#Travel140 #TravelTips: Flying in the winter? Pack patience and plan plenty of time between connections.
From November through January, airports seem to conspire against travelers. There are more people than normal, with lots of infrequent fliers finding their way, and weather is always a wildcard. About all you can count on is a good chance of being delayed.
That means patience is more important than ever, and a few extra minutes are worth more than gold. Because there’s a better chance of your flight being delayed during the winter, you need to plan more time for connections. We shoot for an hour between flights because, although we’re comfortable spending time in the airport, we’d prefer not staying there all day because we missed a flight. And the later in the day it is, the more likely a delay becomes, so plan accordingly when searching for flights.
Bonus Tip: If you don’t mind intentionally missing your flight, winter can be a great time to score a “bump”. Flights are sold to capacity, sometimes oversold, and having to accommodate flyers who missed connections often means airlines are looking for people willing to give up their seat. That can mean some extra cash and/or flight vouchers.
The best tips come from the voice of experience. We’ve seen our share of winter delays; how about you? What’s the longest delay you’ve encountered? Have you ever gotten (or taken) a bump, or missed a flight due to delays? Let us hear about it in the Comments!
Can’t get enough travel tips? Here’s more #Travel140!
