Travel by Air This Upcoming Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest air travel times of the year. With families all trying to get together for the long weekend off from work and share that fabulous turkey and dressing, air travel is the fastest way for most to travel between states, and that means the airlines are swamped over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving holiday preparations can be stressful enough, and while air travel over the Thanksgiving holiday can add to that, these five tips can help minimize the stress and make your travel more enjoyable.

Holiday Air Travel Tip #1 - Pack Lightly

Most major airlines currently allow two small carry on bags per passenger. If it is at all possible, when traveling by air this Thanksgiving weekend, try to pack all you need into those two bags so you do not have to check luggage.

Airport security will scan and randomly search checked luggage without you being present, but your carry on bags will only be searched at airport security checkpoints, where you can observe them searching your bag. Additionally, carry on bags reduce time and frustration because you won't have to go to the luggage pick up area to wade through the other air travelers and push and shove to find your bags.

Holiday Air Travel Tip #2 - Prepare for Delays

With overcrowded airports, packed flights, and holiday travelers, it is reasonable to prepare for flight delays. Keep a cellular telephone and a list of phone numbers you can easily access with your friends or relatives' phone numbers at your destination location, so you can inform them of any delays and the don't expect you or waste a trip to the airport.

When traveling by air, you'll find that on-plane phones are expensive and payphone collect calls aren't cheap either, so if you have a cell phone, take it and be sure it's charged. If you don't have a cell phone, consider getting a pay as you go cell phone for the weekend or at the very least, purchase a pre-paid phone card to use at airport payphones and keep it on your person.