Essential Holiday Travel Tips Amid Record-Breaking Crowds and Costs

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With this holiday travel season shaping up to be one of the busiest and priciest since before the pandemic, airlines, airports, and passengers are bracing themselves for a hectic holiday season. 

Holiday travel is often fraught with seasonal illnesses, delays, and cancellations, with 22% of travelers revealing they've submitted travel insurance claims for winter holiday trips in the past. With more of the same expected over the next few weeks, Squaremouth, the nation's leading travel insurance marketplace, shares 4 key tips for travelers flying over the next few weeks.

Get to the Airport Early
According to the TSA, post-thanksgiving was their busiest screening day in history, and this holiday season is expected to be no different. Travelers across the country can expect big crowds, long lines, high stress, and higher instances of illness in the upcoming weeks. Even travelers who have Travel Delay coverage need to plan ahead. 

While most plans cover travel delays, this generally only applies to flight-related delays. If you miss your flight due to heavy traffic on your way to the airport, late check-in, or long TSA lines, you will not have coverage through your travel insurance.

Expect Delays
Travel insurance claims are up 21% in 2024, and 24% of all paid travel insurance claims this year were related to delays and missed connections. If the tumultuous 2024 travel year has taught us anything, it's that the number could rise dramatically during the holidays. 

Travelers with trips this holiday season should protect themselves with Travel Delay coverage. To find the best Travel Delay coverage, search for a policy that kicks in after a 3-hour delay and covers any delay of a common carrier. 

Protect Your Checked Luggage
According to a recent Squaremouth survey, 27% of holiday travelers have experienced the frustration of lost or delayed luggage during previous holiday travels. If you're planning on taking holiday items or gifts with you in a checked bag, make sure your luggage is secure and protected. Consider purchasing trip protection that covers your personal belongings in the event they are lost, delayed, or damaged during transit. 

Stay Organized & Keep Your Receipts
Avoid any additional holiday travel stress by organizing your documents and ensuring they're valid and safely backed up. If you need to file a claim for reimbursement – whether it's through travel insurance, your credit card, or your airline – you will need to provide proof of loss. 

Key documents to have handy include your travel itinerary, receipts, checked luggage tickets, flight communications from your airline, and your travel insurance provider details.

About Squaremouth: Squaremouth.com has insured over 3 million travelers. Using Squaremouth's intuitive quoting and comparison engine, award-winning support team, and verified customer reviews, travelers can save time and money to find the best travel insurance policy for their trip.

Available Topic Expert: Jenna Hummer is available for comment and interview. [email protected]

SOURCE Squaremouth