Now that the horror of flying in Thanksgiving is past us, we can look forward to another holiday rush in transportation: Christmas. Whether or not you celebrate this festivity, you’ll still be affected as long as you travel. But there are simple tricks that can help you reduce your time on air and avoid the rush:
1. Know the difference between non-stop and direct. Non-stop flights are flights that go directly to the intended destination. These flights maybe a little bit expensive compared to other flights but once you are on board, you’re practically there after a few hours of sitting. Non-stop flights are different from direct flights. This type of flight will take you there BUT it will be stopping by in one of the key cities. That stop usually lasts for at least an hour depending on air traffic.
2. Fly early. Morning in airlines means they can start over serving their customers with a little bit of delay. As the day progresses, the time of delay is multiplied and when afternoon comes, one hour delay in airlines is an understatement. The last flight of the day means you’ll have to prepare for the longest delay of the day – with the possibility of flight cancellation.
3. Get an originator flight. Originator flights are the first flight of that airline in a specific schedule. Non-originator flights are the type of flights that stop over in your airport to get more passengers. Think of it as a bus stop. Delays usually happen in non-originator flights since they are not anymore compelled to fly on time. Call the airline and ask them if the flight you are interested in is an originator flight.
4. Fly in the middle of the week. If you have a free schedule, go for a flight in the middle of the week. There are more travelers in weekends, Friday and Monday compared to flights from Tuesday to Thursdays.
5. Go to smaller airports. Major cities always have more than one airport. The busiest of them are of course the major hubs. Check for a flight that arrives in a minor hub in the same city. Smaller airports don’t have the rush compared to airports with big names. Just target these airports as a destination and not the origin. Flights that go out from smaller airports are usually cheaper but have multiple connections.
Aside from those tips, check out these websites for more information regarding a single flight:
Avoiddelays.com – this information intensive website will give you almost everything you need to know about your flight. Just type in airport, date and time and flight time, and type of plane and even security times in that particular hour will be displayed.
Flightstats.com – the interface looks like avoiddelays.com but it can also be used for international flights. Major hubs in different countries are highlighted in a map and when you click on a major airport, you can easily access the flight status in most flights in that airport.
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