Flight attendants share secrets to surviving holiday travel
By Francesca Street, CNN
(CNN) — Navigating airports and airplanes can be stressful at the best of times. As millions of travelers take to the skies over the busy holiday period, that inbuilt stress can hit new heights.
But it doesn’t have to, just ask the world’s flight attendants. If anyone’s got surviving holiday travel down, it’s these aviation experts who fly every day, sometimes multiple times a day.
To learn from their wisdom, CNN Travel chatted with Florida-based flight attendant Hunter Smith-Lihas, who works as a flight attendant on a major US airline, and veteran Australian flight-attendant-turned-psychologist Liz Simmons, to hear their tips, tricks and aviation secrets.
Whether you’re flying home for Thanksgiving or heading abroad on a New Year’s Eve getaway, here’s a cabin crew’s guide to surviving the ups and downs of holiday air travel.
Give yourself a buffer day
Everyone wants to maximize their vacation time, but flying at the last possible minute is a risky business, says Smith-Lihas. If you want to avoid missing the Thanksgiving meal or the clock striking midnight on New Year’s Eve, “give yourself at least one buffer day in between your travel and the event,” advises Smith-Lihas.
Whether you’re traveling in the northern or southern hemisphere, there’s a potential for storms and weather delays, which can cause cancellations.
If you’ve got a buffer day, a canceled flight doesn’t automatically equal canceled Christmas.
“You at least still have that entire day to get rebooked on another flight,” says Smith-Lihas.
Leave buffer time for layovers too
With this same idea in mind, Smith-Lihas recommends travelers give themselves at least 90 minutes between connecting flights.
Sure, the idea of sitting around in the airport waiting isn’t appealing. But missing your connecting flight is a much worse outcome.
“I see a lot of people who book their layover flight connection times with less than 45 minutes,” says Smith-Lihas. “That is not enough time.”
If your first flight is delayed, you can easily end up missing the second, says Smith-Lihas “especially if you’re connecting in a foreign country and you have to go through customs and immigration.”
Some people go the other way and book multi-hour layovers with the thought they could explore a layover city in between flights.
“Personally I have never been brave enough to do that,” says Smith-Lihas. “I just love to get into the airport and get out onto my next flight.”
For cheap flights, avoid peak flying days and times
If you’re still considering a last-minute holiday getaway, there may still be some good deals out there, suggests Simmons.
Her recommendation is to avoid peak flying days and times, like weekends, and search for midweek flights for better deals.
“Midweek flying, you can really pick up some good deals during those days,” she says.
Book directly via the airline
There are many third-party travel websites out there, but Smith-Lihas says he always tells his friends to book flights directly via their airline of choice.
He suggests third party platforms are more likely to automatically book travelers onto flights with super tight connection times.
“And then also, I see people running into issues if they need to change something with their ticket, because the airline doesn’t have access to fix the problem,” he says.
Check your passport expiration date well before you travel
If you’re traveling internationally, don’t forget to check your passport expiration date before you travel. The last thing you want is to be caught out at the airport and turned away.
Do it with plenty of time in hand and you’ll hopefully be able to renew it before the departure date, if needed.
“A lot of countries do require that your passport is valid for six months or more,” says Smith-Lihas. “If you’ve had your passport for a couple years now, you definitely want to check that out.”
Opt for the first flight of the day
It might be tempting to book a post-work evening flight, but Simmons and Smith-Lihas both recommend getting the first flight of the day, if possible.
“If you’re trying to dodge any delays, flying at the beginning of the day is beneficial, because any delays or cancellations will roll on throughout the day,” explains Simmons.
“And if the flight is canceled, you at least still have that entire day to get rebooked on another flight,” adds Smith-Lihas.
If there are cancellations, flight tracking apps can be helpful for keeping an eye on updates. Simmons likes FlightRadar, while Smith-Lihas is a fan of FlightAware.
