10 Expert Tips to Ease the Stress of Holiday Travel

The key to having a pleasant trip is to be informed and up to date about any changes or surprises. Knowing when you are flying, where you are sitting, exactly when you can check in, or when you can choose or change your seats makes everything so much easier. The TripIt app alerts you of all flight information including delays, gate changes, and when better seats become available. Once you’ve given TripIt permission to access your travel information, it does the work for you letting you concentrate on what matters like, how many shoes you need to take with you.

It sounds so easy, but we see people all the time scrambling at the airport. We’re frequent fliers and we still always arrive early. The more we travel, the more we realize that anything can go wrong at anytime. We’ve seen people standing at the parking lot complaining about waiting for the shuttle because their flight is leaving in less than an hour. All I want to say to them is “why are you here so late?” If they gave themselves the suggested 3-hours they wouldn’t be stressed or worried.If you want even more convenience, utilize the valet service. We always use ParknFly (a popular airport parking lot in Canada) in Toronto (we see there is a U.S. ParknFly as well) and buy our parking online. For a low fee of $20 we upgrade to valet service getting us closer to the airport with more frequent shuttle buses. We never wait more than 5 minutes. It’s worth it to us to have ease and convenience. Check with your airport parking service to see if they offer Valet upgrades.

The TripIt app will alert you the moment you can check in, and checking in online will save you a ton of time at the airport. You can print out your boarding pass or upload it onto your phone and bypass the long lines at check-in. If you travel carryon only, you can go directly to security. If you do have luggage, many airlines now have a luggage drop-off desk for those travelers savvy enough to have already checked it. It moves faster and more efficiently than the regular checkin line.

There are many premium credit cards that allow you to use the fast lane. Or if you are like us and loyal to one airline, you will most likely have membership status that lets you go through a separate security lane. The regular holiday travellers will be standing in the long security lines filled with people who don’t quite know all the rules thus slowing everything down. If you have the right travel credit card for your airport (ours is American Express Platinum for Toronto) you can bypass the pubic line and join the frequent fliers. Check with your credit card company to see which premium card gives you travel perks.You can also apply for Global Entry (for Americans) or Nexus (for Canadians) and be granted access to the express security lane for frequent fliers. Believe me, every little bit of time saved adds up.

Going through security is the biggest hassle of airport travel. There are so many rules it’s difficult to keep up and with each airport it changes. I am simply prepared for all situations. I keep a separate tote bag handy before going through security with my computer and liquids already separated. That way I don’t have to rummage through my carryon roller looking for things. All liquids are less than 100ml and already separated in a plastic bag. When it gets to my turn, I whip out my computer and liquids, put them in the tray and then set my bag either in the bin or on the belt.I prefer to wear slip on shoes for quick security checks and instead of asking if they need to be taken off to go through security, I just take them off anyway and put them in the bin with my sunglasses, purse, and sweater. It’s just easier that way.Once our bags go through, I put everything I had in my tote into my suitcase and conveniently roll it away.

This is your holiday and time to invest a bit of cash to make your time at the airport enjoyable. Lounges aren’t just for airline membership status members anymore. Anyone can pay a fee to stay in a lounge. Look for lounges that are not associated with an airline. We have Priority Pass through our credit card and have free access to more than 600 lounges around the world. If you don’t have Priority Pass, you can buy a day pass. Lounge passes cost anywhere from $25-$40 and are worth every penny. There’s unlimited alcohol (although we don’t recommend drinking too much when flying) hot food, quiet areas, free Internet, charging stations and lounge chairs. Often times there’s even a shower to freshen up between flights. While chaos is happening outside in the public part of the airport, you’ll be listening to relaxing music or watching TV in a tranquil setting.

I love having everything I need at my fingertips. Before boarding the plane, I make sure to have a small tote filled with anything I may need during the flight. There is nothing worse than having to rummage through your carryon bag stuffed away in the overhead bin to search for an item you need. Instead, I have a small package containing must have items.My care package consists of:Headphones, eye mask, Advil, earplugs, Chapstick, small tube of moisturizer, a pen and a sweater in case I get cold. It fits conveniently under my seat and if I need anything, I can get to it easily.

As a frequent flier I can attest that premium seats make all the difference. While it’s difficult for people who don’t have airline status (meaning you fly a lot) to get an upgrade, many flights offer premium economy seats that make your flight just a little more comfortable. The premium economy seats are located near the front of the plane, there’s extra legroom, and seats are usually wider. That extra space makes all the difference during the flight and being near the front of the plane lets you be one of the first off the plane, so you can beat the lines to immigration.

Many airlines are now charging for entertainment and often times if they do offer inflight entertainment, it doesn’t work of the selection is awful. We never rely on others for entertainment; we download our favourite TV show or a few movies on our iPhone and have hours on stress free entertainment.

And finally, if you want to start your holidays a bit early, book a night at the airport hotel. Many hotels offer parking packages where you can book a night before your flight and leave your car for up to two weeks in their parking lot. You can then catch their free shuttle to the airport in the morning. It takes all the stress out of holiday travel and gives you an extra bonus night for your vacation. When we travel for short periods, we always use an airport hotel. Many times, the nights’ stay is the same as booking a parking space for a couple of weeks.Do you have any tips to help ease the stress of holiday travel? Are you traveling this holiday season? If so, make sure to plan ahead and be prepared. An informed traveler is a happy traveler. So enjoy your holidays and don’t let the airport get you down, instead start enjoying your trip, the minute you leave home.Sign up for the TripIt app for your smart phone now and start making your travels easier. New customers receive a 30 day trial of TripIt ProThis article is in partnership with TripIt but like everything on ThePlanetD, we would never endorse or recommend something if we don’t use it and love it ourselves.