What comes to mind when someone says “Hawaii”? If you’re like most, visions of white sandy beaches, blue water, gentle breezes, and palm trees come to mind. And you wouldn’t be wrong! But Hawaii is so much more than that, and is in fact, an incredibly diverse state with each island having a unique “vibe” and its own list of things to see and do. So where to begin? Read more
Great US Destinations
Surviving the Crazy Air Travel Summer of 2022
When we experienced 3 flight cancellations in 3 days during last October’s Southwest debacle, I wrote about our experiences and offered some thoughts about what to do if your flight gets cancelled. While that situation seemed unique, cancellations *can* occur for all kinds of reasons – severe weather conditions, technical glitches being the most common reasons.
However, as we’ve come to see over the past several months – as the number of passengers increase with pandemic-weary travelers setting out on those long-awaited vacations – the aviation industry has just not been able to keep up with the volume of travelers that are now headed to the airports. Airline and airport staffing, drastically cut during the pandemic, has not recovered enough to handle the crowds of air travelers.
And so, long wait times, lengthy lines, flight delays and cancellations – and frustrated travelers – have become more common over the past few months and are likely to get a lot worse as the busy summer travel season begins.
So, what’s an eager – but concerned – air traveler to do? Here are the top ways to survive a crazy air travel season.
Stay in Contact with Your Airline – Make sure you are getting your airline’s text messages and you have your airline’s app downloaded on your phone. Keep checking the status there, especially in the last 24 hours before your trip. Even if you have text alerts, check the app. Know the phone number for your airline (or where to get it).
Fly From Major Cities – As a number of airlines are still facing pandemic staffing challenges, chances are that service at the smaller regional airports are likely to face more operational challenges than the major urban hub airports will. Which means, among other things, that if your airline has to reduce flight schedules, these smaller airports will be hit first – and if your flight gets cancelled, there may be fewer alternate flights. If you have the option to fly from a major city, you’ll have more choices, and less chance of being cancelled without any options.
Go. Early. – Travel professionals have always recommended arriving to the airport at least 2 hours before domestic flights (and 3 for international), but now it’s critical that travelers allow more than that in order to make it onto your flight. Lines for security, bag check, and pretty much everything are long – and more than a few people have found themselves missing flights because the security line was short-staffed and it took longer to get through than they were expecting. Don’t cut it too close and give yourself plenty of time – no one wants to be the “Home Alone” family racing through the airport to catch their flight (or worse, miss the flight completely). And if you can avoid checking a bag, that’s one less line to worry about!
Get Travel Insurance – If you haven’t already done so, purchase travel insurance. Having protection for your trip is not a luxury but is now really an essential. Things can change in a minute and the right insurance policy can protect your vacation investment, as well as potentially cover any losses if your flight gets delayed or cancelled.
Have a Back-Up Plan – You know how the motto of the Boy Scouts is “be prepared”? Make that your motto as well and have at least a rough idea of what your options are if your flight is cancelled, delayed, or you miss a connection. While you don’t need an elaborate spreadsheet of options you can still quickly check if there are any other flights that could get you to your destination in time. Look at nearby airports as well as other airlines and also see if driving or the train might be reasonable options. You may not need any of this information, but if your flight is cancelled, you’ll be less likely to panic if you know what your Plan B (or C or D) is!
Bonus Tip – Whatever happens, keep your sense of humor, practice patience, stay calm, and enjoy the fact that – despite the challenges – you’re traveling again!
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Saving Time, Money, and Your Sanity on Your Summer Road Trip
Summer “unofficially” begins this weekend, kids are getting out of school, and that means it’s vacation time! While crowds of people at the airports mean lots of folks are taking to the skies this summer, predictions are that road trips will also be extremely popular. So, if you’re planning a summer road trip vacation, expect to have lots of company, especially if you will be visiting destinations that are popular with tourists, such as theme parks, beach towns, and national parks.
So pack your patience – along with these tips for saving (more than just money) on your road trip this summer. Read more
Top 10 Tips for Summer Air Travel
While the calendar says we still have a few weeks before summer officially starts, the fact is that once Memorial Day arrives, the “summer travel season” begins. And what a season it is going to be! After two pandemic summers, those who have had limited/no travel since 2019 are raring to go: a Washington Post-Schar School poll found that 72 percent of Americans say they will “definitely” or “probably” go on a summer trip this year.
If you’ll be one of those happy travelers – especially if you’ll be flying – things may be different from the last time you boarded a plane. Here are 10 ways to be prepared for air travel before you even leave for the airport. Read more
5 Tips for Saving on Gas for Your Summer Road Trip
With Memorial Day signaling the beginning of the summer travel season, a lot of travel discussion at the moment is centering around road trips – and specifically the cost of the gas that will fuel those road trips.
While we can’t do much about the price of gas, there are some things we can do to minimize the pain to our wallets (sort of). Here are my top 5 tips to help you do just that. Read more