Travel is back! And if you’re planning your first trip since the pandemic – especially if it’s the first time you’ll be flying – some of our experiences on our recent vacation to the American southwest will likely be helpful for you to know. Because when you know what to expect, you can be prepared!
It’s busy. REALLY busy. Those days of half empty airports, middle seats being open etc. are long gone. Both of our flights were completely full, as were similar flights on the same day (more about why that mattered below).
Dining is still limited at the airports. While demand has increased, the food establishments (and other shops) haven’t always been able to keep up with hiring, so staffing is an issue. Even the places that are open have reduced hours (as I found when I went to get my usual Starbucks before my early morning flight, only to discover that they opened later than they used to). Plan your dining at the airport to assume you will have limited options, and bring snacks with you.
TSA is also very busy, and things are definitely taking longer going through security during peak times. While we didn’t have any issues for our early morning flight leaving on our trip, we had a very different experience on our return flight mid-afternoon. Within minutes of getting in line, we watched the line behind us grow to more than triple it’s size when we got in line. We got through in about 45 minutes but anyone behind us clearly was in line much longer than that.
Be prepared for flight delays. Our return flight was scheduled to depart Las Vegan at 4:10 p.m. PT and arrive at our home airport at BWI at 11:45 p.m. ET. Instead, we (finally) left at 8:40 p.m. and landed at 4:15 a.m. the following day. During the over 4 hours we were delayed, we boarded the plane, sat for an hour +, got off the plane, waited, re-boarded, sat for another hour +, and then finally took off. Why the long delays? Between a shortage of staff (they couldn’t find a pilot!), staff reaching their maximum hours for the day, and bad weather, it was just a combination of issues that resulted in what we experienced. The thing I want to point out though, is delays and cancellations are happening quite a bit at the moment as the airlines struggle to keep up with traveler demand. And hoping to rebook for another similar flight that isn’t experiencing delays isn’t easy to do as I found out when I looked into rebooking our very delayed flight home – those all were full and not an option for us.
So, with all of that, how can you best prepare for your flight?
First, make sure you have the app for your airline, and they have your cell number, so you’ll be notified of any last-minute changes. And then check the status before you leave home, as it’s not uncommon right now for cancellations to occur within a few hours of departure.
Don’t cut things too close to your flight and be sure to allow a good 3 hours for domestic flights right now, because things really are taking longer. No one wants to be the “Home Alone family” racing through the airport to get to their flight before it departs.
In addition, think carefully about planning a flight that arrives at your destination only a few hours before a major event like a wedding. This is probably a good time to plan to arrive the day before, to give yourself a cushion in case you have a major delay or cancellation.
Lastly, pack your patience! Expect things to take longer. When you plan for it, delays aren’t as bad. Along the same lines, keep a sense of humor as well. Delays and cancellations are stressful for everyone and being able to smile and laugh does make the situation easier. And please, be especially kind to the workers you encounter – whether TSA agents, staff in the dining locations, and airline personnel – they are all a bit overwhelmed at the moment, and this is a good time to give them all a lot of grace.
Everyone is SO happy to be traveling again, it’s truly a wonderful thing! Just plan ahead, bring your patience and smile, and you’ll soon be at that destination you’ve been dreaming of for so long!
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