Airline fares tend to fluctuate rapidly around the holidays. Sometimes you can get great deals by waiting until the very last minute. Sometimes, however, you'll end up with terribly overpriced tickets or, worse, not being able to fly at all. The savings you might get are probably less than the stress of waiting, so it's a good idea to book at least six months in advance. Several airlines begin taking reservations exactly six months in advance, so you might put a little reminder of your calendar that day. Sometimes you can sweep up very low fares on the first day or two.
Leave plenty of time to get to the airport
This one is pretty self-evident, but an amazing number of people forget that lines are longer at holidays. With recent new security regulations, it's a good idea to arrive at the airport a full two hours before your flight is scheduled to take off. You can cut that time down a little if you can fit all your possessions in a carry-on and print out your boarding tickets online.
Make the flight itself more pleasant
Don't try to get by on airport food and the Sky Mall catalog. You're allowed to bring your own food on the plane (if not your own drink), so make the most of it! Bring your own fresh vegetables, cheese, fruit, and some good-quality bread. You'll be amazed by how much more cheerful you feel when you land. And bring a fun book, not that Tolstoy novel you always meant to read, but a fun romance novel or a sports story. The flight will go by much faster that way.
Freshen up when you hit the ground
Once you land, brush your teeth and hair. Buy yourself a coffee. You can even stretch a little right in the airport. If you take five minutes to do this instead of rushing straight to baggage claim, you'll feel like a real human again, and your bags might even be at the claim by the time you arrive.
Leave plenty of time to get to the airport
This one is pretty self-evident, but an amazing number of people forget that lines are longer at holidays. With recent new security regulations, it's a good idea to arrive at the airport a full two hours before your flight is scheduled to take off. You can cut that time down a little if you can fit all your possessions in a carry-on and print out your boarding tickets online.
Make the flight itself more pleasant
Don't try to get by on airport food and the Sky Mall catalog. You're allowed to bring your own food on the plane (if not your own drink), so make the most of it! Bring your own fresh vegetables, cheese, fruit, and some good-quality bread. You'll be amazed by how much more cheerful you feel when you land. And bring a fun book, not that Tolstoy novel you always meant to read, but a fun romance novel or a sports story. The flight will go by much faster that way.
Freshen up when you hit the ground
Once you land, brush your teeth and hair. Buy yourself a coffee. You can even stretch a little right in the airport. If you take five minutes to do this instead of rushing straight to baggage claim, you'll feel like a real human again, and your bags might even be at the claim by the time you arrive.
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