Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Five Tips for Easy Air Travel

By Savannah Hofmeister


There's no doubt that it has grown to be increasingly difficult to fly without encountering snags or issues with the airport or the airlines. Enduring the line at the security check point in some airports is enough to put some passengers in a bad mood. However, in spite of all of the inconveniences that come with flying, it is a requirement. There are a few stuffs that can be done to make flying easier and more hassle free, and all that is involved is a bit of common sense and planning.

1. Get right to the Airport Early. Arriving at the airport early is a no-brainer, especially when the airlines tell passengers to reach least 2 hours before a flight's departure time. But, there are lots of people who refuse to heed this request, and arrive at the airport just a few minutes before a flight is scheduled to leave. If there's a line at the check-in counter or at security, this can build a very stressful situation. Not only may the flight be missed, but a new flight must be booked, and the passengers will likely have to travel stand-by on a later flight without any guarantee of a seat until the very last minute.

2. Take a Morning Flight. Leaving on an early flight does not necessarily mean a 4 a.m. flight must be chosen. But, flights that leave first thing each morning are not as likely to be running late, and they're not as likely to be affected by weather issues across the nation and/or other planes which may be delayed at other airports. Also, if for some reason the very first flight of the day is canceled or delayed, there will probably be several other flights throughout the day that, if needed, could be taken instead.

3. Try Not to Fly During "Rush Hour". Airports, like highways, have rush hours. Normally, rush hour every morning is from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., as well as in the afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. These are the hours when airports tend to be the most crowded with individuals waiting for flights. Crowds mean longer lines at the security check points, more people in the restrooms, a lot of people waiting in restaurant lines, and more people taking up seats in the waiting areas. Flying at a NON-rush hour time of day can alleviate the need to stand in lines and sit with crowds.

4. Try to Take Non-Stop Flights. Obviously, when a non-stop flight is taken, there is less risk of being delayed. Taking off and landing both take quite a bit of time, so avoiding having to do this twice is recommended. There will always be destinations when a non-stop flight is not available, but there are plenty of cities where non-stop flights are just as common as those that stop. It may even be worth a few extra dollars to book a non-stop flight to avoid an unneeded hassle and the possibility of being delayed.

5. Book Connections with Enough Time. In case a non-stop flight isn't open to a desired destination, make sure you schedule sufficient time in between flights. When airlines book flights, they usually have a layover requirement of 30 or 45 minutes between connections. But, this is certainly not sufficient time if the original flight arrives late. In order to prevent this stress, try to schedule connecting flights with at least one hour to spare between the arrival period of the first flight and the departure time period of the connecting flight.




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