Getting Home For The Holidays

If you still haven't purchased your holiday plane tickets yet, listen up; Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large for Travelocity.com, has some tips for making travel during the holidays hassle-free.

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for air travel. Allow plenty of time to check your bags and go through security. "I say at least two - maybe even three - hours," says Ziff. Planes are booked solid during the holidays, so if you miss your flight, the chance of you being rebooked is very slim. Try checking in online before you head to the airport to save time.

One way to help ease the stress of holiday travel is to be flexible. "If you're not flexible, it's going to be really tricky," says Ziff. "The average domestic air fare is around $358. If you can be that, you've got a good deal!"

Also, remember to pack smart. The rules of what you can - and cannot - bring onto a plane may have changed since the last time you flew, so be sure to check with your airline or the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) website to make sure you're following the current guidelines.

To avoid some snags at the airport, Ziff suggests carrying your luggage onboard if you can. If you check your luggage, "there's a higher likelihood that it could get lost," says Ziff. However, if you do take your suitcase on with you, be sure to follow the TSA's 3-1-1 rule when it comes to your liquids and gels. That means no more than three ounces of any liquid or gel in one container, and it all has to fit in one clear, quart-sized bag. You'll need to show your clear bag to security at the airport, so it helps to have it in an easy-to-reach spot in your carry-on bag.

Ziff also suggets shipping your wrapped gifts ahead of time instead of carrying them on the plane with you. "If you've got them wrapped and you're taking them to your destination, your luggage is going to have to be opened, the gift is going to get unwrapped and that defeats the entire purpose," says Ziff.

For more information on holiday travel, click here to visit Amy Ziff's blog.

By Erin Petrun