The flights I take are on time over 90% of the time!

Finding
that hard to believe? It’s true. But then I have a way of picking my flights so
that it isn’t an accident or a quirk of fate. Although I’ve covered all this
before, I’ll run it by you once more. These “rules-to-live-by-if-you’re-going-to-fly-on-airplanes”
are my mode of operation and they should be yours too.

1.      
Fly early in the day. Delays build within the
system as the day progresses. The later your flight, the more likely you are to
encounter delays.

2.      
Pick the first flight out in the morning.
Airplanes “overnight” at airports all over the country. If yours is there in
the morning, you have an excellent chance of getting out on time.

3.      
Book a non-stop flight. Direct flights don’t do
it. They stop along the way and every time you stop, you risk getting caught up
in delays, cancellations, crew time-outs, and a myriad of other possibilities
that will not help ensure you arrive at your ultimate destination in a timely
manner.

4.      
Don’t fly during the last week of the month.
Flight crews are allowed only so many hours of flight time each month and
delays during the month compound each day into “time-outs” before the end of
the month. Each crew member has the potential of timing out during a flight and
when they land, they’re done. If you’re on that plane, you’re delayed while the
airline works to get a new crew member in place.

Fly early in the day. Delays build within the
system as the day progresses.  

5.      
Don’t book the last flight out in the evening.
This is the perfect candidate for cancellation if the system delays have
mounted during the day. The only guarantee that it will go is if the plane or
the crew needs to be at the destination for the following morning.

6.      
Plan your route. Avoiding major hubs and major
airports could really help in keeping you on time. Many cities have smaller
airports that are much less prone to delays. If you have to fly connecting
flights, try to connect at non-hub airports.

7.      
Plan your time. Arrive early at the airport. Not
only will security lines be easier to endure, but the ticket counter will be
quieter as you’ll be ahead of the “crunch.” You might even end up with a
friendly agent and get an upgrade. It happens so why not to you? Time planning
also means leaving enough time for connections if you’re stuck without that
non-stop flight. Some airlines will book connections with as little as 30
minutes. That doesn’t work. Allowing 60 minutes as second-tier airports and 90
minutes at major airports works a lot better.

You can do a lot for yourself in the pre-planning arena by
subscribing to the airline’s e-mail notification system. Not only will they
send you “deals,” but they’ll send info to your cell phone about changes in itinerary
and delays before other people are aware.

Above all, smile. It makes everyone around you easier to
deal with. And they’ll smile too.

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