“With FlightAware, you’re able to track exactly where your plane is. You can see what city your plane is coming from, what time it’s arriving, what time it’s going to be landing,” he says. “You can see the weather and route on that app. It has really up to date information about delays and cancellations. And I just like the fact that you can see exactly where your plane is coming from and what time it’s landing.”
“It’s also worth checking the airline apps,” adds Simmons. “And generally the airline has up-to-date information on X and Facebook.”
If you have kids, book flights around nap times
New parents might find themselves traveling with young children for the first time around the holidays.
Simmons, who is a mother of two, suggests that “if you can, book your flights around nap times to avoid sort of that overtired meltdown.”
Bring supplies for your kids
Simmons also recommends bringing snacks or books and any “comfort items” — whether that’s a blanket or a muslin wrap or favorite toy.
She also reminds travelers that “kids can pick up on vibes.”
“By staying as calm as you can and bringing positivity, you really can help keep kids settled,” she says.
A positive of the holiday period is there’s lots to look forward to, says Simmons.
“This time of year is fun. It’s exciting for kids,” she says.
Talking to kids about your upcoming family visit, or sharing Christmas tales “can really make the experience fun where it can otherwise be a little bit daunting or stressful, especially for kids traveling for the first time,” says Simmons.
Still, traveling with kids can be fraught and Simmons reminds travelers not to be afraid to ask cabin crew for help. She notes that some parents might also struggle with a fear of flying which they want to avoid making apparent to their kids.
“It’s okay to say, ‘Look, I’m a bit stressed, or I need a bit of help, or I’m a bit worried, please, will you help me?” says Simmons. “The cabin crew will always be more than happy to assist you.”
Flight attendants are also trained to help people of all ages navigate a fear of flying.
“Speaking to them can really alleviate a lot of anxiety,” says Simmons. “Not only for yourself or your children, but also the passengers within earshot.”
If you swap seats with another passenger, always run it by the flight attendants
Sometimes travelers are separated from the rest of their party and decide to ask other passengers to swap seats.
Simmons says travelers should run these kinds of changes past the crew.
“It’s important for flight attendants to know who is sitting in what seats,” she says. “That could be for a variety of reasons. It could be for medical reasons, security reasons, or simply someone ordered a special meal, or is somebody a frequent flyer, or any other myriad of reasons. If you happen to be chatting to another passenger and they are happy to switch seats, always run it by the flight attendants first.”
In general, don’t be afraid to chat to flight attendants
Flight attendants have busy periods of their shifts — preparing for take off and landing, for example, and during the food and drink service.
But on long-haul flights, crew also have a “ton of downtime,” as Smith-Lihas puts it. And during those quieter moments, he says flight attendants “honestly love to talk to passengers.”
“It gets lonely and boring sometimes. We love when people come back and talk to us, and we love when people give us recommendations for the destination, whether it’s things to do, restaurants, different types of food, to try — we love to hear all of that.”
By the way, flight attendants do notice how passengers react to the safety briefing
There have been a slew of recent TikTok skits playing on the idea of trying to impress your flight attendant by paying extra attention during the safety briefing.
Smith-Lihas says he genuinely takes note when passengers are actively listening.
“I’m just so used to seeing so many people not paying attention, with their headphones in, or their heads down, being on their phones or whatever,” he says. “It’s easier to spot someone who is paying attention than someone who’s not, because the majority of people aren’t. So when we do see people paying attention, it definitely catches our eye. It is nice to know that people care what we have to say.”
Passengers might feel like they’ve listened to and watched airplane safety demonstrations and videos a hundred times — but it’s still crucial to pay attention.
“We’re only telling them the information for their own safety,” says Smith-Lihas.
Pack light and avoid checking your bag
Packing light is an art perfected and championed by flight attendants — Simmons calls herself a “packing pro” and says she travels with just one very small, well-organized carry-on bag.
Not everyone’s as good at avoiding overpacking — and it’s potentially trickier over the holidays, when you could be transporting Christmas or Hanukkah gifts for all your family members.
But at the very least, avoid checking your bag if you can.
