Air Travel Tips: Rules And Tricks For Flying, Packing, Navigating Airports And Planes During Holiday Season

The holidays are the busiest time of year for traveling in the United States. The days surrounding Christmas and New Year’s see a 23 percent rise in travel compared to the rest of the year and the crowds and hassle can often take the joy right out of the season. Following airport and airline rules and using these tips and tricks will make flying during the holidays as easy as possible.

Time The Trip Carefully If a trip's schedule is flexible, travelers should consider picking the least busy time at the airport to make travel as efficient as possible. Friday is generally the busiest airport day, according to Delta airlines. Saturday sees the fewest travelers, and early morning flights tend to have the fewest delays.

Carry-On Important Items Travelers might want to avoid putting valuables, medicine, irreplaceable items or perishables in checked baggage. There’s always a chance checked bags get lost or delayed, so keeping the important items close by might be a good move. Also, packing at least a day's worth of clothing in a carry-on bag in case a checked bag gets lost in transit.

Tag The Bags When arriving at a destination, it's easier to retrieve luggage if it has an identifying marker. The item will be easily recognizable to its owner and won't be at risk for a case of mistaken bag identity.

Double Up On Important Documents Photocopies of indispensable identification like a driver’s license and a passport should be kept in a different place than the originals in case they’re lost or stolen. The U.S. also has a mobile passport app to make traveling more efficient.

Remember The 3-1-1- Rule The infamous rule limits liquid carry-on substances to three 3.4 ounce containers stored in one quart-sized plastic zip bag. Only one is allowed per person.

Pack A “Busy Bag” For those traveling with children, Delta recommends packing a “busy bag” filled with toys and activities to keep them entertained on the plane or at the airport in the event of delays. Packing some non-electronic devices for the flight might also be helpful.

Layer Up Temperatures on flights vary so it's probably best to be prepared to avoid illness. Wearing layers will make travel more comfortable even if the temperature fluctuates on the flight.