Flying over Thanksgiving Weekend
Me and the kids at EWR right after passing through security, Feb 14, 2008.
by Wendy Perrin
The next few days--specifically, tomorrow and Sunday--are among the most hated of the year for those of us navigating airports. The good news, though, is that we'll see less congestion than we've seen the past few Thanksgivings. Compared to last year there's a 10 percent drop in passengers and flights--3,000 fewer domestic flights per day, in fact.
Thanks to those family lanes the T.S.A. has set up at every security checkpoint in the country, security lines should be easier too. At least, easier for those passengers without kids who can use the regular lanes. Personally, I'm dreading having to use the presumably much slower family lane when I take the kids to Barcelona on Friday. Now that the boys and I have the security checkpoint thing down to a precision military drill, we'll be stuck in the line for all the inexperienced fliers struggling with strollers and bottles and toddlers in lace-up shoes, not to mention the passengers carrying medically necessary liquids, aerosols, and gels in excess of 3 ounces. Yikes.
My biggest tips for flying this weekend are the same as for any other weekend:
* Print out your boarding passes in advance.
* Pack so as not to have to check luggage. (If you must check luggage, get to the airport early.)
* Double-check your airline's carry-on restrictions.
* Sign up for airline "alerts" (at your airline's web site) so you get electronic notification of delays.
As for all you inexperienced travelers planning on hitting the family lanes, please read DeliciousBaby.com's advice on taking kids through airport security. You can also check out my strategies for flying with kids at ABCNews.com.
Anybody else got tips to share for Thanksgiving travel? Just click on "Comments" below. And include your URL in the comment so we can click to read more.
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Not to be Debbie Downer, but we put together a guide to navigating airport drama if you're unlucky enough to be bumped or forget your ID or need to rebook: http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/13/125352/48/travel/Jaunted%27s+Airport+Cheat+Sheet
Posted by: PaulBrady | November 25, 2008 at 07:22 AM
This is a great post. We drive, rather than flying and try to leave a few days early to beat the crowds. We were surprisingly successful (http://motherofalltrips.blogspot.com/2008/11/dispatches-from
-road-surprising-day-on.html) which makes me wonder if there will be less traffic on the roads too. The Sunday after Thanksgiving will show...
Posted by: motherofalltrips | November 25, 2008 at 08:06 AM
Have a great trip! Next time, come a bit further north to Paris. But since you'll be in Barcelona, go to Cal Pep for tapas and the Fundacion Miro, my two favorites.
Posted by: franceshsieh | November 25, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Hi Wendy,
Thankfully, we don't have to travel over T-weekend. I've posted some funny tips on packing light for those who are.
It's not the usual list: http://www.travelsavvymom.com/blog/resources/lighten-up/
--Jamie
Posted by: jamiepea | November 25, 2008 at 10:33 AM
One of the challenges facing travelers is finding good places to eat at the airport. To make it easier to find the best places, PlanetEye asked its local experts for their recommendations. Their selections for more than 40 airports around the world can be found here: newsletter.planeteye.com/airports
Posted by: buckpost | November 25, 2008 at 11:11 AM
"Me and the kids...." Oh no, not the dreaded grammatical error!
Posted by: oilrag | November 25, 2008 at 11:19 AM
I actually CHANGED IT from "The kids and I..." to "Me and the kids..." Trying to sound more colloquial (as blogs are supposed to). I figured "Me and the kids" was okay since there's no verb in the sentence (another attempt at bloggy informality).
Posted by: WendyPerrin | November 25, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Great recommendations, Wendy.
Studies show that the risk of infection for airline travelers is one in five..that's why I recommend Nozin to everyone traveling over Thanksgiving break.
Nozin kills 99.9% of common disease-causing pathogens and creates a nasal barrier to fight germs for up to 8 hours!
www.nozin.com
Posted by: HawkinsIntPR | November 25, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Five of us are flying from Hartford to Detroit on Wed. Monday and Tuesday of this week, the flight has been canceled due to aircraft maintenance. Argh? Any ideas? Should I still print our boarding passes today - will it make things better or worse tomorrow if our flight is cancelled? Suggestions welcome.
Posted by: Mamaro | November 25, 2008 at 12:18 PM
This stab at bloggy informality reminds me of my own (failed) efforts to wax casual in email by not capitalizing. Seriously, I just can't force myself to do it.
Posted by: jamiepea | November 25, 2008 at 10:28 PM