Le Chic Geek
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While packing up for the holidays, I found a stack of Gogo Passes expiring on December 31st of this year.
I’ve got five to give away. Â Leave a comment with your holiday travel tip, and the best 5 will get Gogo passes (and featured in a post!) Â I will decide the winners at 10pm EST tomorrow, 12/22/13.
Also, if you want a Gogo pass that will last you a little longer, our contest is still going on, so enter to win! Â Â Two days remaining.
For this round, I am using passes I was given. Â Gogo is not a part of this (or the other) giveaway. Â These are merely passes I have. Â I will give you the promo code to use. Â I can guarantee I have no used these, but cannot guarantee anything on Gogo’s end.
So let me know, what’s your holiday travel tip?
This pass is valid for flight pass or any single use GOGO product on any domestic togo equipped flight on any out Gogo’s partner airlines (Air Canada, Airtran, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, United, US Airways, Virgin America).
Always know what other flights can get you to your destination in case your flight is cancelled or delayed.
Check weather.com 1st before your travel to pack the necessary stuff.
Check in online and always get to the airport with time to spare (holiday security lines can be brutal!)
To add onto what Smitty06 said, if you know there are other ways to get to where you are going and you are flexible with arrival times, volunteer to get bumped! I have volunteered to get bumped twice during the holidays and each time I received a voucher which funded most of the airfare for my next trip!
try not to check luggage if possible – much easier with just a carry on!
Best way to have successful holiday travel – make weather.com your best friend for the week before you leave and be proactive in rerouting yourself if winter storms look like they are foing to foul up your trip.
Take the train to the airport! I once made the mistake of taking a cab to JFK during the holidays and it took about 1h30. The train is a guaranteed 40 minutes from Penn Station on the LIRR (sometimes shorter depending on the terminal). Even though the train can sometimes be slower than a cab (since I am traveling from uptown and need to take the subway first), it is at least a guaranteed time making it easier to plan ahead.
The best tip for holiday travel is to have your family come to you! If you follow my advice, it’s cheaper and there’s no chance you’ll ever miss a flight.
Old but always useful: travel light and with comfortable clothes
If you’re traveling with a companion but were unable to select 2 seats together at the time of booking, check again at 24 hours before departure. Previously unavailable seats often become avialable as a reuslt of upgrades, cancellations, and other last-minute changes.
Be flexible with your airports and travel days. Traveling from NYC to PHL over the holidays, so I can take advantage the US airways hub and fly direct to FLL for cheaper than flying from NYC.
Know the rules of the TSA Pre-check!
Leave 15-30 minutes early: expect the unexpected (delays) around the holidays.
Put a copy of your itinerary in your luggage…just in case it gets lost.
research your backup flight options BEFORE you get to the airport and if you can get everything into a carry-on it helps with avoiding the long check-in lines
Research your backup flight options before going to the airport if there’s a chance of a cancellation. Also to avoid those long checking lines, just pack a carry on and put your boarding pass on your phone
Always check for local holidays & school schedules when planning a trip to another country. It could save you from crowded beaches, or closed markets.
Try to take early morning flights. This way if flights are delayed you are the first set of flights to be made up. Vs potentially having to fly out next day
Always know the next available flight and be prepared to ask for it if any irregular operations (weather, mechanical, etc) occur. It will save you and the agent helping you lots of time, and hopefully get you a seat before someone else!
Also, don’t check anything in and save the airline’s reservation number on your phone!
When traveling for Christmas to your in-laws, get a hotel room! Everyone needs their own space and there is no substitute for sleeping in a real bed.
Early morning departure?
Sleep the night before at an airport hotel. Preferably one that is connected by foot to the terminal.
Early Morning departure?
Spend the night before at an airport hotel. Preferably on where you can just walk to the terminal.
Always pack extra underwear!
Select seats in advance and check in early online; Research back up alternatives in case there is still difficulty getting on an overbooked flight, or weather delays.
Always pack a few snacks — you never know when you’ll be stuck on a plane sitting on the Tarmac for a few hours.
Fun tip when going to see the in-laws for the holidays:
You can take alcohol (or non-alcohol) of your choice on your flight with you. It has to be less than 3oz and you can take as many as you want as long you can fit then in a quart size bag.
Enjoy!
You can take as many containers of liquor (less than 3 oz each) that you can fit in a 1 qt Ziploc style bag on your flight… Enjoy the holidays!
use TripIt to keep track of all the confirmation numbers, maps, etc…