Frightening footage ahead of the holiday travel season shows Orlando International Airport completely overrun – leading many to ask, is two hours really enough to make your flight?
The short answer, sadly, is, no.
After years of COVID-era restrictions and short-staffed airlines, air travel this winter is set to resume with a bang – with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Monday saying it is expecting the upcoming season to be ‘[its] busiest ever.’
Numbers supporting this assertion don’t lie. In the past ten months, the TSA recorded seven of its ten highest volume travel days since it was created in 2001.
Given this stark increase – and the historic rise in bookings around the holidays – experts advise to arrive earlier than the usual two hours for domestic journeys and three for international, for ample time to check in and make it through security.
Other tips – like making sure you’re up-to-date on the status of your flight using software like FlightAware and checking the weather in the city where your aircraft is coming from – will also help you secure a seat. Here are some of the best.
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Frightening footage filmed Tuesday ahead of the holiday travel season shows travelers at Orlando International Airport clogged in a line outside a TSA checkpoint
![It comes after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Monday it is expecting its 'busiest [travel season] ever,' after years of COVID-era restrictions and short-staffed airlines](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/15/19/77844737-12753949-image-m-21_1700075615186.jpg)
It comes after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Monday it is expecting its ‘busiest [travel season] ever,’ after years of COVID-era restrictions and short-staffed airlines
Do your best not to check a bag
Good news for those who travel light – and bad news for everyone else – but checking a bag can only slow you down.
The process not only briefly halts your progress, but is especially problematic during the holidays, when TSA workers are bombarded with an unusual amount of bags.
Usually, when checking baggage, travelers are expected to account for an extra 15 minutes – a timeline that should be at least doubled given the current circumstances.
Moreover, it not only slows you down on the front end, but it will also add time to the end of your journey, to wherever it may be.
If you do need to check, try to do so at curbside, if it’s offered – the lines are generally shorter.
If you do need to check a bag, do so at curbside – since the lines are generally much shorter. Travelers are seen waiting to check their baggage over the weekend in Orlando
Account for busier travel times
A bit obvious, but accounting for busier travel times – especially during the hectic holiday season – could make or break your airport visit.
If you want to make your plane and not have to arrive hours early, the travel days to avoid are, of course, Thanksgiving, and the entire week of Christmas.
Given that such a fate is sometimes unavoidable, be sure to arrive especially early those days – a minimum of three hours for in-country flights and four hours for those overseas.
Since those travel times are a bit obvious, try to set off at less sought-after, more random weeks throughout the winter – and be sure to still arrive early to avoid an unforeseen mishap.
Weekends are also usually harbingers of death when it comes to clogged entryways and checkpoints, so try to pick a random Tuesday to embark on your travels.
And, as always, come with a plan.
Accounting for busier travel times could make or break your airport visit this holiday season. If you want to make your plane, the travel days to typically avoid are Thanksgiving and the entire week of Christmas
Use a backpack instead of a rolling bag
More of a random factoid – but a still markedly useful one – is to elect for a bag that straps to your back rather than the oh-so-common cases that are rolled on wheels.
While useful for carrying a lot of weight, they also slow you down, and due to their prevalence, you will likely need to weave your suitcase through a mass of several others – often the difference in making or missing a flight.
Access is also an issue, with wheeled baggage often more difficult to get in and out of if you suddenly have to rush to a soon-to-be crowded gate.
It’s also a lot easier to run if you aren’t toting a roll-on, and with the right kind of backpack, you’ll be surprised at how much stuff you can easily – and sometimes, not so easily – pack in.
With this in mind, try to bring only what you need and not overburden yourself, staying streamlined is almost always recommended even during the regular travel season – so leave those ‘just in case’ items at home.
More of a random factoid – but a still markedly useful one – is to elect for a bag that straps to your back rather than the oh-so-common cases that are rolled on wheels. A traveler at Orlando International Tuesday is seen toting a backpack
Check weather in city your craft is coming from
Checking the weather in the city your aircraft is coming may seem like a no-brainer, but is almost always overlooked by eager travelers.
It could not only save you a headache if your plane is delayed, but can also provide you with a hint on when you should show up.
A Florida-based stewardess who is also a TikTok influencer recently offered such advice in an interview with Insider, telling fans how it important it was to look at the weather for the cities that you’re flying to and from, as well as the area that your aircraft visited prior to your journey.
