Experienced Travelers Aid Volunteers Offer Tips to Avoid Holiday

Experienced Travelers Aid Volunteers

Offer Tips to Avoid Holiday Travel Delays

As the holiday travel season approaches, the 560 Travelers Aid volunteers who assist Washington area air and rail passengers have some tips to ease potential travel delays.

Travelers Aid staffs the information desks at Washington Reagan National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Washington Union Station. Last year, the volunteers assisted 3.7 million travelers.

The airline industry projects there will be 28.5 million passengers traveling for Thanksgiving – a 3 percent growth over last year. Sunday, Nov. 26, is expected to be the busiest day with Wednesday, Nov. 22, projected to be the second busiest day. The airlines are adding 86,000 more seats to handle the holiday surge.

Amtrak is also adding more trains and passenger cars, especially in the Northeast Corridor, to handle the demand. Last year 760,000 travelers rode the rails during Thanksgiving week.

Based on the multitude of questions posed each day at the Travelers Aid information desks, the volunteers offer these travel tips:

• Confirm everything – plane, car, hotel, pick-up service reservations – at least 24 to 48 hours prior to departure, especially if booked through online or third-party services. If you have to change planes, allow for three hours even if the airlines or your travel agent suggest a shorter window.
• While many now travel with itineraries and travel paperwork stored on their phone, still have at least one hard copy readily available as a back-up. Keep emergency contact numbers – family, travel agents and travel booking websites, airlines and doctors – written down. Share the details of your plans with your family, especially if you are expecting them to meet you.
• Its sounds very basic, but verify the airport you are using. In cities with multiple airports, such as Washington, New York and Chicago, some travelers will arrive at the wrong airport. Likewise, some travelers don’t know which airport they just flew into and give the wrong directions to those meeting their flight.
• Don’t depend on cash – many airlines will not accept cash payments for additional charges at the ticket counter or for in-flight purchases. If you don’t have a credit or debit card, some airports have vending machines that sell pre-paid debt cards that the airlines accept.
• Arrive early – this is the week to follow the suggestions to arrive 2 to 3 hours before a flight. Checking in online will save time at the ticket counter and so will traveling only with a carry-on piece of luggage. However, check with your airline because some have changed their carry-on luggage rules. But, be prepared to wait in line. On-going construction, including at Reagan, will disrupt normal traffic patterns.
• Visit the TSA website (www.tsa.gov) to review their rules on liquids, medicines, gels, food and gifts. Travel in as light-weight clothing as possible to facilitate as faster trip through the TSA screening process.
• Upon your arrival – know the name of your car service, where to get it and have your pre-paid receipt ready. Research the anticipated cab or ride service fare to your destination and know if your driver will take a credit card or only cash. And, budget these local transportation fees when calculating your travel budget.
• Finally before you even begin, develop a back-up plan if your flight is cancelled or delayed. Weather is always an unexpected variable at this time of the year.

To assist travelers, especially those who may travel infrequently or only at the holiday, Travelers Aid (www.travelersaid.org/faq/) has several online resources, including mobile-friendly websites for Reagan National (www.travelersaid.org/reagan), Dulles (www.travelersaid.org/dulles) and Union Station (www.travelersaid.org/union). These websites have tips, local resources and maps.

Beyond answering the most pressing travel questions, the Travelers Aid volunteers assist passengers with navigating airports, finding emergency hotel accommodations when flights have been cancelled, translation services, family escorts, recovering lost items and info on local tourist destinations. The three Washington operations are now recruiting for their first class of 2018 volunteers. If you are looking for a way to give back to your community, please explore this volunteer option. There are a number of volunteers who are in their second or third decade of service.

More information can be obtained at www.travelersaid.org/volunteer-form or emailing (Union Station) [email protected]; (Reagan Airport) [email protected] or (Dulles Airport) [email protected].

About Travelers Aid:

Founded in 1851, in the stage coach era, Travelers Aid has been assisting stranded travelers for more than 165 years. The Travelers Aid Transportation Network consists of customer and information services at 17 U.S. airports and four North American railroad depots. The Beltsville-based Travelers Aid International operates at Reagan and Dulles airports on a contract with Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Travelers Aid has been assisting Reagan passengers since 1947 and Dulles passengers since 1963. Travelers Aid began assisting rail travelers at Union Station in 1912.

Contact:

Tom Smith, Communications Director, Direct Dial, 240-241-7963; Cell: 202-669-6804

CEO Dave Asselin is available for interviews, if desired.

Volunteer photos from Reagan, Dulles and Union Station are available upon request.