Holiday Tips from a Frequent Flier

Since this is a season not just to be jolly but also to hit the road, I thought I’d break with precedent for this health care blog and simply share a few tips for making holiday journeys a little more pleasant.

First, my credentials: I travel a lot. I’m about to hit “platinum” airline status, passing silver and gold along the way. Being a consultant means spending a lot of time with far-flung clients, which means being up in the air most weeks.

Now, some tips.

Make sure you have a designated seat. At most airport gates, there are electronic boards with lists of stand-by passengers hoping to get aboard. Who’s most likely to get bumped? Travel lore is that it’s those who paid the least through a discount online site. Clue: Do you have a specific seat listed? If not, call that airline now and ask for one. If you’re traveling with children, tell them that, too. No airline wants cranky, crying children hanging around at airport gates for hours. If the airline won’t budge, find out the flights departing shortly after yours and be ready to act quickly if you’re way too low on that stand-by list.

Pack light, send ahead, carry on. Any reason you can’t send those packages ahead to your destination instead of trying to lug or check them all? If you’ve checked luggage, you are at the mercy of the airlines as to when you can get on a later flight or a connecting flight. That’s why a smart business traveler who absolutely must get to a destination on time never checks a bag.

When a flight’s been canceled ... Check the flight boards for the next plane to your destination and swing into action (before leaving home download an airline or travel app such as FlightTrack to your smartphone). Can you go through Cincinnati instead of Detroit to get there? Before you call the airline or talk to a gate agent, know your options. If you’ve hustled directly to the gate for the next flight, the first thing the agent will ask is, “Did you check any bags”?

Going once, going twice … I keep my own, non-statistically valid tally of how often a flight actually goes when it’s been delayed more than twice. Ask the gate personnel if the plane is in the air, and if they say yes, double check via phone or app. If the flight still hasn’t taken off from New York LaGuardia, the odds of it arriving at Atlanta Hartsfield in the next half hour are not optimal. Ask if there is an available crew. If the flight’s been delayed too long, the crew may hit the limit of how long it can work that day. No flight attendants, no flight.

The odds of a flight happening plummet no matter what they tell you about it being just another hour or “waiting until maintenance looks at it.” When a flight I’m on has been delayed twice, I start looking for any later flight, train or car rental available.

Really do remember 3-1-1. As in assembling holiday toys, it pays to follow the Transportation Security Administration rules. Last week I watched a TSA inspector dump an entire plastic bin of water bottles, pop cans, cosmetics and other liquids. Have I ever forgotten a Not-So-Smart Water in my carry-on? Yes. But it’s painful when the security line is held up while someone argues about giving up their bottle of cologne or that a 6-ounce container is only half full, so why can’t it count as 3 ounces of liquid? When the TSA says 3-1-1, it means business. (No liquid container larger than 3 ounces, all containers in a one-quart, zip-lock bag, one bag per flier.)

The wise men and women and the overheads. The holidays mean full flights and loads of carry-ons. (Did I mention shipping those packages and maybe some clothes ahead?) Too many bags mean too many bag checks at the gate, which means a late takeoff. Often folks at the back of the plane are early boarders. The right place to stow your bag is near you, not in the first overhead bin you see. Why? Because when all the spots at the front are taken, later boarders have to head down the aisles, bumping into others, to find a space. And when it’s time to de-plane, all the folks at the front have to claw their way back to get their bags, making everyone’s exodus tougher.

Show goodwill to those with close connections. In the crowded skies of the holidays, making a flight can mean making it home to a waiting family … or not. If a flight attendant asks you to let those with close connections come down the aisle first, please smile and let them zip by.

Gratitude for those who serve. At the holidays, there are many men and women in the armed services who are traveling home for a brief respite with their loved ones. They serve us in often brutal circumstances. Whenever a flight attendant announces that we have someone in the military on board, other passengers often applaud. In the Minneapolis airport, I saw scores of people clap as four uniformed servicemen walked through together. They stood a little straighter and walked a little prouder. A simple “Thank you for your service!” is a great holiday greeting on the road.

Happy and safe holiday travels to you all!