Does anyone else feel like traveling at Christmas has gotten easier over the years?
While I was growing up in Chicago, one of our local airports was deemed the busiest airport in the world. At Christmastime, that always meant long lines if you were planning to travel.
However, my husband and I have consistently had the same comment over the past ten years as we’ve navigated multiple airports during the holidays – “wow I’m surprised it’s not busier!”
While holiday travel has not gotten less expensive over time, I personally feel that the overall hassle has decreased. Am I imagining that???
Today is December 23rd, and I am typing this post at 36,000 feet while flying from Cincinnati to Dallas. When my husband and I arrived at the airport today to check in, there was no one in line ahead of us to check bags. At security, the ropes were long, but again, the line was very short. It felt as if they were expecting a rush that never came!
This experience was not an anomaly.
When we flew out of Chicago O’Hare a few days ago on December 20th, there were also no lines. Everything was very manageable.
Year over year, as I walk into US airports during the days surrounding December 25th, memories flash back to the hour-long baggage lines of my childhood. I continue to be shocked when late December check-ins feel easier and easier.
Today I decided to reflect on this trend. Over the past twenty years, airlines have made several changes in policies and technology that have contributed to happier holiday travel. From the shifts I’ve observed, I feel there are four primary factors that are vanishing the wait times of yesteryear:
- Paying for Checked Bags
- Back in the day when folks could check up to two bags for free with any airline, Christmas gifts used to weigh families down. Nowadays, it pays to travel light. With fewer checked bags, I think the lines have gotten much shorter!
- Adoption of Online Shopping and Free Shipping
- When I was a teenager, I used to bring a long, massive duffel bag during holiday travel in order to accommodate gifts (as well as wrapping paper rolls!). Now, I ship most of our Christmas gifts to our faraway families in advance of flying so they are ready and waiting when we arrive.
- Changes to the Boarding Pass Process
- Gone are the days when everyone needed to wait in line to check-in and retrieve their boarding pass. The combination of mobile boarding passes as well as kiosk check-ins have created an optimized paperwork process.
- Airlines Collect and Use Data to Boost Efficiency
- Smart airlines collect data on passengers’ airport behaviors – including seasonal changes – in order to improve everyone’s flying experience. They know when we check in. They know how many seats are filled on our planes. They know how often we fly…and so much more! So, barring any big weather events or other unforeseen glitches, airlines can use predictive modeling to know how many gate workers, TSA agents, etc. should be at an airport to help move everyone through at reindeer speed.
With these changes, I sincerely hope that holiday air travel continues to feel unexpectedly easy. Airlines have done a great job at optimizing our airport and in-flight experience to keep our spirits merry and bright throughout our journeys. For that reason, I’d like to tip my hat to them this Christmas and say thanks!
Separately, I want to say Merry Christmas to you, my dear readers! I wish you all a safe and joyful holiday season wherever you may be. I am so grateful for you all!
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