“During the holidays, the airports are already so busy, so there are long queues to check in the bags,” Smith-Lihas says. “If you avoid checking the bag altogether, you can go straight through security, straight to your plane. You don’t have to worry about incurring any extra delays in line to check the bag.”
Plus, you avoid the fear of a lost suitcase and lost gifts.
If you do check your bag, use an AirTag
Smith-Lihas recently traveled to Greece with his husband, a fellow flight attendant. When their bag got lost on the way over, the couple were able to track it down thanks to Apple’s AirTag technology.
“So, I tell everyone now, if you’re going to check a bag, spend the extra couple dollars, buy the AirTag, put it in your bag,” says Smith-Lihas. “That way. if the airline says they don’t know where your luggage is, you can kind of give them a rough idea.”
Smith-Lihas also recommends packing anything important, such as gifts, valuable jewelry, medicine in your carry-on — and maybe a change of clothes too, just in case.
“If your bag does get lost, there’s a chance you might not get it for a few days,” he says. “It’s good to be prepared.”
It doesn’t really matter if you’re first or last on board
Smith-Lihas prefers to be first on, while Simmons is happy to be among the stragglers at the end.
Smith-Lihas adopts a first-on-board strategy because the later you board a packed flight, the more likely it is that cabin luggage space is at a premium.
“If you have the opportunity to be one of the first people on the plane, I would definitely take that, because it’s going to minimize your chance of having them check your bag,” he says, acknowledging that many airlines board via group numbers, meaning passengers often don’t have a choice.
Simmons — with her super small carry-on — isn’t worried about cabin luggage space. Her choice to board last comes from her dislike of “standing in the middle of a big group of stationary people.”
“Shuffling slowly on an aerobridge is just not something that I enjoy,” she says. “So I generally board last. I’ll hang around the gate, but wait until the final call.”
Simmons appreciates that not everyone will be comfortable adopting this tactic.
“The many, many flights and years of experience means I can go on last, find my seat, sit down comfortably and sort myself out quickly,” she says. “I know not everybody has that. When people are put into a strange environment and don’t quite know where they’re going or what to expect — until they’re there and it’s full and there’s lots of bright lights and there’s a lot of stimulation, it can be quite nerve wracking for people.”
Simmons stresses that it’s important to remember that whether you’re first or last on the plane, it doesn’t really matter. The aircraft isn’t going anywhere until everyone at the gate’s on board.
It never hurts to ask for an upgrade
If Netflix holiday romcoms and Hallmark movies are anything to go by, upgrades are frequent — just as long as you’re giving main character energy.
Simmons suggests this dream coming true in real life is (unfortunately) quite unlikely.
“Given that many flights are oversold during the holiday season, I don’t think it’s that high,” she says. “Never say never, but it’s certainly nothing to expect to happen.”
If you like your odds, Smith-Lihas’ top tip is to ask the gate agent.
“It’ll always be up to their discretion, but it never hurts to ask,” he says, adding that your chances might be higher if you’re a frequent flyer with airline status.
“The more points you earn, obviously, the better chance you’re going to have,” he says.
But if you miss the chance to ask at the gate, it’s likely too late.
“It’s not as easy as it used to be for flight attendants to move people into a more premium seat,” says Smith-Lihas. “It’s best to ask the gate agent.”
Even if you’re not traveling in a premium cabin, you might be able to enjoy access to the airline lounge via purchasing a lounge pass.
Smith-Lihas says he “100% recommends” lounge passes, although advises researching before your day of travel.
“Sometimes, especially around the holidays, the lounges do get full, and they don’t do single day passes,” he says.
“But if it’s possible, it’s a great way to escape the crowds, the chaos of the airport. You’re in a little bit of a quiet environment. You can have some food, a drink, some time to relax and time to yourself before you have to go back into the crowded plane. And it’s just a nice way to escape the holiday madness in the airports.”
If you’ve got the points, treating yourself to a premium cabin is worth it
On short haul jumps, there’s not much difference between the pricier seats and the back of the airplane.
