10 Tips for travel in busy season

The following travel tips were written by Carolyn Weppler, Sales Manager at Goway Travel who has just returned from Uganda and Ethiopia. As an avid traveller, here are a few of her travel tips:

While everyone knows travelling in the busy season will lead to delays, long lineups, crowds and stress, there’s usually a reason we’re travelling in the first place. So keep your head up and if you can, follow as many of these tips as you can!

Leave ample time for travel to the airport, especially important if you live in a part of North America that gets snow in the winter! (Chicago is one airport hub city which constantly has delays all winter!)
Arrive at the airport extra early and be prepared for lines, often it is the lack of time that stresses us out in a line, if you know you have to wait it makes it that much easier. You know the feeling, as you’re anxiously waiting in the security line, constantly checking the time. Be early, and actually enjoy travelling!
Budget for a meal before your flight, or a leisurely coffee – most airports have a decent restaurant or two, eating always helps pass the time, and I always find myself finally able to relax and get excited for my journey.
Have fresh reading material in hand to keep yourself occupied – I typically travel with a novel themed on my travel destination (on my kindle), magazines and my sudoku book!
Make sure your tablet/mobile/MP3 player is loaded with upbeat songs as well as soothing fall-asleep (to a baby crying) songs, and that they’re all fully charged. Ideally travel with more than 1 charging cable, so if you get the chance you can recharge more than one at once.
Download a couple of new games on you tablet or mobile
Try to avoid tight connections at big airports like LAX/JFK/Chicago/Toronto
Read your travel documentation when you receive it and ensure it is all correct long before departure date. Most especially, check the spelling of your name and that it’s identical to your passport (newly weds often make the mistake of booking flights under their new surname, not realizing their passports reflect their maiden names).
Check your flight is on time before heading out. All airline websites allow you to do this.
Bring a sense of humour!