Thanksgiving Travel Survival Tactics

That headline is a bit ridiculous. The media likes to ring the alarm about Thanksgiving travel—I'm as guilty as anyone—and then it's rarely as unpleasant as people are led to fear (unless a storm blows through one of the big hub airports, but more on that in a second). Plus, drivers often have it much worse, but traffic jams aren't as telegenic as passengers stranded in airports are. (I borrowed the image above from a 2008 Thanksgiving-travel article in the New York Daily News.)

This year, however, does promise to be dicier than years past, because more people are traveling, but the airlines haven't added back the flights they canceled in the downturn. There are a few things you can do to make your trip smoother.

1. As your travel dates approach, keep an eye on the weather—not just where you're leaving from and where you're flying to, but also anywhere in between. One serious storm can play havoc with air travel across the country, because (a) who knows where your plane is coming from; and (b) airlines will cancel flights rather than risk having them out of place when the weather clears. If a major storm is forecast, call the airline and see if you can switch you to a different flight. Also, make sure the airline has your contact info.

2. If your flight is canceled or you miss it, start calling local restaurants, because you won't be eating turkey wherever you thought you were. Air capacity is really high these days, and it'll be worse at Thanksgiving—so there are unlikely to be empty seats on other flights, especially near the holiday.

3. For that reason, I'd get to the airport earlier than usual. I'm of the opinion that massive security delays are rare these days, but the combination of full-body scanners and people who don't travel often could lead to a mess.

4. You're going away for, what, four or five days? Try not to check bags. First of all, you'll be spending 30–40 minutes at the carousel, and who wants that on a long-weekend vacation? Plus, and I can only guess this—airlines are unlikely to have hired back the baggage personnel they sloughed off over the past couple of years. If you have to check a bag, put all your group's liquids in one bag and check that one. Paying $15–$20 might be unavoidable, but paying $60–$80 isn't.

5. Some airlines charge for the opportunity to board first. If you have a large carry-on bag, you might find that fee worth it. (Paid exit rows often get priority boarding, but those seats are probably long gone.)

6. My strategy for boarding: When the group ahead of mine has been called, I stand at attention. As soon as no one else is joining in line, I make my move. By the time I get to the front, the agents have almost always called my group—and if they haven't, they've never made me wait. As long as you're not in the last group or two, you should have room for your bags in the overhead compartment.

7. Recently, however, I was in the jetway when an airline employee announced that everyone in the jetway was going to have to check his bags. I thought that was absurd—I was in group four!—so I held my bag tight against my side and stared straight ahead. He moved right by me, which made me suspicious how desperate the situation really was. Well, when I got onboard the plane, the overhead bins were maybe 30 percent full. I would assume it was a one-off, but something similar happened to a friend on a different flight. Is this a new way for airlines to get planes boarded more quickly? If it has happened to you, please share your story.