But if you’re flying long haul, Smith-Lihas and Simmons both agree a premium cabin will enhance your experience.
“Take London to New York,” says Smith-Lihas. “It’s about seven-ish hours. I definitely think it would be worth it, just so you’re able to get that rest. You have the lie flat seat, you have space to move around. You have a nice meal. I think that’s a great little Christmas gift to yourself.”
If you’re going to splash out, research the best ticket options and whether you can pay via Avios or airline points, and check what your chosen airline offers in its premium cabins.
“The more premium the class, the more of an incredibly luxurious and pleasant flying experience you can have,” adds Simmons. “There’s incrementally higher picker prices associated with each rank of cabin as they ascend.
“If you can treat yourself at this time of the year — you’ve worked hard and you want to kick back, you want to lie back flat and snooze your way halfway across the globe —absolutely go for it. There really is nothing like traveling in a premium class on a beautiful airline, especially for a special event.”
But don’t overdo the alcohol and food
If you’re enjoying the spoils of first class, it might be tempting to make the most of the bottomless champagne.
But arriving home for the holidays already hungover is ill advised.
“Always keep in mind how you’ll feel at the other end,” says Simmons. “The real party will start at your destination, so resting and making sure that you’re in your best possible state when you arrive for that party is so important.”
Instead, Simmons champions staying hydrated with water and herbal teas.
Meanwhile Smith-Lihas adds that wherever travelers are sitting in the airplane, they shouldn’t be afraid to ask flight attendants for more water.
“The cabin air can be very dry,” he says. “It’s easy to become dehydrated on a plane.”
Smith-Lihas also always packs an empty water bottle and fills it up after going through security, to avoid purchasing expensive bottled water at the airport.
There might be a celebrity on your plane — but you probably won’t notice them
Yes, celebrities travel home for the holidays too — but Simmons suggests “you may not even notice them, even if they’re standing right next to you.”
They’re usually in the more private first class areas and “they shuffle on very quietly. They’re very low key.”
For flight attendants, interacting with the occasional famous face is just part of the job.
“They’re customers, and as flight attendants, you see an A-lister as just somebody to be cared for and looked after,” says Simmons. “I haven’t been star struck by anybody, and I’ve had some pretty amazing Hollywood actors, pretty legendary Hollywood actors on board, who’ve come in and had a chat with us in the galley.”
Wipe down surfaces
No one wants to be sick over the holidays, but what with weaving through crowds at the airport and sitting in close proximity with other passengers on board the airplane, it can feel like an inevitability.
Smith-Lihas says it’s worth remembering that airplanes are cleaned between flights, and airplane air filters are designed to help combat germs spreading.
But when Smith-Lihas is traveling, he still chooses to wipe down his airplane seat and tray table. Some airlines provide passengers with a sanitizing wipe, and you might as well make use of that, he says.
Make your airplane seat your own — within reason.
Bring your own blanket, your eye mask, your travel pillow — whatever helps you feel more at home.
Get movies downloaded on your phone or tablet. Make sure your Kindle is charged. Bring coloring pencils and books for your kids.
Noise-reducing headphones are a worthy investment, says Smith-Lihas, who also always brings “a bag of snacks” from home.
Even if you’re expecting to be fed on the airplane, it’s good to be prepared, he says. You might be delayed at the gate. The aircraft might be sitting on the tarmac for ages before take off. The airline might not have your preferred meal.
As for Simmons, her carry on always includes “an extra power bank for my phone, a small amenity kit — if it won’t be provided during the flight — and some eye patches and a little bit of lavender oil for myself.”
Simmons finds the lavender oil scent helps her relax, but she’s also “always mindful that passengers around me could be sensitive to any essential oils or perfumes.”
In general, while Simmons is all in favor of making the airplane seat your own, she stresses passengers should avoid “your comfort spilling out to others’ space and making them uncomfortable.”
“Never encroach into somebody else’s seat,” agrees Smith-Lihas, who is all for an inflight skincare routine, but advises against using a travel mirror that lights up, for example.
