FareCompare's ESSENTIAL Holiday Travel Checklist

Ah, the spicy aroma of the pumpkin pie; the tantalizing tang of the cranberry sauce; and the angry mutterings from the mob at the airport.

Welcome to Thanksgiving 2007.

Oh, the food will be as good as ever, but the scene at the airport is going to be worse than ever. There is the potential for record-breaking delays, and thousands of missed connections. The good news is, we at FareCompare.com can help. We've compiled an entire section of useful information that you can print out and take along on your travels. It'll be a help, and this year, the Thanksgiving flying public will need all the help it can get.

Busiest Travel Days of the Year

Thanksgiving is the busiest travel time of the year, period. And the absolute busiest travel days of the year?  Here they are, in order:
#1  Sunday after Thanksgiving
#2  Wednesday before Thanksgiving
And this year, it's going to be BAD.  That's because many airlines are reducing the number of  available seats.  The reason?  They don't make money on empty seats, they just waste fuel.  And that's why most planes will be flying at or near 100% occupancy.

Packed Planes – What to Watch For

Full-capacity planes can mean trouble if weather or mechanical issues arise:

• Watch for delays creating a "domino effect" as delays spawn still more delays
• Watch for more passengers being stranded if there are delays, because all those full planes won't have room for "extra" passengers, the people delayed by earlier flights

Some cities are going to be worse than others.  The following is our list of the "11-Worst Turkey Day Travel Cities", cities that will be hit particularly hard by the reduced number of seats.
If your city is on this list, be prepared for potential problems.  Be prepared for trouble.

11-Worst Turkey Day Travel Cities

And here are the better cities for travelers, the ones where airlines have added seats:

Take a look at the chart below which shows the decrease/increase in the number of seats flown on the 2 peak days last Thanksgiving (2006) vs. this year (hint - avoid the ones at the top if possible):

So what's a traveler to do? What if you run into delays and cancellations? You need a back-up plan. And you can create one tailored just for you, with our exclusive FareCompare Holiday Travel Travel Checklist.

The FareCompare Holiday Travel Checklist

Read through this checklist, before you head to the airport; it could save you a ton of frustration, and maybe even some time and money. 
NOTE:  You have some homework to do, including some lists to print out, but we've made it easy for you.  So get going!

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

1. CONFIRM TRIP NOW – Make reservations NOW!  FareCompare's Email Alerts will let you know when the best deals are available
2. MAKE NON-STOP RESERVATIONS – it will cost extra but you won't risk a missed connection
3. CARRY-ON YOUR LUGGAGE – Thanksgiving is too short to waste looking for lost luggage

WHAT TO BRING

1. PRINT OUT THE AIRLINE'S CONTRACT OF CARRIAGE – This document outlines the airlines rights and responsibilites in the event of problems; for example, in the event of a cancellation or delay, you may be entitled to a hotel room and/or meals.  Or it may say the airline will "try" to provide you with such services.  In any event, knowledge is power, so read it and keep it with you.

NOTE:  If you have problems with your flight, remember to be persistent but always polite.  It may help your case, and remember, the airline rep is not enjoying this anymore than you are.
Here is a link to several airline "Contracts of Carriage" (you can also go to the airline's website and type the word "carriage" in the search box).

1. BRING ALTERNATE FLIGHT INFO – You can find a listing of all flights available the day you'll be traveling here, or go directly to http://flights.farecompare.com/.  Print this out and keep it with you.
2. HAVE A LIST OF HOTEL NUMBERS – If a flight is cancelled, you may need a place to stay.  NOTE:  a hotel website may say "no vacancy" but call its "800" number for  the local number of the hotel, and call directly.  Often rooms are available for "walk-up" business. 

Here's a list of some of the larger chains to get you started.

1. RENTAL CAR  INFO – If you're plane is going nowhere, and you destination is a 2- to 6-hour drive, you might want to rent a car.  Here are some numbers you'll need (plus we threw in a busline and a train).
2. SET ALERTS FOR PARTY MEETING YOUR PLANE – Go Flightstats.com and click on their Flightstats Mobile button to set "texting alerts" for the cell phone of whoever is picking you up.  If you're going to be late, but can't call (because you're in the air), this is the perfect solution.  A number of airlines offer similar alerts; check their websites.
3. PRINT OUT YOUR BOARDING PASS AT HOME – Don't stand in any more lines than you have to.

LAST MINUTE

1. BRING FOOD, BUY WATER – Bring enough food to see yourself through a day of waiting (you'll have to buy water at the airport due to security).
2. NO AIRPORT PARKING – Don't even think of parking in that crowded mess; have family or friends drop you off or take a cab.
3. GO EARLY – you may need the extra time getting through security
4. BRING A DIVERSION – A laptop and movies, an electronic game, work to catch up on, that book you've been dying to read, anything that will

RELAX

Now, it's out of your hands; you've put together your FareCompare.com Triumphant Traveler Kit, so you've done all you can.  You'll get there on time, or, you won't.  But you know, they say that turkey actually tastes so much better in leftovers...