eXpect delaYs Travel Delay Blog - Tips

Tips to Make Your Summer Vacation and Airport Experience and Travel Delay Free

nospam@example.com (Gus) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:48:00 -0700

Tips to avoid air and other travel delays during your Summertime Travel, from eXpectdelaYs.com.

It's Summer! The weather's warm, the sun is out and your ready to go on vacation, or perhaps a nice business trip. Whatever you are planning, you will probably have a more enjoyable time if your trip is delay free. While I can't promise that you won't have a flight delay or that you may wait in an airport security checkpoint line for a few minutes, or find yourself in a little traffic, I can offer you a few tips to minimize your travel delays. If you don't have time to read this whole article now, just remember to check the essentials on expectdelays.com before you leave your house:

Check your flight to make sure it's not delayed
Check traffic on the way to the airport
Check the wait time at security screening
Check parking lot status.

Be flexible and save time! If you have any flexibility in your travel dates, you can decrease your chance of flight delays, airport security screening wait times and other issues that happen on high volume days. You can also save some money traveling on less popular days and times as well. The days and times that have the highest volume in part depend on what your origin and destination cities are. For example, if your travel includes a place that has a high volume of business travelers, then you would want to avoid peak business travel times like Sunday afternoon/evening, Monday morning and Friday. If your travel plans are to a vacation destination, then some of the largest crowds will be due to people taking weekend trips (Friday and Sunday travel days) and as you can see, this is also the time that business travelers are at their peak as well. Thus, traveling Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are likely to get you the least crowds, and the possibly the best prices as well.

Be flexible and save time in line! Less popular days and times may translate into shorter airport security screening checkpoint wait times. Check the TSA's website to get historical information on airport security checkpoint wait times based on date from the past 30 days. Assuming that the airport will be the least crowded when security wait times are the shortest, you can also suspect that other lines you may encounter at the airport, such as flight check-in, concessions, etc, may also be shorter at these times as well. Remember, since these airport security checkpoint wait times are based on the last 30 days of data, they will more likely resemble the times that you will encounter as you get closer to your travel date.

Be flexible and save money on flights! If you are flexible in your travel times and dates, you also may be able to get less expensive flights. Check out sites like Hotwire.com, where, you choose the day that you want to travel, your origin and destination airports, and they will offer you a cheap option on a flight. The only catch is that they don't tell you the time of your flight or airline until you purchase the ticket, but all you have to do is be willing to fly on a flight that has 0-1 stops each way (departing and returning) and a scheduled departure between 6am and 10pm and they will give you a flight with confirmed seating -- you'll never fly standby and you'll save money! You also have the choice of picking a flight the usual way – you will know the airline and flight times before you pay – but you will not get the big savings. If you like to shop around for prices before you buy, then I recommend Kayak.com. They don't sell airline tickets or hotel rooms themselves, but they do search a whole bunch of other travel, hotel and airline sites for you, to help you find the best price. Check Kayak.com out to Find Cheap Flights from 100+ Sites with One Click.

Be flexible and save on hotels! Hotwire.com is also a great place to go to save money on hotels. You choose the day and place that you need a hotel room, and they will give you a list of hotels to choose from. The only catch is that you won't know the exact hotel until you pay, but you will know the hotel's star rating and amenities before you buy, so you will have some idea what to expect. I have used their service many times and it has always worked out well. Same as for airline tickets, if you want to shop around before you buy, then let Kayak.com look at a bunch of web sites for you to find hotel availability and the best hotel rates. Follow this link to have Kayak.com find you great hotel rates and Discount Hotels

Pack Light and save time and money! Now that many airlines have added fees even for your first piece of checked luggage (many will take effect in August), and the extra bag fees and overweight bag fees have become really expensive, it really "pays" to pack lightly. If you can get away with a carry-on bag only, go for it! If you pack only the essentials, plan to do a little washing in the sink, and bring versatile shoes, it is amazing how little you can actually bring on a trip. Just be sure to pay attention to the restrictions on what you can pack in a carry-on bag, especially regarding liquids (see Be prepared, and don't wait in line! below). Carrying on your bags saves the time you have to wait to check them in, and probably more importantly, the time you have to wait to retrieve them. The trade off is that with more people carrying on their luggage, it may take a little longer to get flights boarded, and the overhead storage space may fill up, so you may wind up having to check your bag at the gate if there is no room to accomodate it in the cabin. If you are checking a bag, then do your best to follow your airline's baggage weight, number and size restrictions because having to pay extra fees will cost you in both money and time. Many of the airlines are planning on enabling you to pay the initial luggage fees at the time you purchase your ticket, which can save you time, as long as you do not incur any additional fees that you will have to pay at check-in such as your bag being oversized or overweight.