She explained that if the plane had a delay in the city it was at before yours, that would likely result in your own flight taking off late.
‘Having that extra knowledge puts you in the right mindset,’ she explained.
‘For me,’ she added, ‘having an understanding of what you’re getting into before you get to the airport is 90 per cent of the battle.’
Checking the weather in the city your aircraft is coming may seem like a no-brainer, but is almost always overlooked by eager travelers. A wind vane moves at a small airport in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, earlier this month
Have the airline app downloaded
Since it’s the age of information, travelers should be willing to take new, more technological steps to ensure a timely trip.
And apps for Airlines like American, United, and Southwest often offer an answer.
While it may be overkill to download every single airline app out there, be sure to at least tap your favorites – as it makes check-ins easier and you’ll also get alerts about your flight.
The app will tell you when it’s time to check in, and is tasked with keeping you up to date with the status of your flight, any gate changes, and other things that otherwise might throw a monkey wrench into you plans.
On Sunday, flight attendant Cici – who has amassed a massive social media following thanks to her insider airline knowledge – praised airline apps and their benefits.
‘You can communicate so much more effectively directly through the app as opposed to waiting on the phone or waiting in line,’ she said.
For those who want to take it a step further, use apps like Flightview to determine arrival gates, and websites like FlightAware for real-time plane location.
Airline apps are always useful for keeping up with the status of your flight – but for those who want to take it a step further, you can use websites like FlightAware for real-time plane location
Have the necessary documents ready
Another suggestion that one might assume is already apparent is to show up with all the necessary documents needed to travel.
This includes a valid ID and, for international flights, a passport.
Be sure none of those documents are expired, and try to keep in mind that different destinations often require different validity and requirements of passports.
For example, some countries, such as Italy and Spain, require a three-month validity, while others may have more strict requirements.
With this in mind, be sure to check the specific requirements of your destination country – with the US Department of State’s international travel data page often an excellent resource.
Another suggestion that one might assume is already apparent is to show up with all the necessary documents needed to travel
Be aware of your gate number
Something that could save you a great deal of time – and another potential headache – is double-checking and, ideally, keeping track of your gate number.
While already indicated on your ticket, the gate you’re to depart from is always subject to change – and as seasoned holiday travelers already know, those changes can happen quite suddenly.
If you make the mistake of not keeping an eye on the screens overhead, you could end up at your old gate – and you could end up completely missing your flight.
Travelers often make the mistake of not double checking their gate number.
With that said, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for altering departure numbers, and, again, download an airline app to keep you in loop if and when it changes.
Don’t relax after arriving at your designated terminal, though, and keep in mind the propensity for security delays.
This is especially true when traveling internationally, so be sure to arrive at your gate around 30 to 40 minutes early to avoid losing your seat.
Also keep in mind that the latest time to board a plane is ten minutes before takeoff, and that recommended boarding time versus departure time is a difference of 10 minutes.
Tack on an extra ten or so given the craziness of this particular holiday season, and you should be golden.
Something that could save you a great deal of time – and another potential headache – is double-checking and, ideally, keeping track of your gate number as it is subject to change
Consider TSA PreCheck
For those willing to fork over a little extra dough, signing up for the TSA’s resident PreCheck service is highly recommended.
It costs $85 – nothing to sneeze at – but you’ll save in both terms of time and stress
While others spend upwards of a half hour removing shoes, belts, and items from their luggage, you’ll be laughing your way to the gate.
The expedited checking service last holiday season helped travelers, on average, achieve roughly one-third the wait time of their traveling counterparts, and help travelers speed through security checkpoints at more than 200 U.S. airports.
Generally, it will cut around a half hour from the front-end of your journey.
For those willing to fork over $85, signing up for the TSA’s PreCheck service is recommended. Generally, it will cut around a half hour from the front-end of your journey, and help you breeze through lines such as this one
Double-check your luggage
Brain-farts are perhaps most common during times of stress, and what’s more stressful than traveling during the holidays?
So, don’t be to hard on yourself if you find yourself stopped over a half-eaten sandwich or unfinished Mountain Dew in your carry-on.
That said, such a stoppage more than likely will make you miss your flight.
Tubes of toothpaste are also problematic, as if they are too big, you could end up being held by security.
