Another View: How to make holiday air travel as smooth as possible

The holiday season is fast approaching. Many already have their tickets in hand, or are starting to look for flights. Many people who travel during the holidays are once or twice-a-year air travelers, typically less experienced with the system and airport security than frequent business travelers. This means they may not be as familiar with protocols in place and how to traverse the system with minimal interruptions.

For those who have yet to purchase tickets, flying on off-peaks days will give you more flexibility (and perhaps less expensive fares). For example, traveling on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day is always easier than the day or two before. With Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, the travel window will be longer, extending over several days, which should make airports and airplanes less congested.

Airport security can be a breeze if you understand how it operates. The Transportation Security Administration is prepared for multiple days with around 3 million passengers to screen. They already experienced this volume on July 7, so they know how to manage such congestion.

If you want the swiftest pathway through security, enroll in TSA Precheck. Precheck-vetted passengers are subjected to expedited screening, which means you can leave your shoes on and keep laptops and 3-1-1 liquids in your carry-on bag.

Sometimes Precheck lanes get backed up, so passing through standard screening lanes may be quicker. Having Precheck gives you the flexibility to go through either type of lane.

If you are planning to bring gifts, do not wrap them until you get to your final destination. Depending on what you are bringing, the TSA officer may need to examine packages, which could mean unwrapping the items.

Better yet, ship gifts ahead of time to your destination so they are waiting for you upon arrival. This will make your carry-on and checked bags less cluttered and lighter, and less likely to draw attention from TSA officers.

Inclement weather is one of the most common reasons why flights are delayed or canceled (the top cause is air traffic control restrictions). Begin to check the weather forecast two days before you travel. Airlines have begun to realize that proactively avoiding problems is better than solving problems when flights get delayed or canceled. Many will allow you to change at no cost to avoid such issues.

Check alternative flight options on your airline and other airlines. Being prepared with such information may not solve your problem, but it may help the airline agents who you are working with accommodate you if your flight is canceled due to a mechanical issue or some other airline-specific problem. Airlines have agreements that allow them to transfer a ticket to another airline. Such flexibility can be the difference between being stuck in a hotel room to catch a flight the next day or reaching your destination with minimal delays.