Flying in December?
By KRISTI ALBERTSON
Prepare for crowds
The Daily Inter Lake
If you haven't yet booked that flight home for Christmas, brace yourself for sticker shock.
Travelers across the country are bearing the increased price burden as decreased fleet sizes and flying's increased popularity contribute to high ticket prices.
Not even the August terrorism scare has deterred those who prefer to travel by air.
"The demand for travel is up. You should not be shocked at prices," said Cindi Martin, director of Glacier Park International Airport.
Neither should travelers be shocked at how full flights are. At one time, travelers could count on having an open middle seat, but that's no longer the case, Martin said.
Because flights are so full, people intending to fly during December should buy tickets as soon as possible, she said. "If you're planning to travel, you need to check now."
One of the best ways to find tickets is via the Internet, Martin said. She recommends the Orbitz and Kayak Web sites. These sites sort through price information from airlines and other Web sites to find the cheapest rates available.
"There's some good deals, but they're still not cheap," Martin said.
To get a better deal, she suggests maintaining a flexible schedule. Flying on off days, particularly Tuesday and Wednesday, is cheaper than traveling over the weekend. Leaving in the middle of the day is less expensive than flying during mornings or evenings.
Regardless of when their plane leaves, travelers should arrive at the airport two hours before departure, Martin said, especially if they're traveling during the holiday crush. When traveling from a large airport, people should arrive 2 1/2 to three hours early.
Some carriers have a 30-minute check-in rule, Martin added. Travelers who fail to check in by half an hour prior to departure lose their seats. And with flights already nearly completely booked, the chances of finding another flight at the last minute are slim.
Early arrival is important because people can expect to spend quite a bit of time waiting in line to check in and get through security, Martin said. However, following guidelines outlined by the Transportation Security Administration can help expedite the process.
Traveling with gifts is expected during the holiday season, but Martin recommends passengers forget the gift wrapping until they reach their destination. Even wrapped gifts in checked luggage are prohibited.
"If they are wrapped, TSA will unwrap them," she said.
Martin also advises packing only the bare essentials, including valuables and prescription medications, in carry-on luggage. Try to limit yourself to one carry-on, she said. "It makes it easier on you and everyone else."
Technically, that's already the rule, "but you still get the ladies who look like bag ladies with 16 shopping bags," she said.
With a few exceptions, liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on luggage must be in 3-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are only half full, including rolled-up toothpaste tubes, are not allowed.
These containers all must fit inside a sealed, zip-topped, quart-sized plastic bag. Only one bag is allowed per passenger, and each person must remove the bag from his or her carry-on and present it at security checkpoints for X-ray screening.
Other liquids are allowed in carry-on luggage outside the quart-sized bags. If containers are larger than 3 ounces, however, passengers must notify security officers at the checkpoint.
Acceptable items include:
. Baby formula or breast milk, if traveling with a baby or small child.
. All prescription and over-the-counter medications.
. Liquids including water, juice or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with disabilities or medical conditions.
. Life-support and life-sustaining liquids, such as bone marrow, blood products and transplant organs.
. Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons, such as prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution or other liquids.
. Gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by people with disabilities or medical conditions.
More information about banned items is available on the TSA Web site, www.tsa.gov.
Getting through security is only one part of the journey, however. Martin has other suggestions for making holiday travel more enjoyable.
When traveling with children, look for direct flights instead of long layovers. If passengers must change planes, they can make arrangements with airports to meet them with a cart and help them make connections, Martin said. Those arrangements must be made in advance.
Martin recommends people book children younger than 2 their own seats and bringing a car seat. "This makes it better for you and for everyone else around you."
Traveling with pets is becoming more common, but Martin suggests checking with airlines before arriving at the airport - particularly if a person plans to check his pet.
"If the weather is extreme one way or another, the carrier won't ship them," she said.
Martin also encourages people to be patient with airlines, which are doing their best to get everyone and their belongings to their proper destinations.
People take precedence, though, and some items - such as golf clubs and ski gear - are not priority baggage.
If the plane is too heavy, those are the first items to go, and as a result, they may arrive a flight or two behind their owners.
On the Net:
www.glacierairport.com
www.tsa.gov
www.orbitz.com
www.kayak.com
Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com