If you have a trip coming up, be sure to plan your airport strategy along with your vacation strategy! According to flight tracker FlightAware, nearly 176,000 flights were delayed between June 1 and June 29, and more than 20,000 – almost 3% of all flights – were canceled.
Let’s discuss some potential issues you may face while in transit, the best ways to avoid the headache, and, if you’re lucky, get into the vacation mindset a little earlier!
Longer-er wait times ⏳
Less airport staff = fewer people available to help = longer wait times everywhere. From checking in to your flight to handing over checked luggage and getting through security, be prepared to wait a lot. And maybe wait some more.
🔥 Way to win: Get to the airport early! And we mean it—at least three hours before your flight. If you have to check luggage or fly internationally, arrive even earlier! To some, that might seem like overkill, but give yourself a safe window of time to make your flight. Save yourself the stress, arrive early, and celebrate being comfortably early with a coffee or drink before boarding.
Overlapping connecting flights ✈️
As annoying as layovers can be, they’re sometimes necessary. When connecting flights in this travel climate, be proactive when booking to avoid another layer of panic to your travel day.
🔥 Way to win: Book flights with long layovers. That 30 min gap might look tempting, but right now, flights are getting delayed in record numbers. We recommend at least an hour between flights – this is not the time to gamble your vacation on a short layover!
Flight cancellations 🙅
Canceled flights are happening more often than ever, with 20,000 canceled flights this past June. Having your flight canceled is a huge inconvenience, but don’t panic! With some deep breaths and quick thinking, there’s always a solution.
🔥 Way to win: There are a few ways to make a canceled flight as stress-free as possible! First, always check your flight before you leave for the airport. Most of these decisions are not last minute, so save yourself a trip to the airport if you can.
If you’re already at the airport, we’re going to plan B. Head to the airline agents’ desk ASAP, and work on your solution while in line. Do you want to change your flight? Which one works best for you? If your airline rescheduled your flight, do you need a place to stay for the night? Approaching an airline agent with your solutions will make their jobs easier, and hopefully, they’ll be able to provide what you need.
