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With only a few days away from one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, airports are expected to see millions of travelers pass through their gates. This influx of travelers will result in overcrowding, increased security measures and elevated stress levels for everyone involved. Below are a handful of travel tips you can use to make your holiday travel this season as stress free as possible.
Ship Your Presents
If you’re bringing gifts to the family reunion, ship them ahead of time. Don’t be the person juggling a bag full of wrapped presents. We live in the era of free two-day shipping. We have Amazon Prime to thank for that.
You can try Amazon Prime for 30 days at no cost. There’s more perks that come with this service other than expedited shipping.
Arrive Early
You probably have your departure time from your home and your timing through security down if you are a frequent traveler. Forget all of that this holiday weekend. With the volume of travelers, arrive at the airport two hours before your flight especially if you’re going through a major airport.
Another time saver, especially if you’re not being dropped off to the airport, is arranging for your car’s parking space ahead of time. You don’t want to waste time driving around the garage looking for a free slot.
Getting Through Security
Since a lot of people are traveling and not everyone is an experienced traveler, there will be confusion and mistakes regarding IDs, passports, and what can and cannot remain in carry-on luggage. This will be on top of the long queue of everyone trying to get pass security.
At this point, having Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or CLEAR, is a huge advantage. These trusted traveler programs allow you to breeze through the security checkpoints. If you don’t, you might want to arrive at the airport three hours before your flight.
Get Lounge Access
If you have time to kill, don’t spend it in the overcrowded terminal. Instead, get access to an airport lounge. This perk usually comes with a travel credit card that gives you lounge access such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
If you don’t have a credit card that gets you lounge access, you could purchase a one-time pass to a lounge. Here you can have a snack and enjoy a holiday cocktail. It will be a worthwhile splurge during the crazy holiday travel season.
No Lounge. No Problem.
If you can’t get into the lounge or just don’t want to spend money for the access, consider using the airport’s facilities.
Either by using a map or, more conveniently, the Sanctifly app, locate airport wellness facilities or partner facilities near you like airport hotel gyms, yoga rooms, and independent fitness centers.
Bring Noise-Canceling Headphones
There will be babies crying, people complaining about delays, bad weather or the lack of seats. You don’t need to hear any of that if you’re bringing your dependable noise-canceling headphones.
Instead, you can distract and entertain yourself by listening to audio books or a music playlist that you’re in the mood for.
Try to Stay Positive
Having a positive attitude goes a long way. Keep your cool. Try to spread some of those holiday cheer and positivity when you can. A simple thank you to the crew or a happy holiday greeting to your seat mate can make someone’s day or even yours.
Remember, this is not the time to wish ill on any of your fellow travelers. Everyone just wants to get where they need to be. Instead, wish them a safe and happy holiday weekend!
