Most people know that it is best to be on time when traveling by plane. Why would this even need to be discussed? It is very simple many people do not arrive at the airport on time. When you’re planning your flights for your trip, there are several things to keep in mind so this doesn’t happen to you.
One of the biggest problems is many people schedule their flight with just enough time to arrive at their destination on time. That’s really not the best option. Scheduling an early flight that gets you there ahead of time is the stress-free alternative.
Why get there early? Having that time to kill on the other end is always more enjoyable than stressing because you are going to be late when there is an unexpected delay.
Have you ever sat through a long dealy in the airport? With fewer flights, it’ll be harder to get on the next plane out if this happens to you. Delays and cancellations are risks in snow-and-sleet season, but there can be problems in summer too… think thunderstorms on the East Coast of the U.S. or Europe. Not a year passes without at least a few delays due to storm interference. Some information can be gained from looking at the past on-time records for a flight, but that gives no guarantee that weather won’t become a problem.
Traveling foreign airports will bring all new potential problems, including severe weather conditions like monsoons, difficulties transferring in foreign countries, and delays while clearing customs. My Plumeria, a gift for my wife, turned into a 3 hour delay last year.
The first flight of the day is generally your best bet for avoiding delays. Those delays have a domino effect and get worse throughout the day.
If you can connect in more than one city, select the one with the nicest weather pattern. In some cases you can choose your airports according to their record of delay, but keep in mind that many major hubs will be the only option for a transfer in some places. It’s because they are hubs that they have more delayed flights than other airports. It’s sort of the nature of hubs.
Airports like Chicago-ORD are well known for weather-related delays, while others like San Francisco-SFO are better known for non-weather delays like alignment of the runway.
Prepare for reality… This gets back to the “get there early” idea. It is a good idea to go a day or more in advance. If you’re connecting, be sure your layover is at least two hours. Sure layovers are a drag, but if you have a tight connection, and that first flight is delayed an hour… your connection is BUSTED!!! Now what?
When you are stuck with a tight connection, do not leave home without knowing your secondary plan if something goes wrong. Booking a new connection is always easier if you know your options.
To avoid missing your flight in the first place, be sure you get to the airport in plenty of time.I made this mistake on my last All Inclusive Resort Hawaii trip. In most cases, you won’t be able to check in for a flight within thirty minutes of departure time. Your plans will be ruined if you run in twenty minutes to departure and learn you cannot check your bags. Even if you have thirty or forty minutes to spare, you could get caught in security and still not make it. And face it, that’s always a possibility.
So to get there on time, get to the airport early… for an early morning flight… Avoid tight connections, and get there a day ahead. This way, you have nothing to stress over, you have time to recoup from the trip, and you might even get some sleep before enjoying the next day.
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