The holidays are meant to be the most wonderful time of year, but air travel during this festive season can turn what should be a wonderful holiday into a dreaded chore. Along with the crowds, other factors like bad weather and transporting gifts can cause travel complications. This year, say goodbye to the bah humbug and travel a little easier (and more cheerful) with our guide to Christmas travel.
Can’t-Skip Travel Tips
Traveling during the holidays can bring joy, but it’s not without its challenges. These can’t-skip travel tips will help you navigate your trip so you can have less time stressing and more time celebrating.
- Fly out of Casper! Skip the hassle of driving to Denver and fly from the Casper/Natrona County International Airport. This way, when it’s time to return home, you actually arrive home – not in Denver.
- Plan and book early. If you’re planning to fly for Christmas, get your flight booked. It’s always good practice to book your tickets as early as possible to get better prices and be better prepared.
- Reserve a rental car ahead of time. Don’t wait to book your rental car at your destination as prices can fluctuate and car availability varies.
- Have a backup plan. In the case that something goes wrong, always have a Plan B and take extra precautions like getting travel insurance, free cancellations, and a credit card for emergencies. It’s also good practice to create an alternate route to your destination in case your flight gets canceled.
- Spread joy not stress. We know traveling is stressful. Add in the holidays and it’s even more so! Our biggest tip: Be kind. Everyone is feeling the same frustration, impatience, and travel fatigue as you.
Advice From an Airport
So, you’ve decided to travel for Christmas, great! Now what to do with all those Christmas gifts? As airport personnel, we have advice to help avoid gifts getting lost in transit or that beautifully wrapped preset getting opened and inspected by TSA.
When it comes to flying with holiday items, it’s best to know the guidelines and do what you can for smoother travel. If possible, we advise you to pack your gifts in your carry on. Imagine arriving at your destination only to have your luggage full of Christmas goodies not arriving with you. We know the holidays aren’t about the presents, but if you want to prevent gifts getting lost in transit, pack them in your carry on!
Speaking of gifts, let’s talk about wrapping them. While festive and beautiful, wrapped gifts can be a red flag for TSA, who will most likely have to unwrap all your hard work. Therefore, our best advice is to leave them unwrapped and wrap them when you arrive at your destination. You can also avoid the wrapping/unwrapping hassle by shipping your gifts to your destination ahead of time.
FAQs For Flying During the Holidays
Still have questions for your Christmas vacation? Check out these FAQs, or ask us a question to help ease your holiday travel.
Q: How much does it cost to park at C/NCIA?
A: It costs $6/day to park your car.
Q: How early should I arrive for my flight?
A: Arrive 90 minutes before your scheduled flight.
Q: What holiday foods can I take through security?
A: Fruitcake, cookies, pies and more. View TSA’s full list here.
Q: How can I check my flight status?
A : Flight Status information is available in real time on our website here.
