Book Early
Holiday travel dates book a year in advance at some resorts, so for the best rooms (and deals), plan as far in advance as you can. Procrastinators: check out our Hot Holiday Deals.
Pack Light
Navigating Immigration and Customs can be time-consuming and tedious under the best of circumstances, but is especially so at the holidays. Limit yourself to a carry-on and you’ll sail through the customs crush. More time poolside!
Seize the Day
Travel on the actual holiday. Airlines know that everyone wants to get where we’re going before the holiday, and price fares accordingly. But if you’re willing to travel on the holiday, not only will you save money on the fare but you’ll have far fewer crowds to deal with at the airport. And you’ll still get to enjoy Christmas evening at the beach.
Find the Freebies
Before you board a long flight, take advantage of free Wi-Fi at the airport or elsewhere to load your iPad with movies, magazines and apps. If you wait till you’re on the plane, you’ll end up paying for the app AND the Wi-Fi.
Adopt an Attitude
Air travel these days can be a schlep. Having to practically undress at security, rude and cranky fellow travelers, delayed flights and cramped cabins are pretty much the norm. So embrace it! Instead of being surprised and irritated the instant things go wrong, simply accept that they probably will and plan accordingly. The person in front of you WILL have to go through the security scanner three times, so give yourself more time than you need at the airport. It’s bound to be hard to find a healthy snack on the concourse, so bring your own. Your flight’s probably going to be delayed, so bring a book, buy a day-pass to the airline lounge or just amuse yourself people-watching. Truth is, things will go wrong. It’s how you react when they do that really makes the difference.
Happy Holidays!
Related Content
Trinidad’s bucket-list bacchanal incorporates a slew of must-do public events. Here’s the skinny on what happens when.
As Cuba slowly opens up to American tourists, now is the time to go for any traveler looking for a trip with a local touch.
Forgot to pack your camera? You can still get snap-happy on your next vacation with these apps for your smart phone, from altering the look and quality of your image with digital "lenses" on Hipstamatic or high dynamic range imagery with Pro HDR, to instant photo sharing via Instagram.
Las Terrenas, the heart of the action on the Samana Peninsula, offers natural beauty and boho sophistication in equal measure, with little in the way of the DR’s typical sprawling resorts and their attendant crowds. Here, the focus is on the fun and funky, with an international crowd drawn to the expat-owned hotels, cafes and bars that have laid claim to the one-time fishing village’s primo locale and carefree spirit.
Comments
Thank you for the tips. Anyway, an early holiday gift for travelers is about to give. Thanksgiving air vacationers can earn an iPod Touch within the "#touchedbyTSA" promo financed by the social-mapping app Loopt . On Nov. twenty three, passengers can try to win by refusing a full body scan and describing their pat down in a twitter update using the hastag #touchedbyTSA. Pre-flight screening process is unlikely to be impacted by #touchedbyTSA, in light of the TSA's firm stance on doing anything possible to eliminate the danger of airline terrorism.