Avoid holiday headaches with three winter travel tips to make sure you arrive on time and don’t get left out in the cold

THANKSGIVING, Christmas, and New Year’s are the busiest times of year to get on a plane. 

However, with some planning, travelers can avoid chaos and prepare themselves for the absolute worst.

The day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after remain the most congested travel days of the year.

That’s why timing matters, as late-day flights are more vulnerable to delays and cancellations, especially in the winter. 

Booking the earlier flights of the day will increase the odds of staying on schedule, according to Cover Trip. 

It’s also recommended that travellers look to book non-stop flights, which are the safest bet to avoid layover complications in snowy hubs.

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Staffing shortages have also doubled baggage mishandling rates since 2021, according to SITA’s Baggage IT Insights Report. 

In particular, bags being transferred between planes are most at risk for being mishandled or delayed.

Carry-ons remain the safest option. 

For checked luggage, travelers should consider adding AirTags or similar tracking devices.

It also doesn’t hurt to photograph your bag before check-in.

You can also save plenty of time using TSA’s PreCheck, but those without PreCheck can check if the airport offers free “fast pass” reservations to skip the line.

Lastly, checking forecasts and airline alerts before bed can help travellers rebook early or arrive ahead of schedule if storms are expected.

The most common areas where airports will see winter delays are in the Mountain West of the United States, particularly airports in Aspen’s Pitkin County and Vail’s Eagle County, where between  22–35% of flights are disrupted, according to data from Hopper.

Airports in the northeast, such as Burlington, Vermont, Rochester, New York, and Westchester County in New York, experience between 14 and 16 percent disruptions during the winter months. 

Meanwhile, Fargo’s Hector International Airport experiences 22 percent disruptions during the winter, while Chicago O’Hare gets 21 percent, and Minneapolis-St. Paul experiences 11 percent.