Generally, such a stoppage would delay you around 15 minutes per item, but this holiday season, you may be looking at closer to a half hour.
A quick scan could save you not only face, but another several hours in the airport. Be sure to check before you’re being searched.
Be sure to check what’s inside your checked bags – as a stoppage could delay you around 15 minutes to a half hour per item
Be polite
Last but not least, be sure to speak with your airline officials with respect.
This can also decide your journey, especially when all else fails and you still – somehow – show up late.
So, kill them with kindness.
If you find yourself a few minutes late, profusely apologize.
If the doors are closing in front of you, ask to board nicely. Agents – at least sometimes – could be flexible, though for the most part, they are pretty neutral.
Still, be sure to not charge forward and demand to be to board all frustrated.
First say sorry, and explain your situation.
You may, of course, still might miss your flight, but the gate agent is much more likely to help if you treat them like a person. Plus, it’s the polite thing to do.
Be sure to speak with your airline officials with respect, especially when arriving to your gate late and in a fit
Useful tips about disruptions
Cancelled Flights
In the event of a cancellation, for instance, be sure to turn down a voucher, as under federal law you are entitled to a full cash refund.
Unlike the European Union, the United States does not have any regulations that protect passengers if their flight is called off- however, if you are flying to any where in Europe, you could earn a voucher of up to $700 on top of your refunded ticket.
If there were multiple stops on the flight, you would get a refund for the legs you had yet to fly.
A cancellation voucher is still possible to obtain in the States, but would not be guaranteed and likely be markedly less than the aforementioned amount.
Keep in mind that if the voucher is worth more than the flight you purchase, most airlines will not let you use the remaining balance like you would a gift card.
Delays
You are entitled to a refund for ‘significant’ changes or delays to your original flight schedule, meaning you should also turn down a voucher if it means getting cash in hand.
What constitutes a significant delay is often decided on a case-by-case basis and varies from airline to airline, but a good rule of thumb is two hours or more.
Damaged luggage
In the event you arrive to your destination and find your luggage damaged, typically, the airline will fork over the full cost of its contents to a flier – sometimes with a voucher on top of it.
Be wary, however – if the contents of your suitcase amount to more than $3,500, you may need to convince the airline to compensate you further, as the Department of Transportation has set that amount as a cap for its maximum liability.
Airlines can compensate more in a case-by-case basis, at their own discretion.
Delayed baggage
When your luggage is delayed, airlines will try to reunite you with your luggage as soon as it arrives – and will placate you with between $25 and $50 a day until such a reunion occurs.
However, these companies could also owe you up to $3,500 in liability for a domestic US trip, if you can prove to them that you needed the contents of the misplaced luggage for an event such as a wedding before it could be delivered.
As long as you’ve got receipts to prove to the relative value of what was in the bag – and an explanation as to why it was needed immediately – you are entitled to cash compensation, even after the bag is returned to you.
In the event that it has to be delivered to you after you leave the airport, the airline may also offer a travel voucher that you can put towards travel with the same airline – but that is not guaranteed.
Lost luggage
Similar to the previous two instances, in the event an airline loses your luggage and it cannot be located, you could be entitled to up to $3,500 in cash.
For international flights, the Montreal Convention states that an airline can give up to $1,600 – though airlines are free to provide more.
To get this compensation, you typically have to file a claim with the airline, which could take few weeks and even months to resolve.
Companies will require receipts for any sort of reimbursement – as well as record of any fees you paid out to the airline to transport your luggage, which you will then also be paid back.
Overbooked flights
If you board a plane only to find yourself without a seat because the flight has sold more tickets than there are seats, staffers will first ask if a Good Samaritan would like to voluntarily give up their place on the plane.
In the likely event that does not occur, you could likely be involuntarily bumped from the flight and removed completely at random.
If this is the case, the airline may offer you a voucher – but do not accept. Due to this being solely the airline’s mistake, by federal law your are entitled to a cash refund.
Conversely, if you so happen to be a thoughtful traveler that doesn’t mind getting off a flight, the airline will offer you a travel voucher and also place you on the next available flight to your destination.
You can also request to be placed on a ‘bump list’ upon reaching your departure gate. A bump list is a tab of confirmed-ticketed passengers on a flight that will not be allowed to board or will be asked to deplane in the event a flight is oversold.