The holiday season is upon us, and from this weekend until Jan. 1, 2014, travel will become a zoo. As business travelers, we can navigate the airports and hotels like a pro; it’s the “others” we need to worry about. This weekend, I dropped someone off at LAX at 5:30 a.m., and I felt like it was 5 p.m. rush-hour traffic with people yelling and running with their luggage from Century Blvd. in panic because they realized the security line is running at an hour wait. Also at LAX this weekend, there was another airport shutdown that lasted hours while SWAT and LAPD investigated “shots fired” calls from travelers in Terminal 5. It turned out to be just a minor car accident outside; however, flights were canceled, and the surrounding area was on lockdown, backing up traffic for miles. Travelers were left scrambling. 

My point today is to Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! for holiday travel. Here are some tips I gave my family members that are traveling at some point this season:

1. Get to the airport EARLY, really early. And then just grab a coffee, check your email and read a book while you calmly wait for your flight.
2. Take an EARLY flight. Studies show that early departure flights have fewer cancellations. Plus, if your flight is canceled, you have the whole day of flights to try to get on.
3. Bring carry-on luggage.
4. Stay happy; after all, it’s the holidays!

I wish everyone a good Thanksgiving and a good start to the holiday season!

— Carly Allen, vice president