Avoiding Travel Stress during the Winter Holiday Season

Posted on Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 at 10:00 am

It’s already December and many students will have the winner holiday break coming up soon. If you are planning on traveling this season keep in mind that you are not alone, whether you are celebrating the holidays or New Year. Couple this with possible inclement weather such as snow storms and you can imagine that this year is unlike many others, flights delays or cancellations. Whether for vacation or returning home to see your friends and family, being prepare can lessen the travel stress that you might experience during your trip.

Be prepared for your trip and bring entertainment in case you find yourself sitting and waiting for your next flight. This means bringing your iPod/iPad, Gameboy, cell phone, or any other electronic devices with you fully charged. Because while many airports now have electrical outlets, the number of them are limited and someone else may be using them. You don’t want to run out of battery when you’re stuck waiting in the airport (but bring your charger just in case!). You can also bring a book or other reading material in case you need a change of pace.

Another necessity is bringing food and snacks with you on your trip, worse than being bored is being hungry. Some airline doesn’t serve food on short flights, if the delay gets really bad, the airline or the airport may very well run out of food (or there might be some major lines!).

Being prepared also means preparing yourself mentally for the unexpected such as delays or cancellations. It can also mean avoiding travel delays before it even happens. Book flights that have a good record of not being delayed and opt for nonstop flight if possible, the more connections you have the more likelihood of delays.

If you need to run to catch your next flight, it helps if you can get through the security link faster. Check out some helpful hints for holiday travelers by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

If worst come to worst, having a good trip cancellation travel insurance policy can help if you find yourself in a situation where your flights are cancelled, or if you are delayed for a long period of time reducing your travel stress. Most plans also provide travel assistance to help reduce travel stress and headache.

Posted by ahoontrakul

Originally from Thailand, Apinant grew up in the United States and has extensive international experience traveling throughout Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. He has lived, studied and worked abroad in China, England, Taiwan and Thailand. Apinant is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Masters in International Business and a Bachelors of Science in Business Management.