Avoiding Travel Gaffes

When planning your holiday trips make sure to avoid the end of the season dates. These dates are usually the weekend of Christmas and New Years. Holiday dates usually fall mid-week so travelers have the option of a broader range of travel dates. In these cases many people take long weekend either before or after the holiday. Unfortunately, this year both holidays fall on Sunday. This will result in people leaving work late then rushing back to work right after New Years. By extending your vacation a day or two you can avoid all the craziness.

This years peak travel dates are: December 22nd, 23rd, and 26th as well as January 1st and 2nd.

Hundreds of holiday travelers try to pack as much as they can into their carry-on luggage especially since the airlines have increased baggage fees. Therefore, try to keep your carry-on to a minimum and don't overstuff your luggage. Some vacationers will be asked to gate check their carry-on while others will get away with carrying half their belongings onto the plane.

In the past, many passengers have had too much to drink and ended up passed out in the aisle or being crowbarred out of the plane. Being hung over is already a miserable experience. Now imagine being in a cramped up space with no fresh air, privacy or comfort. As for being drunk do not be one of those passengers who makes the news because they were tasered or escorted off the plane by the police because they were denied boarding. The last thing on anyone's holiday plans is sitting in the airport jail for acting out.

During peak travel times the airport parking lots can become quite hectic. The parking lots will fill up quickly and you will lose valuable time trying to find an open spot or driving to alternate lots. On top of that, there will be less employees working so there will be fewer buses and open pay lanes. For those traveling to or from places susceptible to snow, moving around the airport will be even more difficult due to the snow removal vehicles and snow banks. Therefore, instead of sitting in all that traffic check the airport website and see if there are off site parking or sleep and fly options. This will save valuable time and save you the hassle of fighting the snow.

There was once a time when waiting until the last moment to book your flight was a fair bet. There were many reasons as too why people would find last-minute tickets that were priced extremely low. Since there were more planes being flown there were more empty seats to fill or some hotels would fail to sell out the tickets. Also, rental car companies would fail to downsize their fleets so renting a car was readily available. However, technology has erased that flaw from our systems. Online bookings now dominate and airports have a way to fill all their seats. In the past you would hear about friends booking last-minute trips at rock-bottom prices, however, now it is more common to hear about vacationers who do not take a trip because they just could not afford it.

Traveling during the peak season will be unpredictable and things will not always go according to plan. This applies to all but especially to those who are traveling to or from regions that are susceptible to winter weather. Weather has always been unpredictable and can hit at any time. Many vacationers have visited family and ended up being caught in a snow storm right before their flight. This doesn't just apply to northern cities such as Minneapolis or Detroit but also to southern cities like Houston or Atlanta. When a snow storm hits the south it becomes even worse because they are not equipped to handle it. This would cause plans to be set back until the weather and airports clear.

In addition, no matter what season, there will be travelers with less experience and who carry a lot stuff. Many experienced travelers will become frustrated at inexperienced people who are traveling during peak times. These people tend to hold up the line because (for example) they were unaware that they could not carry shampoo in their carry-on or they forget to take out all metal objects from their pockets. These people will most likely cause your plans to fall apart.