This time of year- in the Christmas-New Year season – is the second busiest travel period of the year after thanksgiving.  Here are a few tips that will help you ease through it and come out on the other side happy and more importantly, with everything you went in with.

 First, check you flight arrival and departure times before going to the airport, you can do this online.  Next, be prepared for flight delays, especially in the Midwest and East Coast with the bad weather this time of year.  If traveling with children its wise to pack some snacks for when you are caught in a delay.  Also try keeping the airline’s phone number with you, as it is usually easier to rebook a flight by phone than in person at the airline ticket counters.  Also during this time there is a lost of lost luggage, so try traveling with a carry-on bag only.  This will cause you to pack more lightly, but you will be rewarded by avoiding losing your luggage at luggage check and avoiding the long wait for your bags when you land.  If you must check your bags, be sure to pack all your medications and valuables, documents, jewelry or gifts in your carry on, and be sure to lock any checked luggage with a TSA-approved lock.  Also, be sure to abide by the Transportation Security Administration’s air-travel regulations, such as the 3-1-1 rule for liquids.  If your luggage does end up lost, be sure to report your bag missing before you leave the airport, if you report it after your missing-luggage claim may not be accepted.  Most airlines will allow you to receive compensation after 10 days from the time you maid your claim.

 Many hotels plan on you being in such a rush at checkout, in order to get out on time and make flights, that you won’t have the time to glance at your bill.  And this is where they bank on you not seeing the hidden fees that they sneaked onto your bill; these are fees you should be aware of.

 Most travelers have learned to avoid the phone fees that hotels are so accustomed to charging for, and hotels are making less and less from guests on these grounds, and most everyone has cell phones nowadays.  But they have found other ways to make money from you without you being aware of it.  Some of these fees include:  a towel fee, grounds keeping fee, resort fee, mandatory tips for the bellmen and the maids, hospitality fees, mandatory valet parking fees, Ethernet cable fees, and workout room fees and a fee for the in-room safe (even if these services aren’t used).  They even can charge you for that so called “free/complimentary” breakfast by charging you for beverages such as when the waiter comes around with a picture of juice.

 But there are ways to carefully avoid such fees.  You can try haggling upon check in if you think you may be un-rightfully charged for hidden fees.  If you are a repeat visitor or business traveler, chances are you will have success.  Try to keep asking questions about fees during your stay.  Ask at the buffet when served drinks, ask at the entrance to the gym, ask when the pool boy offers you an extra towel, and ask before using the safe or borrowing a charger.  Also it is advised to leave enough time upon checkout to review your bill, as if there are any complications you have given time to dispute anything.  And there is one thing you cannot avoid, but by being aware of it you can be prepared, and that is taxes.  New York City has an 8.25% sales tax plus their 13.5% hotel tax.  San Francisco’s is 14%, in Phoenix it is 12%.  Either way, you are going to be paying more than anticipated.

 U.S. airlines expect 27 million passengers this Thanksgiving week.  The three busiest air travel days are expected to be this Wednesday, and the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, when the number of passengers daily as expected to be more than 2.5 million.  The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is expecting a 6 percent increase over the holiday period, while they expect to be up 4 percent over last year overall throughout all airlines.  Sea-Tac expects 102,000 passengers on Wednesday, 97,000 on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and 95,000 on the Monday after that.

 With the airline’s on-time performance through September having a weak 73 percent of flights arriving on time (the worst in 13 years), many are striving to help raise this percentage, along with other aspects to flying this holiday season.  The Bush administration is having the U.S. military make more airspace on the East Coast available for commercial airlines from Wednesday through the 25th of November.  But you can also help yourself by following a few guidelines for making your traveling as quick and easy as possible.

 First, you should prepare by checking in and printing your boarding pass at home from your airline’s website.  You should also double check to make sure you any important documents such as your driver’s license and other government-issued ID.  Another good idea is to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight to allow for traffic delays, time to find parking, and other unseen delays.

 Second, you should pack right and conveniently.  Try to travel with carry-on luggage only, but if you must check a suitcase, be sure to follow these tips.  First, be sure to pack your valuables (such as cameras, jewelry, laptop, etc.) and medications in your carry on, incase there are any complications with your checked luggage.  Also, don’t over pack as most airlines allow each passenger to take only two checked bags weighing no more than 50 lbs each.  Also be sure to luck your luggage with a TSA-approved lock which security screeners are able to open and relock.  And last, if taking any liquids or medicines, be sure to check the list of banned items to make sure you can take them along (you can do this online).

 An extra tip is to be sure to check your flight status and delays and weather problems (which you can do online).  So good luck traveling this Thanksgiving holiday, here’s hoping for few delays and minimal complications.

Plan to purchase your Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation early, in order to get the best price. If you are trying to find the best deal on travel during the holidays, start looking after Labor Day . Most people believe if they wait, they will find an amazing last minute deal. This is not so, the best last minute deals are reserved for the low season. Everything is high for holiday travel. Think about it, most people have vacation time around the holidays, so that is when they want to travel.

So book early, you don’t have to pay for the trip in full, most travel agencies will accept a down payment, and you can make payments on the remainder. Call your travel agent and they will work on finding you the best deal available. If you are worried your schedule might change, purchase insurance so you have a way to get your money back if you aren’t able to travel.