Avoid Driving Yourself to the Airport

Airport parking prices rise around the holidays due to increased travel traffic. See if a friend can drive you to the airport, call a cab or pick-up service, or look into public transportation options.

Get There Early

Millions of people are going to be traveling this holiday season. Assume that there will be tons of traffic and long lines at check-in and security, so be sure to arrive extra early.

Avoid Excess Airline Fees

Pack lighter to avoid checking a bag, don’t pay the extra money for priority boarding, and avoid upgrading to first class. If you do plan to check bags, register them online before heading to the airport. Skip the Wi-Fi fees and don’t buy food or drinks on the plane. Instead, pack snacks from home or enjoy the complimentary options that the airline provides.

Get Free Flight Upgrades

If you’re bumped on an oversold flight, try to negotiate for an upgrade on your next flight. If you’re a frequent flyer or club member with the airline you’re flying with, you can also try to score an upgrade. Arrive early if you plan to try this; it’s a lot harder to negotiate in a rush.

Travel Tip — Surge Three Sixty Five

Whether you’re spending the festive season cozying up in a cottage nearby, or jetting off to spend the holidays on the beach, don’t miss these essential tips for enjoying your well-earned break away from home.

Pick Somewhere Family-Friendly
Any parent knows that traveling with kids can take a lot of planning. The good news is that many family holiday vacation spots strive to understand what families need and provide it.

Plan Ahead
The winter holiday season might be the most wonderful time of the year for kids, but it’s also the busiest and most booked up in advance. Before you make any promises about holiday events, festivals, shows, theme-parks or experiences, check what’s available and reserve your tickets.

Create New Traditions
No sense hauling that heirloom Christmas tree ornament or that hand-crafted menorah or Kwanzaa bowl across the country. Instead shop at a local store to find inexpensive paper wall hangings and pop-up centerpieces. Traveling offers an incredible opportunity to build new family memories and traditions.

Family Back Home
In the holiday excitement, be sure to stay connected to all important grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins back home. Whether you choose Skype or FaceTime, have your apps and devices organized and ready to go before you travel.

Travel Tip — Surge Three Sixty Five

This Thanksgiving, the airline industry expects 12.3 million roundtrip passengers and AAA expects 46.3 million Americans to hit the road. Here are expert tips and tricks for making one of the busiest travel holidays of the year easier than ever. You can thank us later!

Be Mindful and Thoughtful

Can holiday travel feel stressful? Does it help to take out your frustration on fellow passengers and travelers? It doesn’t have to be this way. Frame your journey as an exciting adventure. Everyone traveling has a similar goal to celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones. Practice slowing your breathing if long lines or traffic are causing you stress.

Travel Light

Everyone flying will be packing carry-ons to accommodate their journey. Overhead compartments will fill up quickly. Try to pack everything into a backpack that will fit under the seat in front of you. If you have gifts or bulky items, consider shipping them to your final destination ahead of time.

Travel at Odd Times

The day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year, closely followed by the Sunday after the big day. Fly to your destination a few days early and fly back on Friday when the masses are out shopping the best deals of the year. Drive through the night to avoid traffic.

Stay Connected

Smartphone users can take advantage of apps that provide updates on airline statuses, road traffic, weather, and current news. Social media is a great resource to be the first place to hear about anything that might go wrong with your flight. Airlines can also be more responsive to public pleas of assistance on social media.

Travel Tip — Surge Three Sixty Five

As veteran travelers, we know that making it through the security line is nothing less than a refined science, brought about through trial, error and the occasional streak of good luck. Consider the following tips and make it through airport security faster and easier the next time you fly.

Enroll in Programs

CLEAR, TSA Pre, and Global Entry programs allow you to use a separate line through security. With these programs, you become a “Trusted Traveler” because you have been pre-screened by Homeland Security.

Perform Your Own Pre-check

Make sure to have all the essential paper work in your hands. Put all loose change, metals, valuables, cell phone, etc. in your jacket pocket or bag before putting it through the X-ray machine.

Dress up to Dress Down

Belts, shoes, jewelry, watches, jackets, and hats are some of the pieces of clothing you will, or may need to remove before walking through the metal detector. Dress accordingly.

Pick the Right Time to Fly

According to Airport Security wait time trends, Fridays between 4pm and 8pm (local time), holidays, and three-day weekends are when security lines are the busiest. If you have flexibility, go with a smaller airport because they are less crowded.

Travel Tip — Surge Three Sixty Five

For those of you planning to travel over the upcoming holidays, here are a few quick tips to help you save a little bit of cash when flying.

1. Book your flights prior to November 1st, as prices generally go up starting in November.

2. If you can fly early, usually the first flight out costs less than flights later throughout the day.

3. Generally, if you can leave on the actual holiday, the flights are cheaper than the days leading up to and after the holiday. Remember that Christmas is on Sunday this year, so flights the week prior are going to be higher. And of course, the typical Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving and the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend are huge travel days.

Who couldn’t use some extra cash for the holidays or save some money for the bills that come after the holidays.

Safe travels and hope you have a wonderful holiday season!