Be prepared, and don't wait in line! If you are not planning on checking baggage on your flight, and are only going to have a “carry-on” then it really pays to check-in for your flight on-line before you head to the airport. Just go to your airline's web site, and there is generally a link on their home page. You can select your seats and print out your boarding pass at home, and then just head straight to the airport security screening line. Just be sure that you have checked the limitations on how large your carry-on may be, and what is allowed through security screening and any special preparations that need to be made (such as all of your liquids being in 3 oz bottles in a 1 quart plastic bag). Check the TSA's website for up-to-date restrictions on what you can bring through the airport security checkpoint, and your airline's website for restrictions on the size and number of carry on items allowed per person.

Check for flight delays! Before you leave for the airport, check on your flight to make sure there has been no change in flight schedule or a flight delay. That's easy to do right from our home page, http://expectdelays.com. Either choose the city you are traveling from or use the Flight Status search box on our home page. Also always check security wait times, traffic and weather before you leave the house and check out our Tips for Avoiding Air Travel Delays for additional suggestions

Make sure there's a space for your car! Many airports have real-time parking lot status where you can check the number of spaces available in each lot to help you plan where to park as well as how much time you will need. Just follow the parking links that we provide for each city on http://expectdelays.com.

Pack a little snack! If you encounter a delay, especially if you are unfortunate enough to get stuck in traffic or are sitting inside a plane waiting to take off or for a gate, you will be happy that you packed something to eat, such as an energy bar, fruit or a sandwich (that doesn't require refrigeration). I always make sure that I buy a bottle of water once I am through security as well, so that I always have something to drink. If you remain well hydrated and you aren't hungry, you will be able to better withstand travel and flight delays.

Bring something to pass the time! Make sure you have your music player of choice, a book, magazine, computer or PDA so that you have something to do should you have a delay. Waiting is much more tolerable if you have something to pass the times.

Don't get lost! If you are renting a car at you destination and you don't know your way around, save yourself some time and aggravation and be sure to plan ahead. Map the route from the airport to the hotel ahead of time, and to any destinations (restaurants, beaches, etc) that you might want to go to. Better yet, bring a GPS or rent a car with one. Bringing a map is also a good idea. The extra time and/or money invested before your trip will give you more time to have fun on your vacation. Also, don't forget to plan your route back to the airport, taking into account travel time for the time of day (i.e. rush hour, etc), so that the finale of your trip can also be stress free. You can check traffic right here on expectdelays.com!

Stop that Growling Stomach! Investigate your dining choices ahead of time. If there is a restaurant that you would like to go to during a busy travel week, or on a Friday or Saturday night, save yourself from disappointment by making a reservation either before you leave or as soon as you get to your destination. Many restaurants take reservations on-line, but if they don't, with long-distance charges now cheap, spend a few cents and give them a call.

A little research goes a long way! Check out attractions and activities at your destination ahead of time in either a travel guide book or on-line. If you have a few ideas of places you want to go to and things that you would like to do ahead of time, you'll be able to spend more time actually doing them!

We can't guarantee you a delay free vacation, but with these tips you should be able to spend more time enjoying your time away! Remember, if you eXpect delaYs, you can beat them!

Happy Travels!

-Gus

How to Get Through Airport Security if you Lose your Drivers License

nospam@example.com (Gus) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:37:28 -0700

A major fear of many air travelers is what would happen at the airport if one has lost their drivers license or other form of ID. A search of the TSA's website turned up scant information on this subject. While more details may be there somewhere, one would think this would be easy to find for the panic-stricken traveler who discovers that their ID, drivers license or passport has gone missing moments before a flight. We have found some information on the web that might help as well. Note that this information would likely only help for domestic travel. If you are traveling internationally and have lost your passport / visa, these tips would probably not help and you would need to get a replacement.

If you lose your ID before boarding a domestic flight, you will still be able to travel on your flight, according to two recent articles siting a TSA source, and the TSA website. According to the articles, you show up for your flight early to allow extra time, and explain your situation to the TSA agent at the security checkpoint. They will have you fill out some paperwork, and then you may be subject to additional interviews and search / screening, but you will probably be on your way in a relatively short time.

