Travel

I’m a flight attendant – here’s how you can AVOID travel delays while flying during the holidays

  • The stewardess, Cici, shared the steps she took to make things go smoother
  • She suggested checking the weather and having the airline’s app downloaded 
  • She also dished on the stuff she always made sure to bring in her carry-on

A flight attendant has shared her top tips to making traveling during the holidays easier – from how you can avoid delays to the packing essentials you should always bring.

It’s no secret that flying around Thanksgiving and the holidays can be stressful. With everyone trying to get home to celebrate with their loved ones, airports are crowded, there’s long lines at security, and flights are often overbooked or late.

This often leads to travel mishaps – but thankfully, a Florida-based stewardess named Cici recently revealed the simple actions that you can take to make the experience a little less fraught while chatting with Insider.

According to the flight attendant – who has worked for a major airline for five years, but hasn’t disclosed which one due to privacy reasons – being prepared for the worst will help ease the stress if things does go amiss, so it’s vital to get yourself ready by taking these steps.

A flight attendant has shared her top tips for making traveling during the holidays easier – from how you can avoid delays to the packing essentials that you should always bring

It’s no secret that flying around Thanksgiving and the holidays can be stressful. With everyone trying to get home, flights are often running behind schedule (stock image)

Thankfully, a Florida-based stewardess, named Cici, recently revealed the simple actions that you can take to can make the experience a little less fraught while chatting with Insider

Cici’s tips for making traveling during the holidays easier 

  • Stay up-to-date on the status of your flight using FlightAware and the National Airspace System
  • Check the weather in the city your aircraft is coming from
  • Have the app for the airline you’re flying downloaded
  • Book flights in the morning rather than in the evening
  • Bring stuff like chargers and extra snacks in case there is a delay
  • Don’t take your frustration out on airline employees

Her first piece of advice was to stay up-to-date on the status of your flight starting one day before you’re set to take-off.

She recommended using the FlightAware app or the National Airspace System to see the most accurate information on your upcoming flight.

Cici also said it was important to look at the weather for the cities that you’re flying to and from – as well as the area that your aircraft visited prior to your journey.

She explained that if the plane had a delay in the city it was at before yours, that would likely result in your own flight taking off late. 

‘Having that extra knowledge puts you in the right mindset,’ she explained. ‘For me, having an understanding of what you’re getting into before you get to the airport is 90 per cent of the battle.’

It’s also a good idea to download the app for the airline that you’re flying on as she said they would have the quickest alerts about delays and gate changes – and usually had customer service agents available for chat.

‘You can communicate so much more effectively directly through the app as opposed to waiting on the phone or waiting in line,’ the flight attendant dished.

Next up, Cici recommended booking flights that were first thing in the morning – so that if it did get delayed, there were a lot more options available for you to rebook.

The stewardess said that because delays were so common during this time of year, make sure you have your chargers, headphones, and extra snacks in your carry-on (stock image)

She added that when there was a very early flight, the plane had likely been sitting at the airport all night rather than just arriving from another city, which made it less likely to fall behind schedule.

She said being prepared for the worst would help ease the stress if things did go amiss, so it was vital to get yourself ready by taking these steps 

As for what to bring with you, she suggested packing differently for the holidays than you normally would when you fly.

The stewardess said that because delays were so common during this time of year, make sure you have your chargers, headphones, some extra snacks, or anything else that you might need to keep you entertained in your carry-on if there was a hold up. 

Last but not least, Cici encouraged everyone to try to keep a positive attitude no matter what – and to never take your frustration out on other travelers or airline employees.

‘Just remember, you don’t know what somebody else is going through,’ she concluded. 

Cici has become an online sensation recently for sharing some of the things she’s learned from her years in the airline industry, racking up more than 253,000 followers on Instagram and 386,000 on TikTok. 

Back in September, she posted a video detailing the five things she’d never do as a passenger, and it quickly went viral.

Cici has become an online sensation recently for sharing some of the things she’s learned from her years in the airline industry, racking up more than 386,000 followers on TikTok

First, she said she’d never fly on the day of an important event, like a wedding, cruise, birth or graduation.

Back in September, she posted a video detailing the five things she’d never do as a passenger, and it quickly went viral 

‘I cannot tell you the amount of people on my flights who have missed important engagements because of delays and it’s just not worth it,’ she said in the TikTok. ‘Fly in the day before, always.’

She also encouraged her followers to avoid sticking things in the seat-back pockets, since she said they were ‘gross’ and she had seen people put ‘all kinds of things in there.’

She also advised against placing jackets or loose items in the overhead bins because they were extremely dirty.

‘I mean I’ve never seen them cleaned and I’ve seen people’s stuff spill out of their bags and get all over people’s jackets, clothes or whatever so just don’t do it,’ Cici shared.

Her other major don’ts included arguing with a flight attendant – instead, she said to voice your problems with the airline directly through customer service – or to depend on the cabin crew for food and water.

She explained that sometimes rough air and turbulence meant that the flight staff was not able to serve the passengers – so you should always get some snacks or drinks before you get on board. 

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