What time should you arrive at the airport?
Most passengers are aware of the importance of asking this query during the busiest holiday travel times.
Holiday travelers should allow themselves an extra hour or two to arrive at their gate because of the large number of passengers, lengthy check-in lines, congested roads, and long security waits.
However, this Christmas, visitors might want to think about arriving at the airport a full day or two early than usual rather than just an hour or two.
Winter conditions could affect holiday travel.
This is due to a significant winter storm that is approaching and which threatens to deliver hazardous weather to airports across a large portion of the country, including several of the major airline hubs.
The storm, which The Weather Channel has dubbed a potential "bomb cyclone," was already delivering bad weather to the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday. At busy airports like Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) and Portland International (PDX) in Oregon, cancellations and delays were above average.
As the storm moves eastward in the days before Christmas, there is a good chance that travel disruptions may get worse this week.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, snow is anticipated to cover much of the Great Plains and the Midwest, with some areas expecting blizzard conditions and more than two feet of snowfall.
Snow, ice, and rain are also anticipated to affect the East Coast.
Strong winds and heavy rain may cause delays at airports in the Northeast.
Travel will be made more difficult by unusually cold weather after the storm, with lows in the teens as far south as Houston and Atlanta.
Later in the week, even New Orleans and Jacksonville, Florida, are predicted to experience low 20s in temperature.
This can cause slippery road conditions or deicing delays at airports that don't typically experience really cold weather.
And with the storm's biggest effects expected to hit the Midwest and East Coast just two days before Christmas this coming Sunday, stranded passengers won't have many alternatives for new routes that would get them home in time for the holiday.
The major American airlines have introduced flexible rebooking waivers to allow flexible travelers to rearrange their plans in order to avoid the storm, so there are potential alternatives to simply praying for the best.
When and where will travelers be impacted?
There have already been some cancellations and delays in the Pacific Northwest due to the storm that has already come ashore there.
According to the flight-tracking service FlightAware, about one in five flights in Seattle were canceled on Tuesday, and a comparable number was delayed.
According to predictions, the storm will travel east, dumping snow on the Great Plains and Upper Midwest by Wednesday night before moving into the Great Lakes on Thursday and lasting through Friday.
On Thursday and Friday, there were forecasts for a lot of rain and wind along the East Coast, particularly at the Northeast's notoriously delayed airports in New York and Philadelphia.
By Thursday and into Friday, the Deep South should experience subfreezing temperatures.
The effects of this weather system may include aircraft delays and cancellations, but they are also likely to affect ground transportation as well, so drivers in the affected areas should be prepared for challenging road conditions.
Is it advisable to depart early?
The weather forecast for your specific region, your travel schedule, and your travel plans will all determine if you should depart a day or two earlier than intended during this holiday week (s).
The National Weather Service has advised visitors to consider changing their plans in light of the weather as many places may have exceptionally challenging driving conditions this week.
The National Weather Service stated in a warning about the storm, "The finest Christmas gift you can give this year is to be around for next Christmas."
Plan to pause, change, or stop your travels right away.
Travelers via air encounter difficulties as well, particularly if their holiday plans require them to fly through an airport in the storm's path.
Those who can switch planes may want to think about leaving early to reach their destinations before the storm clogs up travel in the Midwest and East.
This time of year, planes are already at capacity, and travelers who have been affected by cancellations or missed connections will probably find few open seats on alternative flights.
In other words, if you can be proactive and change your plans before numerous flights full of would-be tourists try to do the same, you may have more possibilities.
What about the waivers for airline weather?
Most of these exemptions allow clients to make one itinerary adjustment without incurring any additional costs or changing their tariff.
For instance, United has well over 100 airports across the nation that are currently covered by exemptions, and its rebooking window runs from December 19 to December 28, 2022.
Check out the information for your airline to see whether a modification makes sense for your schedule as the dates and airports covered differ by airline.
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• JetBlue
• Southwest Airlines
• Spirit
• United Airlines
In conclusion
For flights without reindeer, this may be the year you need to double-check the weather reports and seriously consider changing your flight plans if your current itinerary places you in an area with an unfavorable weather forecast. Santa may still arrive on Christmas Eve right on time, but flights without reindeer may need to do so this year.
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