“Remember, there are people trying to sleep,” he says.
On long-haul flights, Simmons always brings compression socks. But she always slips her shoes back on before getting out of her seat.
Smith-Lihas is also firmly team shoes-on.
“Every day I see people that go into the bathroom without shoes, and you need to wear shoes in that bathroom,” he says. “It grosses me out.”
Be considerate of your fellow passengers
The holiday season can see “a spike in anxiety, stress and passenger incivility” on airplanes, as Simmons puts it.
“Airports are bustling. Flights are often at capacity. Delays are more likely due to the increased demand and weather,” she says. “But at the same time, people are carrying the weight of holiday expectations… And that could be getting gifts to loved ones or making it home for family gatherings or managing the pressure of those family gatherings.”
Remembering that everyone’s “in this together,” might sound like basic advice, but psychologist Simmons suggests it’s genuinely helpful to remind yourself that getting angry in stressful situations is never going to help.
If you find yourself getting wound up by another passenger, Simmons advises taking a deep breath and asking yourself: “Is this really important enough to get really angry about and angry towards a stranger about? Or can I breathe out? Let it go.”
“That’s so much more pleasant than sitting in your seat huffing and puffing and being quite cross at somebody you’ve never seen before, and you will never see again,” she adds. “People generally don’t go out of their way to upset others.”
Rather than being antagonistic towards other travelers, consciously bringing warmth and lightness to a fraught situation can be really powerful and have positive knock-on effects.
“It doesn’t need to be a grand display of positivity,” says Simmons. “It can just be something as simple as offering a smile to a fellow traveler, showing patience with airline staff, sharing a kind word with a person in the next seat. These small gestures of positivity, they’re great for everyone, and they reflect that holiday spirit.”
But also create your own ‘bubble of peace of happiness’
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, other travelers will bring negativity to the cabin.
In these scenarios, Simmons advises doing your best to avoid letting their bad attitude ruin your experience of the holidays
“Unfortunately, it is public transport, you’re always going to encounter at some stage, perhaps, one person who’s going to be a little bit of a Grinch of the season,” she says. “Just put your walls up and don’t worry about them. Think about your own little bubble of peace and happiness.”
Gestures of goodwill are always welcomed by crew
Many flight attendants don’t have a choice when it comes to working over the holidays.
“I’ve missed so many Christmases,” says Simmons. “I’ve been over the International Date Line on many a New Year’s Eve.”
There will always be pockets of joy for flight attendants working over the holidays (“You might wear a festive tie or a Santa hat at Christmas. Or on Thanksgiving, crew might wear a turkey tie. I do really enjoy that. It really does put me in the holiday spirit,” says Smith-Lihas) But many flight attendants will also be missing loved ones when they’re in the air over the holidays.
Kindness from passengers can help brighten those tougher workdays.
“Small gestures of goodwill are always so appreciated and certainly do not go unnoticed,” says Simmons, who says she’s been gifted chocolates on past festive flights, a good deed that made her day.
As for Smith-Lihas, he always appreciates a Starbucks gift card, or candy — both of which are common gifts on his US flights.
He also once heard of a flight attendant who was gifted a trip to Disney World by a passenger.
“That was kind of crazy,” he says.
While gifts are thoughtful, flight attendants don’t expect them, and especially not extravagant ones. They’re also generally not allowed to accept cash.
As Simmons says, “sometimes the best gift is patience and understanding and a smile and kindness.”
Practice kindness
Simmons suggests keeping “the message of the holiday season” front of her mind is her top tip for surviving stressful holiday travel.
“A lot is happening in the world at the moment, and there’s a lot of unease around, there’s a lot of uncertainty for some people, and not everybody has a family to go to during the holidays,” she says,
“So just keep in mind how powerful kindness is. Being kind and smiling, the impact that could have on a stranger’s day, on their mood… It’s so special, and it’s something that we really don’t harness. Maybe we don’t realize how much power we have, and we don’t think to harness that enough.”
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