Shifting gears a bit this week, I thought I’d pass along a few summer flying tips from the perspective of an airline pilot.  After a few years on the job, one tends to see many of the things that trip passengers up on their way to their destination.  Of course, there are a lot of good travel websites out there with advice on how to navigate the busy summer travel season, so you may have heard or read something similar to this before.  For our purposes, I’ll focus on the part of the trip that, frankly, many travelers enjoy the least – the airport. 

Early is good

If it’s possible, take the first flight of the day.  Many of the aircraft deployed by an airline will fly as many as four or five times in one day (!).  As a result, the airlines are highly focused on getting that first flight of the day out on time, in order to avoid compounding delays down the line.  Furthermore, early morning flights tend to experience fewer disruptions resulting from thunderstorms and other summer weather.  So drag it out of bed and go early!

Check the schedule

In the “just in case” category, it’s a good idea to fly airlines that offer multiple flight options per day to wherever you are going.  This isn’t always possible, but if it is, it might be worth a few extra dollars to have some re-scheduling flexibility if something goes wrong.  You can check airline websites, Google Flights or a travel site like Expedia to find out this sort of information. 

Early is good, part II

Make every effort to get to the airport with a little extra time to get through check in and security prior to boarding for your flight.  Many airports will tell you on their website how long it is expected to take to get through security.  Allow that much time, and leave a cushion on top of that.  A long security line is a lot more tolerable if you aren’t worried about being late for your flight.  And if you get through the line quicker than you thought, grab a coffee and chill for a bit.  All good.  

Speaking of check-in…

If you can get by without checking a bag, do so.  You’ll get in and out of the airport a lot faster.  I can travel for a week with my roller bag that fits in the overhead bins.  If you want some good tips on luggage, ask a flight attendant or an airline pilot before you buy your next luggage; we know what fits and what doesn’t, and the luggage we use is also super durable.  Check with the experts!

Speaking of bags…

When you buy your tickets, check the fine print of what you get for the fare.  Many times, the cheaper fares offered by low-cost carriers can get a lot more expensive in a big hurry if you want to upgrade your seat, or check a bag, etc, while a lot of the same services are included in the ticket price of legacy carriers.  By the time you finish your purchase, that low-cost carrier might not be any cheaper than a bigger carrier who can likely offer more flights and potentially better service. 

Connections

Don’t.  End of advice.  Ok, ok…connections are often unavoidable, and usually work out fine.  However, make sure you have sufficient connection time when you book your ticket.  A 30-minute connection, for example, gives essentially no margin for anything to go wrong, and is (in my opinion) just asking for a misconnect.  When you are booking, assume that the airlines WILL leave you behind if you miss your connection time, even if you are connecting on the same airline (because they often will).  This is another good reason to book with airlines that have multiple flight options to your destination…just in case. 

Check the weather

Many travelers will check the weather at the departure and destination airports, which is a great idea, but a pro tip is to also be aware of what’s going on in between.  For example, if you are flying from Chicago to Miami, and there is a big thunderstorm system over, say, Atlanta or Jacksonville, there is a good chance that there could be some enroute disruptions or delayed flights because of it.  Knowledge is power!

Check your attitude

The airport can be a frustrating experience, especially for people who don’t fly a lot, which is further compounded during the summer when most airports are very busy.  This is especially true of transiting check in and security.  Again, program in plenty of extra time to reduce stress, expect that you’ll likely experience longer lines and wait times than normal, and assume that most flights will be packed full.  Your attitude will go a long way towards making the experience a positive one.

Say hi to the pilots!  

A lot of travelers think that you can’t do this in the current security environment, but you absolutely can!  The best time to do this is during boarding; just politely ask the flight attendant at the boarding door if you can say hi to the pilots, and they will almost never say no.  We like to say hi to the passengers, and we especially like when kids come up to see us.  If it’s my flight, I’ll usually invite the kids to sit in my seat and get a photo or two – most of my colleagues do the same.  This is also a good time to get information about the flight or the aircraft if you are curious about something; we love to talk about flying! 

Have a great summer! 

AB4