Holiday travel challenge eases, but plan for surprises

Today kicks off the busiest travel season of the year, but there's no reason to panic.

Fliers will likely find airports less crowded and security lines shorter as the economy continues to keep many closer to home.

The bad news: Planes will be flying nearly full on the busiest days because the airlines have cut back on flights or substituted smaller planes to adjust to the drop in demand.

Seats on trains and buses should be available. Amtrak is adding 10 trains on its popular Seattle-Portland Cascades route between Wednesday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Greyhound says it will add buses between the two cities if regularly scheduled buses fill up.

With average gas prices 62 cents a gallon higher than last year, AAA expects 518,000 Washingtonians to hit the highways next Wednesday through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That's up 10 percent from 2008, but still 24 percent fewer than the 682,000 who drove over the holidays in 2007.

The Air Transport Association, a trade group, expects travel on U.S. airlines to be down an average 4 percent nationally between today and Tuesday, Dec. 1, compared with last year. That comes on top of a 10 percent decline in 2008, the first drop in seven years.

"It is increasingly apparent that the economic head winds facing the airlines and their customers are anything but behind us," said James C. May, the group's president and CEO.

The busiest air-travel days nationally are expected to be (in order) Monday, Nov. 30; Sunday, Nov. 29; today; and Wednesday.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport expects its heaviest day to be the Sunday after Thanksgiving. An estimated 94,000 people are expected to pass through the airport, but that's several thousand fewer than on the peak days of summer.

Airlines have been raising prices and adding surcharges for holiday travel, but it isn't too late to find a ticket. You'll save money by leaving on Thanksgiving Day itself and returning after Monday, Nov. 30.

A check on round-trip fares between Seattle and Chicago showed a low price of $631 on flights leaving next Wednesday and returning the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The fare dropped to $348 for traveling Thanksgiving Day and returning Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Here's what to know before leaving home:

Packing

Except for Southwest Airlines, U.S. carriers now charge most domestic coach passengers to check bags. (Members of airline elite-flier programs, first- and business-class passengers are exempt.)

Alaska Airlines charges $15 each way for the first bag and $25 for the second (no charge on flights within Alaska), but some other airlines charge more if you pay the fees at the airport rather than online.

United, Delta, Continental and Northwest add a $5 surcharge for payment at the airport. US Airways charges $20 each way to check a first bag online and $30 at the airport.

Check your airline's Web site for the latest information, or see an airline fee-comparison chart at www.smartertravel.com.

• Don't overpack. Fees are hefty ($50 to $125 each way depending on the airline) for overweight (51 to 70 pounds) and oversized bags ($50 to $150).

• Stick to the rules allowing one carry-on bag (40 pounds, about 22 inches by 14 inches by 9 inches) and one purse or laptop. Airlines are starting to police this as more people carry on bags to avoid checked-bag fees.

• Don't pack valuables — cameras, iPods, jewelry, cellphones, etc. — in checked luggage. Airlines won't take responsibility should they be lost, damaged or stolen. Put these items in your carry-on.

• Leave carry-on gifts unwrapped.

• Pack carry-on liquids, gels and aerosols in a quart-size plastic bag. Security rules allow one bag per passenger with liquids in containers no larger than 3 ounces.

Some people are confused about what's a liquid or gel, said TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird.

"If you can pour it, pump it, squeeze it, spread it, smear it, spray it or spill it, then it's considered a liquid or gel."

See www.tsa.gov for a list of what's allowed and banned in carry-ons.

• Amtrak and Greyhound limit carry-on bags to two per person.

Get a head start

• Get to the airport two hours before your flight (2 ½ hours if traveling internationally).

• If traveling by plane or train, bring a driver's license or other government-issued photo ID. Bring a passport if traveling out of the country, including to Canada and Mexico.

• Bring snacks or a lunch. A few airlines, including Alaska and JetBlue, accept only credit cards for onboard purchases.

• Check in for flights online at home, or use self-service kiosks at the airport to print out boarding passes.

Security

Sea-Tac has three security checkpoints open, and may open a fourth, depending on how busy things get.

Passengers can use whatever checkpoint seems the least crowded, then walk to any gate once inside security.

"Probably the most important thing passengers can do is be prepared before getting to the security checkpoint," says TSA's Baird.

"Have your ID and boarding pass out and ready. Take off your shoes and jacket and take out your liquids and laptops," so they are ready to be placed in the bins and on the conveyor belt.

TSA has a special three-lane system set up at Sea-Tac's central checkpoint.

Frequent travelers with minimal carry-ons can use the "black diamond" lane.

TSA will direct most others to a blue lane. Families and those needing special help can use the green lane.

Bumping

Airlines made schedule changes earlier this fall to adjust to a drop in bookings.

Most travelers who booked early were notified of revisions, but it's smart to double-check on any last-minute changes.

Sign up for your airline's e-mail alerts. Sea-Tac offers free Wi-Fi and a text-messaging service with updated flight information. See details at www.portseattle.org/seatac. Click on "News for Travelers."

Airlines frequently oversell flights and bump passengers during busy times. If you want to avoid being bumped, check in early.

Airlines first ask for volunteers to give up their seats and take another flight, usually in exchange for a first-class seat on another flight, plus money or a voucher for future travel.

If that doesn't work, some people might be bumped involuntarily. If this results in a delay longer than an hour past your original arrival time, the airline has to offer compensation. See airconsumer.ost.dot.gov for details.