Airport Information Desk: Travel Tips for the Christmas Season

Is Christmas again! That Peak time of the year when most Airlines experience high Influx of  travelers from within and outside the country.

Every year a lot of  travelers are stranded at different Airports in the country due to the Christmas rush. Those who are lucky to find a flight are faced with the challenge of delayed or missing bags, and this messes up their entire Christmas plans.

Last Christmas many Nigerians were Stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airports in Abuja and ended up sleeping at the Airport for days, because their bags did not arrive on their flights.

Arriving destination and finding out that those lovely Christmas Gifts you planned to give to your loved ones may not get to them as planned after all, either because you could not get a flight, or because the bag is lost or missing is not only frustrating…. could be nightmarish.

Mamajsaviationblog has put together the following tips below to make your travel worth your while and your Christmas a pleasurable one this season.

1. BOOK YOUR FLIGHT ON TIME

I tell you, this is your best option. In fact i expect intending travelers this season to have booked their flights as of today to avoid the usual Christmas rush.

The advantages of booking on time is that you get better and cheaper deals. On the other hand you have many Airline options to choose from. Doing last minute booking predisposes you to settling for “Any Available Airline” because you have simply put yourself in a desperate situation. Now you don’t want to belong to the League of ‘last minute.com” do you?

2. CHECK IN ON TIME

Having a flight ticket is not a guarantee that you must travel on that flight. Most Airlines would usually book more than the required no of passengers on a flight in anticipation of some travelers not turning up, especially at this season. Checking in on time increases your chances of making it on-board the flight.

3. CARGO YOUR EXCESS LUGGAGE

Nigerians are known for travelling heavy.

I remember my first flight to London. We had a weighing scale positioned in a corner for us at the London Heathrow Airport to weigh our bags. Imagine!, even at 32kg baggage allowance then, many naijas including me had excesses. It was a funny sight watching us shuffle things around our 2pcs bags. Lol……even the carry-on bag that should not exceed 6kg, hmmmm… ours is way more than allowable limit. Do you blame us? Everybody wants a gift when someone they know are coming back home for Christmas.

For intending travelers who carry up to 6 to 10 suitcases, My advice is, Do not check in your excess baggage, instead Cargo them ahead of your travel date. That way your luggage gets to your destination before you. More so, it cost you less to Cargo them than get them checked on your day of travel. Be mindful of the peak Season in air travel. Statistics show that airlines are more likely to mishandle more than twice as many suitcases this period.

4. TRAVEL LIGHT

Imagine travelling with just a back pack or brief case. That would be less stress for you.

The benefit of travelling light far outweighs the disadvantages. When fliers check in late maybe due to traffic or other reasons and the boarding gate is almost closed, Airlines are more likely to accept such a passenger without a checked bag who can make it quicker to the gate, to the one with multiple bags to be checked. Moreover, it is easier for the gate agents to check your bag into the baggage hold at the last minute due to full overhead bins if is big.

Another benefit of travelling light is the less time you have to waste at the airport on arrival. The fact that you don’t have to wait endlessly at the baggage claim area for your bag can be quite refreshing….isn’t it?

5. SET OUT TO THE AIRPORT ON TIME

This festive season is characterized by snail speed traffic especially in Lagos. It is worse at the Airport area. My advice is for you to leave home for the airport at least 3hours before your flight. That way you still make it to the airport on time for the flight.

Arriving early to the airport lets you print out a copy of your itinerary from the airline’s website, check in on time and your bags to get to the plane.

6. KEEP YOUR VALUABLES WITH YOU

When i say valuables…am referring to items like your house keys international passport, flight tickets, Laptops, Ipads, phones and Drugs. You don’t want to get to your destination and you are informed your bag may not be reunited with you till after 2days. Now imagine if you had your  house keys in your checked bag?

I have had passengers coming to request to retrieve their checked bags from the cargo hold as they needed to take out their drugs to administer due to flight delay. Unfortunately once bags are checked and loaded in the Cargo hold it is very difficult to retrieve until the airplane arrives destination.

In conclusion, whilst Airlines may try to ensure passengers get their bags on arrival, there is no 100% assurance that this can be achieved. So the reality is; this Christmas there may likely be delayed flights, Cancellations, missing or lost bags. But taking the necessary caution may help you enjoy your travels this yuletide season.

Happy flying….Merry Christmas in advance from mamajsaviationblog.