Advice for the new reality of travel

Massive Weather Events Are Changing the Rules of Travel – Our New Advice: Leave One Day Early for Your Vacation – For decades, travelers have been told to arrive at the airport early. Today, I believe we need to take that advice one major step further: 

Depart One Day Earlier – If you are traveling for a cruise, European vacation, important family trip, or other once-in-a-lifetime experience, consider departing ONE DAY EARLIER than you normally would. Each year, we handle travel for thousands of people heading around the world. What we are seeing today is different from what we experienced just a few years ago. Severe thunderstorms. Hurricanes. Flooding. Extreme heat. Winter storms. Air traffic control restrictions. Aircraft and crew disruptions. A major weather event in Chicago can impact a flight from Omaha. A storm in New York can affect passengers connecting in Atlanta. One cancellation can ripple through an airline’s entire system for hours—or even days. Over the past year, it seems that as many as 25% of the leisure trips we handle experience some type of significant airline delay or disruption, and the biggest concern is not simply arriving a few hours late. It is missing the connection that gets you to your vacation. If your cruise leaves Barcelona on Saturday and your Friday flight is canceled, there may not be another seat available until Sunday. Your ship is not waiting.

Here are my Four Rules for Protecting Your Vacation:

1. Leave One Day Early – For an international vacation or cruise, build an extra night into your itinerary. I would much rather spend $200–$300 for an extra hotel night than risk losing the first several days of a $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 vacation. Think of that extra night as vacation insurance.

2. Take the First Flight of the Day – The earlier you leave, the more recovery options you have. If your 6:00 a.m. flight is canceled, there may be five more opportunities to get you moving that day. If your 6:00 p.m. flight is canceled, your options may be very limited. When possible, fly early.

3. Avoid Tight Connections – That 45-minute international connection may look great on paper—until your first flight is 35 minutes late. Give yourself some breathing room. For important international trips, an extra hour sitting in an airport is a small price to pay compared with missing the flight that takes you across the Atlantic. I now plan a minimum of 3-4 hours for connecting to my international flights. 

4. Have a Backup Plan Before You Leave Home – Before departure, know:

• What is the next available flight if your flight cancels?
• Is there another connecting city that would work?
• Are there nonstop alternatives?
• Do you have travel insurance?
• Do you have the airline app downloaded and notifications turned on?
• Do you have access to a travel professional who can help when things go wrong?

When thousands of flights are disrupted at the same time, the travelers who already understand their alternatives have a tremendous advantage.

THE BOTTOM LINE – The cost of leaving a day early is relatively small. The cost of missing your cruise, European tour, wedding, family vacation, or once-in-a-lifetime experience can be enormous.

Travel has changed. My advice has changed with it. For your next important vacation:

DON’T JUST ARRIVE AT THE AIRPORT EARLY. ARRIVE AT YOUR DESTINATION EARLY. That extra day may turn out to be the best travel investment you make.