TAMPA, Fla. — Summer is nearly upon us, and travel experts say you need to get ready for traffic and packed airports.
AAA projects that 63% of Americans will travel this summer. That’s up from two percent last year.
“Yea, the airports are going to be busy,” said Tanika Cabral.
Cabral and her daughters are from Atlanta and plan to do a lot of traveling this summer. She said they do not play games when it comes to traveling.
“For us, it’s the unpredictable,” she said, referring to traffic issues. “You just never know what will happen when you get on the highway.”
They try to get to the airport early, but it doesn’t always work out that way. That is the reason she has taken steps to make sure the long TSA lines aren’t a problem for them.
“I have Clear. I have TSA pre-check. I opted into digital ID,” she said. “I need to be in and out.”
Mark Jenkins, with AAA said those things were vital, especially with the number of people they’re predicting to be traveling this year.
“83% percent of Floridians will travel this year, and half of them are planning a summer trip,” he said. “That’s more than last year.”
As a whole, AAA is predicting about 42.3 million Americans will travel this year. That’s up from 36.9 million in 2022.
“We’re expecting a record-breaking Memorial Day travel numbers," Jenkins added.
TSA pre-check may be one option for travelers. It's $78 for a 5-year membership. It allows travelers to keep their shoes and belts on and keep laptops and liquids in their bags. A new change also allows teens aged 13-17 to accompany their TSAP pre-check parents through the security screening. Clear costs $189 a year. It verifies who you are using your eyes or a fingerprint and allows you to go to the front of the line for security screenings.
According to Bankrate.com, Even though millions will be flying, 77% of Americans said they’re worried about flying because of last year’s luggage and cancellations issues. Airlines said they spent the year preparing for that, and they’ve hired thousands of new employees. Most US airports and TSA said they have also taken steps to help ease travel. There’s still a problem, the pilot shortage.
“It’s absolutely huge,” said Patrick Arnzen.
Arnzen is the CEO of Thurst Flight, an airline pilot training school.
“I think this summer we’re going to need to exercise some patience, “ he said. “We’re going to see a lot more delays than we’ve ever seen before, and that’s not going to be because we don’t have the airplanes to fly.”
He said it's mostly going to be due to the fact that they don't have the crews to fly, and “We don’t have mechanics to work on these airplanes.”
In an effort to help, the FAA is streamlining 169 East-coast routes to save 6,000 minutes of travel time.
The other option you might be wondering about is travel insurance. It allows you to cancel your trip for any reason and get your money back. It can also cover lost baggage and health emergencies overseas. Megan Moncrief of St. Petersburg-based travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth.com told us most people are cashing in on travel insurance these days for flight delays and cancellations.
"In today's world, the most used benefits were the travel delays, the baggage loss. Our data actually showed last year almost 50% of the claims we saw paid were for pre-trip related inconveniences and cancellations and 25% of those from a delay specifically," Moncrief added.
But you might be wondering when is it worth it?
Travel experts recommend considering insurance if your trip cost more than you can afford to lose, you're traveling internationally, if you have connecting flights, and when you're traveling to a hurricane-prone area.
You might not know that travel insurance can also cover pilot and crew strikes.
Here's the thing: you have to purchase the insurance before the strike is announced...Many policies also include "Labor strikes" as a valid reason to cancel your flight...But save your documents because you may need proof showing the reason your trip was interrupted.
Officials at TPA are also encouraging travelers to book flights early in the day because they’re less likely to be interrupted. Plan your trips in advance and make sure you are giving yourself enough time.
Cabral and her daughters also have advice for fellow travelers. If things get chaotic, “remember there’s nothing you can do. Try to roll with it, and if you are going on vacation, just chill a bit.”
