Avoiding Airport Delays

I think it is a safe assumption that most of us love to travel. It’s also probably safe to assume that we dislike the actual act of “getting there”. In today’s world this can be a major stress generator for many of us.

Sure, these issues are generally beyond our control, but there are a few steps we can take to minimize the travel damage. Coming from Peter Greenberg, NBC’s Today Show Travel Editor, here are a few suggestions for avoiding those pesky airport delays…

· Book the early morning flights. This generally means the aircraft was at the airport over night and it and the crew will be ready to go without delay.

· Carry-on your luggage to avoid losing it. The airlines are notorious for the disappearing luggage trick. If you can’t carry the luggage with you, consider a door-to-door courier as provided by UPS, FedEx, and DHL among others.

· If you have connecting flights, make sure you have a minimum of two hours between flights. The airlines oftentimes will set you up with minimal time, which almost guarantees maximum trouble!

· Try flying from alternate airports. You know – the smaller, less busy variety that are nearby.

· Be sure to get a PNR (passenger name record) from your booking agent. This is a specific six-character (letters and/or digits) confirmation code for your flight.

· Here’s a handy one…Did you know that you can text Google (466453) for flight information? Type in the two letter airline code and flight number and then Google will send you back the status of your flight.

Now that you are armed with delay avoidance tips, be prepared and have a great vacation..!