Do’s and Don’ts of Holiday Travel Revealed

PhotobucketIf you're planning a timeshare rental vacation for the holidays, you'll recognize yourself in at least one of these statistics provided by American Express Travel:
  • 40 percent of Americans plan to travel this holiday season
  • 64 percent will travel to see family
  • 2 percent will travel to avoid seeing family
  • 88 percent will stay in the United States
  • 74 percent will drive for the Thanksgiving holiday
  • $1,800 = average travel spending for family of four
One thing is for certain about these numbers - they indicate that a lot of other people will be traveling at the same time you are. Traveling for the holidays is supposed to be fun. To keep your travel experience as stress-free as possible, here are some Dos and Don'ts:

DO buy your airline tickets Now. The watchdogs of airline fares say that from here on out, the cost of an airplane ticket could go up as much as $5/day. That, coupled with added "holiday travel fees" tacked on by some airlines, as well as the over-all increase of fares by as much as 20% over last year, and it would behoove you to lock in those airline reservations without delay.

DON'T give up on finding a good fare. Be persistent, and be flexible. Check out near-by regional airports for better deals. Fly on the holiday itself. If you just want to get away for the holiday but don't care where you go, consider non-traditional destinations such as Las Vegas, San Francisco, or New Orleans.

DO pack light. Almost all airlines are now charging extra fees for checked baggage. Pack a light carry-on to save money, and to also save time trying to find your checked bags among the hordes of other travelers. Consider mailing bulky clothing and gifts to your destination.

DON'T wrap presents you are taking with you on the plane. That's a waste of time, money, and effort on your part, as all gift-wrapped items will be unceremoniously unwrapped by TSA officials.

DO get to the airport early. Arrive in plenty of time to get through security - especially now that many airports have the full-body scanner. (If you don't want to go through the body scanner you can opt for a full pat-down, but that takes time, too.) You'll also want to get checked in early so you aren't one of the ones bumped since most planes will be overbooked.

DON'T expect everything to automatically go well with your reservation and flight. Always double-check your reservation status, and your flight's on-time status, online before leaving for the airport. Also make sure that your name on your reservation perfectly matches your name on your government ID - a new TSA regulation.

DO have fun. After all, this is a holiday!

(Photo credit – photobucket.com)
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