TORONTO - As the holiday season swings into full force, many of you are beginning to count down the days to your winter holiday and much-needed vacation.  Whether you're heading home to see family, enjoying the warmth and sun of the Caribbean or going for a romantic ski getaway to Aspen, you won't want to miss out on these holiday travel tips to keep the stress-levels down and the holiday fun up.  

TripAtlas.com, a Diamond Group company, and the World's Largest Online Travel Resource, is bringing you tips on Stress-Free Holiday Travel to get you through this Christmas and New Year's travel season.  Find out about the best/worst dates to travel this 2008-2009 winter holiday season, how you can avoid long line-ups at the airport, how to save money and get some great travel deals, and how to avoid those long and annoying flight delays.  

The Inside Scoop on Holiday Travel and How to Fight Airport Stress this Winter

Book early for Christmas + New Years holidays
At any other time of the year, it's not a bad idea to wait for last-minute deals.  However, for Christmas, New Year's and major holidays, booking early is the rule to follow - you don't want to be disappointed.   Prices will get more expensive and fewer options will be available the later you wait to book.  In the end, it will cost you not only in higher costs, but also comfort and accommodations.

Worst times/dates to avoid this winter holiday season
Based on this year's calendar, avoid travelling the weekend of December 19-21, 2008 - the Friday before Christmas is always one of the busiest days. Similarly, avoid travelling the weekend of December 26-28, 2008 since you'll be brushing elbows with the New Years holiday crowd.   January 2-4, 2009 will be the busiest travel weekend of the year hands down, since everyone will be returning home from holidays.  Try to book your return for the Monday or Tuesday after to save yourself from the crowds and all the families.

Best times to travel this holiday season and how you can save money
Travellers avoid airports on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve so if you averse to crowds and don't mind travelling on these days this is a great time to travel.   Anytime after New Year's are the best times to travel: hotel prices and flights are cheaper and you won't have to fight the line-ups.  Also, if you book flights earlier on during the day, the less likely you are to get stuck in long lines and have a delayed flight.

Check-in online, print your boarding passes and check for delays before leaving home
No matter whether you booked your flight online or not, most airlines now have the capability to check-in online and print your boarding pass or even through your mobile phone.  You'll be asked for some kind of combination of your name, frequent flyer number, flight number, booking number or credit card number.  Most airlines allow passengers to check-in online 24 hours before the scheduled flight departure time.  While you're at the computer, be sure to check for any flight delays or weather warnings.  Once you arrive at the airport, you can go straight to the security gate with your home-printed boarding passes, unless you have luggage to check-in.  Some airlines offer online check-in kiosks that have shorter lines since they're used exclusively for checking bags.

Get to the airport early to avoid lines, delays and getting bumped
Getting to the airport early is one of the best ways you can to avoid long lineups, risk being late for your flight, or getting bumped from an overbooked flight.  Be on time and keep it stress-free.  For international flights, it's recommended that you arrive 2 hours prior to departure.  For domestic flights, it's recommended that you arrive 1.5 hours or 90 minutes prior to departure.   Besides the check-in remember you need to go through the security (and customs if travelling to the U.S.) and this can be time-consuming.  Read the security signs and have all your documents, change, laptop, etc. ready for the security personnel.

Packing doesn't have to be stressful or cause problems at the airport!
Packing is an art for seasoned travellers and it can save you money especially now with increased weight restrictions and charging for luggage (especially the US carriers). Pack light and only what is necessary rather than for "what if" situations.  Choose clothes that you can mix and match and bring multipurpose items (shoes, skirts) for both casual and dressy occasions.  Always bring a change of clothes and toiletries in your carry-on - basically, whatever you may need to survive 1-2 days without your checked bag.  Make sure your liquids and gels are 100 ml (3.4 oz) or less per item and that they all fit in a re-sealable ziplock bag no larger than 1 litre (1 quart).  Items like baby formula, baby food, milk, water and juice are allowed for passengers with infants from 0-24 months travelling with them.  If you have prescription drugs, be sure that the bottle is clearly marked with your name.

Bringing gifts in your luggage on your holidays?
When you're travelling for the holidays, you're likely to bring gifts with you or bring some back.  It's better to keep expensive and fragile items with you in your carry-on or if needed, carry it by hand.  For gifts that you store in your check-in suitcase, be sure that they're carefully stowed away and won't break.  Don't gift wrap your gifts, as items in both your check-in and carry-on should be easily identified and accessible by security.   Be sure to check the List of Permitted and Non-Permitted Items on the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority website to ensure that your gift can be transported across the border, for both your check-in bag and carry-on bag. 

Steer clear from connecting flights & snowy destinations
Try to book a direct flight.  The fewer flight connections, the better, since more connections = more possibility of delays and wait times between flights.  If possible avoid flying through hubs which are in snowy winter destinations.  

Choose your destination wisely
For every high-season destination, there's a low-season destination.  Paris is just as beautiful during Christmas time as it is during the summer - and it's a little less crowded in winter than it is from June to August - and it is still the city of romance!  If you're looking for quiet, then an all-inclusive resort may not be the best option for your winter vacation since they're often overrun and packed to the rim with tourists during Christmas and New Years.  Consider picking a less busy or a low-season destination and you'll not only save money, but you won't have to fight for pool lounge chairs.

A final and useful tip - check out TripAtlas.com's Hotel Deals - you'll find great deals on hotels and packages from around the world - just a couple clicks of the mouse and you will find your vacation getaway in seconds.   Take the stress out of travel planning - let the pros do it - TripAtlas.com has almost 90,000 travel agencies in its directory - they can do all the research and work while you concentrate on one thing - having fun!   

Discover the World.  Share your Experience.  With over 90 million pages of content, TripAtlas.com is the world's largest and unbiased online travel resource. TripAtlas.com has an annual global reach of over one million (and counting) travel enthusiasts looking to research their destinations, plan their trips, find local and international travel companies, learn interesting travel information and read award-winning travel articles. TripAtlas.com users can also write their own travel blogs, submit travel photos & videos and share their experiences with the world.

TripAtlas.com, a Diamond Group company, is located at 477 Richmond Street West, Suite 903, Toronto, Ontario  M5V 3E7; tel: (416) 546-8747; fax: (416) 972-0133; Toll-free: (877) 374-8747.

# # #

For Further Information:

Travis Snelling Interactive Solutions Manager TripAtlas.com Tel: (416) 546-8747 Ext. 204 Toll:Free: (877)374-8747 Email: travis@tripatlas.com www.tripatlas.com

Chris Ryall Canadian PR Representative Travel Marketing Experts Inc. Tel: (416) 861-1022 Toll-free: (888) 423-3995 Email: chris@travelmarketingexperts.com www.travelmarketingexperts.com

Comments