice that my gate number had changed, and the departure gate actually turned out to be all the way across the airport. Gates are always changing, so make sure you are reading the updates on the departure/arrival screens.
3) Pack smart! Visiting the family for Christmas, and your luggage/carry on is full of gifts? Well, don’t wrap them! Not unless you want to give yourself an early Christmas gift at the security check point, unwrapping everything in front of the guards, and the annoyed passengers behind you. Save your time in line (and everyone else’s) by wrapping the gifts once you’ve reached destination.
I hope these tips help this holiday season, and remember that this is one of the busiest times of year to travel, so allowing for the extra travel time will help you eliminate the stress.
