Travel tips: Summer travel part 2

Cancellations
Delays
Long lines
Lost luggage...that's the travel news this summer!

Quadruple whammy
- wrong kinds of planes - to be economical, airlines are using smaller planes which means there's less room if you miss a flight for any reason
- more smaller planes means more runway congestion because there are more of them around. More runway congestion means more delays as air traffic control tries to route everyone
- weather delays. Thunderstorms? Enough said
- pilots running out of work time at the end of the month. Pilots are only allowed a certain amount of hours a day, a week and a month...so that they are not overtired and can fly safely. With delays, they're running out of time sooner.

Top tips
- delays get crazy after 8 am so fly before them if possible
- system starts breaking down after 10am
- by 4 pm, system is crazy
- think about flying after 10 pm
- avoid flying during the last 10 days of the month - pilots out of time
- allow at least 2 hours between connecting flights
- keep your cell phone handy

one hour connecting time is not working in case your first flight is delayed

lost luggage
- fedex or currier your luggage rather than checking it
- it you do check the bag, put a label inside and outside with name and cell phone only

And be prepared with something to do! Try The Travel Activity Book
which is now available for teens too!

This information came from Peter Greenberg and the Today Show