It may also be helpful if you have some additional forms of ID, such as a photo credit card, or photocopies of your drivers license or passport. These will not substitute for your real ID, but may help expedite the process.

A recent posting (June 23, 2008) on the TSA website does somewhat address this issue without giving the specifics:

TSA Announces Enhancements to Airport ID Requirements to Increase Safety

Beginning Saturday, June 21, 2008 passengers that willfully refuse to provide identification at security checkpoint will be denied access to the secure area of airports. This change will apply exclusively to individuals that simply refuse to provide any identification or assist transportation security officers in ascertaining their identity.

This new procedure will not affect passengers that may have misplaced, lost or otherwise do not have ID but are cooperative with officers. Cooperative passengers without ID may be subjected to additional screening protocols, including enhanced physical screening, enhanced carry-on and/or checked baggage screening, interviews with behavior detection or law enforcement officers and other measures.

Under the law that created TSA, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, the TSA administrator is responsible for overseeing aviation security (P.L. 107-71) and has the authority to establish security procedures at airports (49 C.F.R. § 1540.107). Passengers that fail to comply with security procedures may be prohibited from entering the secure area of airports to catch their flight (49 C.F.R. § 1540.105(a)(2).

This initiative is the latest in a series designed to facilitate travel for legitimate passengers while enhancing the agency's risk-based focus - on people, not things. Positively identifying passengers is an important tool in our multi-layered approach to security and one that we have significantly bolstered during the past 18 months.

A few helpful articles (which are basically identical):

No ID? All is Not Lost. from the Washington Post June 29, 2008

Lost ID? Can you still fly? from TravelMole July 10, 2008

Remember, if you eXpect delaYs, you can beat them!
Happy Travels -
-Gus

Make your Spring Break Travel Delay Free!

nospam@example.com (Gus) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:25:39 -0800

Tips to avoid travel delays on your spring break, from eXpectdelaYs.com.

So it's time for spring break! I bet you are looking forward to some fun in the sun or on the slopes, or just a little time away from home. Whatever you are planning, you will probably have a more enjoyable time if your trip is delay free. While I can't promise that you won't have a flight delay or that you may wait in an airport security checkpoint line for a few minutes, or find yourself in a little traffic, I can offer you a few tips to minimize your travel delays.

Be flexible and save time! If you have any flexibility in your travel dates, you can decrease your chance of flight delays, airport security screening wait times and other issues that happen on high volume days. You can also save some money traveling on less popular days and times as well. The days and times that have the highest volume in part depend on what your origins and destinations are. For example, if your travel includes a place that has a high volume of business travelers, then you would want to avoid peak business travel times like Sunday afternoon/evening, Monday morning and Friday. If your travel plans are to a vacation destination, then some of the largest crowds will be due to people taking weekend trips (Friday and Sunday travel days) and as you can see, this is also the time that business travelers are at their peak as well. Thus, traveling Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are likely to get you the least crowds, and the possibly the best prices as well.

Be flexible and save money on flights! If you are flexible in your travel times and dates, you also may be able to get less expensive flights. Check out sites like Hotwire.com, where, you choose the day that you want to travel, your origin and destination airports, and they will offer you a cheap option on a flight. The only catch is that they don't tell you the time or airline until you purchase the ticket, but all you have to do is be willing to fly on a flight that has 0-1 stops each way (departing and returning) and a scheduled departure between 6am and 10pm and they will give you a flight with confirmed seating -- you'll never fly standby and you'll save money! You also have the choice of picking a flight the usual way – you will know the airline and flight times before you pay – but you will not get the big savings. If you like to shop around for prices before you buy, then I recommend Kayak.com. They don't sell airline tickets or hotel rooms themselves, but they do search a whole bunch of other travel, hotel and airline sites for you, to help you find the best price. Check Kayak.com out to Find Cheap Flights from 100+ Sites with One Click.

Be flexible and save on hotels! Hotwire.com is also a great place to go to save money on hotels. You choose the day and place that you need a hotel room, and they will give you a list of hotels to choose from. The only catch is that you won't know the exact hotel until you pay, but you will know the hotel's star rating before you buy, so you have some idea what to expect. I have used their service many times and it has always worked out well. Same as for airline tickets, if you want to shop around before you buy, then let Kayak.com look at a bunch of web sites for you to find hotel availability and the best hotel rates. Follow this link to have Kayak.com find you great hotel rates and Discount Hotels

A little research goes a long way! Check out attractions and activities at your destination ahead of time in either a travel guide book or on-line. If you have a few ideas of places you want to go to and things that you would like to do, you'll be able to spend more time actually doing them!

