As airports across the country recover from TSA shortages as some workers see delayed paychecks, holiday travel will still require some planning.
Whether you’re returning home or about to leave, travel agents are taking stock of how you should prepare.
To start the week, airports in Atlanta, Baltimore and Boston saw lines move quickly.
What was a three-hour wait last week is closer to an hour today, but travel agent Cortney Jorgenson says not every traveler will feel immediate relief.
On Sunday, the national TSA callout rate dropped to 10%, but it’s only 2% lower than its peak three days earlier, so a long wait could still be in the cards.
“So the biggest thing that people are doing now is they’re increasing flexibility, and that’s one of the things I help them do. So having to move their flights, the prices of flights are increasing every day. And so a lot of people have to leave a day earlier than what they originally planned to do.”
Having any control in this situation can make the difference in being prepared if the security line goes up, or the price of your flight goes up.
And on the roads, gas prices are a little better than last week, but there’s little relief for vacationers for now.
Travel agents say this week, many are headed to the top summer vacation spots in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona.
As gas and airline ticket prices continue to rise, agents say travelers should consider small fees that can add to the cost increase.
Another example is airport parking, a lack of which can cause many to waste time looking for empty spaces.
Agents say this problem can be solved by pre-booking the parking space online.
People flying should also try to lighten their luggage and book hotels near the final airport.
“Let’s say you check into a hotel near the airport and start your vacation the next day. The same thing when you leave the city. If you, you know, maybe we cut that vacation a short night so that we can bring you closer to the airport for the morning flight the next day,” said Jorgenson.
Most importantly, travelers should be willing to book flights ahead of time and avoid making same-day reservations for events or programs in case of delays or cancellations.
“And one of the things I want to talk about is building, not only that extra time, but also the budget because if you have a flight delay, you will need more time for food. If you have to rearrange the transportation or we have to add another night because the flight was canceled and you are in the middle of your trip, that’s something that his travel agent can help Jorgenson.”
Jorgenson says that while he usually recommends booking the earliest flight possible, these are the busiest times.
Instead, he recommends looking for flights later in the morning.
For those who want to avoid the airport and still hit the road, the issue is record high gas prices.
Experts say that the best remedy is to reduce saturated fat.
AAA spokeswoman Molly Hart said, “Part of that includes making sure your car is well maintained, and making sure your tires have enough air. If they’re under-inflated, that puts pressure on the gas tank. You don’t want to drive aggressively, you don’t want to crash hard, you don’t want to do any of that type of pressure on the car to put pressure on the car again.”
You can also find your nearest gas station and compare prices with the AAA mobile app.
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