Warning: You better arrive 2-3 hours early if you fly Thanksgiving weekend

This week promises to be the busiest week of the year for airline travel as everyone heads for grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. This is also a time you will see a lot of families, first-time travelers, a lot of kids and babies, and seniors in the airports. This means that parking lots will be full and lines will be long. My best advice if you are flying the friendly skies this week is to arrive at the airport at least 2-3 hours prior to your flight. Taking this one piece of advice will save you a lot of anxiety when you stare at the security line that is one block long and worry about making your flight.

Steve’s travel tip #203 – Take 2 pictures when you travel using your iPhone – Parking lots will be full this week, so even if you are a seasoned traveler, you will probably have to park in a place you normally don’t. Use your iPhone and take a picture of your car and your parking stall. This way, when you return home, you can easily remember where your car is. Another great way to use your phone is to take a picture of your luggage. Next weekend thousands of bags will be lost. If yours is lost, you can show the picture to the airline rep for easy identification. Also, did you know about 7 out of every 10 bags are black? If you have black luggage, put a bright color baggage tag, strap, or even yarn on it to make it easy to identify for you and, even more so, that someone else does not mistakenly grab your bag thinking it is theirs.

Let’s change the way we treat airline staff this holiday season – The airline counter agent, flight attendants, and staff have to deal with the almost impossible task of telling people during the upcoming busy holiday travel season they will wait in long lines, pay more fees, their flight has been canceled, their plane is delayed, and they will miss their connection, and on and on. Even in normal times, the airline staff has one of the most difficult jobs on the planet. Please consider that these people are trying to do the best they can in an often very unpleasant circumstance that they have little to no control over.  In the spirit of the holiday season, I think it is time for travelers to change our attitude and encourage airline agents with a “thank you” and a smile. Please join me, and let’s make this Thanksgiving a real “Thanks-giving.”

How about skipping the shopping mall on Black Friday? – The best gift you can give this Christmas season is not found at the shopping mall. People today are looking for a “Return on Life” (ROL), celebrating the idea that a rich life is not measured by personal possessions but by time well spent with loved ones on journeys to new destinations and the memories created by these experiences. In recent years I have seen a shift in consumer motivation and expectations regarding travel. We are now facing a time of political and economic uncertainty, and people are taking time to reflect on what’s important to them: personal fulfillment and enrichment, quality time with family and friends, and the opportunity to detach from their everyday worries and de-stress. “Return on Life” encapsulates these desires, and travel is one of the best conduits to achieving a higher ROL. So on black Friday, if you are looking for the “perfect” gift, you may want to pick up the phone and call us at 402-435-8888. Let us help you increase your “Return on Life” with family and friends.

Our service never takes a holiday – We are open 24/7, 365 days a year. Our team at Executive Travel provides 24-hour-a-day support for our customers around the world. When a snowstorm hits, we are here for you. When a holiday comes, we are here for you. Whether you are traveling to Birmingham, Alabama, or Birmingham, England, you can call our office anytime, day or night, and a friendly professional advisor will try their best to make your travels easier.

P.S. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year are just around the corner – I want to be one of the first to thank you for your business and friendship this past year. Executive Travel has been blessed to make it through the pandemic with our great team intact and planning for a successful 2023. We are celebrating our 36th year in business, and we know the best is yet to come. This, of course, could not be accomplished without the support and consideration of our great customers, employees, and friends.

We are truly THANKFUL!