We can't guarantee you a delay free vacation, but with these tips you should be able to spend more time enjoying your time away! Remember, if you eXpect delaYs, you can beat them!

Happy Travels!

-Gus

Tips for Avoiding Air Travel Delays

nospam@example.com (Gus) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:02:00 -0800

Here are some of the tips that we have learned over the years to avoid delays at the aiport. Please feel free to comment and add any tips of your own.

Check your flight's arrival or departure time and for any flight delays prior to heading to the airport. Flights are frequently delayed, and there is no need to spend extra time waiting at the airport. You can check on flight schedules and flight delays on-line at expectdelays.com, or through your airline on-line or by phone (generally through an automated system)

Check for traffic or road construction delays that might make your trip to the airport take longer than expected. You can check traffic reports on-line at expect delays (expectdelays.com) by following the appropriate links in the “Traffic" section.

Get directions to the airport. You can do this from many airport web sites, as well as from your favorite on-line mapping site. Or, you can buy a good GPS and never worry about driving directions again!

Check the availability of airport parking. Many airports have more than one parking option consisting of multiple prices (usually based on distance from the terminal and whether you would need to take a shuttle bus or not). Many airports list these parking options on-line as well as the percent of spaces occupied and cost. This information can help you estimate how long it may take to find a space (it could be a long time if only a few spaces remain) or to decide to choose a different lot. Some airports also now offer valet parking. Check you airport’s home page to see if they offer this service. Also, you can check expectdelays.com for airport parking information.

Check airport delays, flight delays and weather conditions at your destination airport to anticipate possible delays in your flight’s arrival or connecting flight’s departure. This can be done easily from the main page at expectdelays.com.

If you are returning a rental car or plan to pick one up upon your arrival at your destination, it is important to check on whether the rental car pick up (or drop off) area is "on-site" which you can walk to, or off-site" requiring a trip on a shuttle bus. Many airports are moving towards having all their renal car companies housed in an off-site rental car center, and it is important to allow for the extra time required. This information is often found at the rental car companies’ web sites, or at the airport web site. If in doubt, call first, and get driving directions, as it can be very stressful searching for the rental car return area when you are trying to catch a flight. Plus, if you haven’t planned ahead for the extra time needed to ride a shuttle bus, you may miss your flight!

Check on airport security line wait times. Some airports offer real-time security line wait information on-line, but if yours doesn't, you can find historical wait times for all airports on-line for every day and time, to give you some guidance. You guessed it - you can get this information from the eXpect delaYs web site.

Be Prepared for the security screening. If you follow the regulations and prepare, you should be able to get through the security screening without much hassle. Dress accordingly by not wearing any metal objects that you don't have to, and wear shoes that you can take off easily. Remove all metal objects, including your belt, and empty your pockets and put the items in your carry-on before you get to the front of the line. Remember to keep your ID and boarding pass handy. Remove you jacket and put it in a basket. In most cases you must also remove you shoes. Remove you laptop from its case and place it in a basket. Remember to have all liquids in 3 ounce bottles and in a separate clear quart size bag. For up do date detailed information, check the TSA website.

Always print out your airline flight itinerary and confirmation number, hotel and rental car confirmation number, address and phone number, and rental car pick-up and drop off locations. For those so inclined, all this information can be downloaded to your PDA. It’s always a good idea to have a printout with you even if you have a PDA, because you never know when some technical “glitch” will keep you from the information in your PDA.

Check in for your flight on-line and print your boarding pass if you aren't planning on checking luggage. Then you can bypass the ticket counter and head straight to the airport security check point. Remember to double-check the restrictions for what you can put in your carry-on. Be sure to check your airline’s website if you have any questions about carry-on size or weight restrictions or checked baggage number and weight allowances. Be careful - many airlines add a surcharge for additional checked bags or overweight bags and unless you enjoy being asked for an extra $50 or $75 (or more!) when you are checking in, it behooves you to check the allowances ahead of time.

To save time when you reach your destination, use your favorite on-line mapping web site to map the route to your destination. Or if you are taking mass-transportation, be sure to check which bus / subway to take ahead of time (check expectdelays.com for this information), and always have your hotel’s address and phone number with you.

Please share with us any tips that you may have. Thanks!
(updated Sunday, February 24, 2008)