How to Avoid a Holiday Travel Nightmare

Dec. 17, 2007— -- It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the nation's airports.

Forty-seven million passengers will fly globally in the next 21 days, according to the Air Transport Association (ATA), the industry trade organization that represents the leading U.S. airlines. This number is comparable to last year's heavy holiday traffic.

Airports are doing their part by bulking up on staff and adding stations and self-service kiosks to speed up service. Airports are providing passengers with minute-by-minute notice of delays and delivering travel updates via e-mail up to 24 hours in advance. Some are even offering travel updates via text message.

Amy Ziff, an editor at Travelocity, said, "I think the biggest mistake travelers make is not being prepared and not really anticipating all of the things that could possibly go wrong."

What can you do to prepare for the full planes, masses of people and treacherous winter weather?

Here are some tips and handy resources to help you navigate through the holiday crush at the airports.

Know When You Travel

If you have a choice, travel during off-peak days.

The peak travel times are expected to be the days after Christmas and New Years -- on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 26 and 27, as well as Wednesday, Jan. 2. Friday, Dec. 21, is also expected to be one of the busiest days.

The least busy days are expected on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with an estimated average of 1.9 million passengers.

Check the air traffic controllers delay site for top 10 lists of the most delayed flights and worst times to fly into certain airports.

Take...or Ship Your Bags

The airlines expect 26 million pieces of checked luggage this holiday -- and tens of thousands of them will be lost or delayed.

Traveler Jenn Enloe isn't taking any chances. She's using the luggage shipping service "Luggage Free" to ship her bags, spending a whopping $300 to send them ahead to Europe.

"It just makes life so much easier, it takes a lot of the stress out of travel." Enloe said.

Know What You Can Carry Onboard

Become familiar with the list of TSA permitted and prohibited items.

At the security checkpoint, place metallic objects (e.g., coins, keys, pens, cell phone, watch, camera) in carry-on baggage. Plan to carry small electronics and spare batteries with you. Check DOT restrictions against packing batteries in checked luggage before getting to the airport.

Pack liquids or gels in carry-on baggage in containers of three ounces or less. Place these in a one-quart zip-top bag that can be put in a security bin separately for screening.

Only one zip-top bag is allowed per passenger, so what does not fit must be packed in checked luggage. Note that larger quantities of medications and baby formula can be carried onboard.

Leave any gifts unwrapped so security can inspect them.

Find an Airport Parking Space

You can also reduce stress by making sure you have a place to park once you arrive at the airport.

John Mezzullo used an online service Airportparkingreservations.com, which reserves spots at parking lots near 50 airports in the U.S. and Canada.

"When I come to the airport I just know that I'm going to get a parking spot, and it's the only real certain part of travel today," Mezzullo said.

Self-Service Is the Best Service

Spare yourself the long lines for rushed service. Take advantage of self-service check-in kiosks at the airport and automated check-in options on airline Web sites.

Check flight stats yourself at sites like flightstats.com.

You can also check the FAA website for flight delays.

Tag That Bag!

Tag each bag, inside and out, with the traveler's name and contact information, and remove all destination baggage tags from previous trips.

Don't Forget the Basics

Always travel with a current government-issued photo identification and a fully charged cell phone. You never know when you might have to stay the night in an airport.

Allow plenty of time for checking in and for security screening at the airport. If traveling on the busiest days, plan for longer-than-usual security lines.

Remember that any medications taken on a regular basis should not be packed in checked bags.

Travelocity's Ziff also suggests you bring things to do in case you face a lengthy delay.

"This is a time that we are seeing a one-in-four chance of being delayed," she said. "That means you may have extra time either sitting on the tarmac or sitting in the airport. Well, if you can write your holiday cards, write your thank-you notes, get in touch with colleagues to tell them things, you know that can really be a way to make use of that time so you don't feel like it is wasted."