Holiday tips keep fliers' spirits up, stress down

Last year when my neighbor decided to wing it and spend the holidays in Mexico, she was concerned about finding a place to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving feast. I don't know about the sage stuffing and cranberry sauce, but the turkey was no problem.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the roasted kind who graces the table. He was seated on the airplane next to her and he was roasting everybody.

Apparently, the man started out angry about his seat assignment. He had expected to be upgraded; instead, he was stuck in a middle seat near the back lavatory. But that was only the beginning.

Before they were even airborne, everybody within shouting distance knew his frustrations with the world: Taxi drivers are stupid. Nobody knows how to drive. Airports are run by morons and he would never fly this airline again.

"If I had been the flight attendant, I would have had him removed from the plane," said my neighbor. "Then he would have really had a reason to grouse."

Unfortunately, the season of joy and goodwill tends to bring out the worst in air travelers.

"People are stressed around the holidays for all sorts of reasons," said ticket agent Tom Benjamin. "Overcrowded airports and flight delays are enough to put many of them over the top."

But there are ways to keep the stress factor down. If you're planning to travel over the holidays, here are some things to consider:

• Make reservations early. The experts tell you to book early. Dick Fralick used to disagree. Dick prided himself on finding last-minute deals that were much cheaper than early booking fares. Last year, however, he paid the ultimate price.

He found a round-trip ticket from San Francisco to Chicago for less than $300. It meant flying on Christmas Day. He booked it and planned to be home for dinner. He wasn't. The flight canceled and Dick spent Christmas alone.

Because the reservation system has become so sophisticated, you rarely find a good deal close to a holiday and you risk missing the holiday altogether.

• Check out different travel Web sites. Go to www.seatguru.com and you'll see the configuration of your aircraft along with the location of all the lavatories and bulkheads you might want to avoid.

Book through www.orbitz.com and you can request a care alert. Orbitz will contact you if there is a flight delay or cancellation before you leave for the airport.

• Think outside the box. Traveling through Chicago O'Hare two days before Christmas will be a mob scene. But flying from Milwaukee might be relatively stress free.

• Try to book early morning flights. First flight out in the morning often means the aircraft spent the night on the ground, so you're not dependent on the arrival of your aircraft.

• Check in from home. Many airlines allow you to confirm your seat and print your boarding pass from your personal computer. When you get to the airport you can avoid ticket counter lines and go directly to security lines.

• Leave your car at home. Passengers have been known to miss their flight because they couldn't find a parking place. Phone a friend or call a cab and allow time for bumper-to-bumper traffic on your way to the airport as well.

• Expect crowds and arrive early. If the airline suggests arriving an hour early, give yourself another 30 minutes or more. Bring a good book and snack and relax at your gate. If a flight is oversold, the airline may give your seat away if you're not there to claim it.

If you are traveling over the holidays, step back and remember 'tis the season to be jolly. At least you're not wearing a red suit and traveling in an open cockpit.

Gail Todd, a free-lancewriter,worked as a flightattendant for more than 30years. She can be reached viae-mail at gailtodd@aol.com.