It’s no secret that Thanksgiving is one of the busiest plane travel days of the year. Last year, it was estimated that 55.4 million people traveled for Thanksgiving while another 115.2 million traveled for the Christmas period; this is the second-highest since 2000. In 2024, 22 percent of those who plan to travel around this time will do so solely for the Thanksgiving holiday; 29 percent plan to travel for Thanksgiving as well as the holidays of Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah.
The day before Thanksgiving as well as the Sunday after the holiday are historically the busiest air travel days of the entire year. If you’re planning to spend time with friends and family in far-off places, chances are high that you already have your plane ticket booked. The only thing left to do is book your DTW airport parking and deal with the subsequent rush at the airport. Just think: if the planes will be filled to the brim Thanksgiving week, so too will the parking lots at the airport.
You’re probably looking forward to seeing loved ones and enjoying turkey and pumpkin pie, but there’s still a bit of time left before then to plan for a stress-free experience now. Facing the hectic holiday weekend is made much easier when you adopt a calm, focused outlook. Here are some tips for dealing with the airport rush during the 2024 Thanksgiving holiday.
1. Keep Track of Your Flight
Your flight reservation is often an ever-changing entity. You can’t expect the exact time of takeoff to stay the same right up till you leave. Delays happen, especially during busy holiday weeks. You may already know to check your flight the night before you leave. But you should be checking it in the week leading up to travel time.
If you don’t do this, you could be in for a big surprise when you check at 11 p.m. the night before takeoff. Check your airline website account every few days to verify flight arrivals and departures. Also, check seat assignments so you’re aware of when you can board.
- Airlines adjust their schedules continuously, which means it’s up to you to leave some wiggle room to make changes. Last-minute aircraft or flight changes leave you with limited options, of course, but when you are prepared ahead of time, you can make last-minute adjustments as well – without the stress.
- Check in for your flight 24 hours ahead of time. When doing this, you’ll be able to see where your plane is coming from, alerting you to potential delays even before the airline is aware. Even when the weather is fine where you are, the weather where the plan is taking off from may be nasty. These can cause delays and problems on your end that you would otherwise not have been privy to.
- Download and use apps like FlightAware.com, which allow you to check the real-time status of scheduled flights along with your plane’s current location.
2. Book the Airport Lounge
Threats of layovers and delays are always possible, as we said, which is why it helps to know where you can hang out in comfort if that happens. Instead of sitting on the airport floor with your phone plugged into an outlet, book the airport lounge instead.
- Many airports have them. You’ll be charged a fee to use the facilities but this buys you access to all features.
- Check with your credit card company to see if it offers complimentary airport lounge access. Some do.
- If not, the airport concierge desk can tell you the cost of a day pass, which usually ranges from $30 to $50, with children under 12 free.
It’s much better to chill in a quiet place with extra perks than while away the hours in the food court or in the overpriced shops.
3. Decipher Between Checked Bags and Carry-Ons
You know the DTW airport will be chaos the week of Thanksgiving, so take a beat to consider whether you want to deal with baggage claim or not. If you can, avoid these hectic carousels, as they are typically the most stress-inducing areas of the entire airport when a flight lands. Is it possible to just travel with carry-ons rather than hauling around large and heavy checked bags? If you can, this will save money, energy, time and stress for everyone you’re traveling with.
- Whether this is a possibility for you will depend greatly on who you are traveling with, how old they are and how long you will be away. It’s fairly easy to use a carry-on for a three-day trip, but it gets much more challenging if you’re going away for a week or more. Carry-ons are also more doable when traveling just with a spouse than it is bringing the whole family on a cruise.
- If it’s impossible for everyone in your party to use carry-ons, at least ask people to do their part in handling their own checked bags. Older kids and teens are fully capable of wheeling their own luggage through the airport. When packing in anticipation of the trip, ask each person to be efficient in how they pack to make the most of the space they’re given. When you can’t avoid baggage claim, ask the desk attendant to see if you’re able to get at least one bag free.
While Thanksgiving is a chance to reconnect with loved ones you only see once a year, there’s no doubt that traveling is stressful on everyone involved. Be strategic and plan out your parking strategy beforehand so your arrival at the airport is drama-free. Scheduling valet parking in particular will reduce your stress as you tackle the holiday airport rush.
Contact Valet Connections DTW Parking
From our family to yours, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a stress-free holiday with loved ones. We want your plans go as smoothly as possible, so please book your reservation now for DTW valet parking service online or call us at (734) 992-4946.