Travel expert warns of ‘biggest mistake’ July 4 travelers make at airports every year
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A travel expert has shared his advice on how to avoid this one mistake while traveling through airports on July 4th.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) predicts that a whopping 18.7 million people will pass through airport security between June 30 and July 6.
Many are jumping on domestic flights within the US to be reunited with friends and family for Independence Day in what is expected to be a very busy time.
It would already be extremely busy across American airports, but when you factor in all the soccer fans in the country for the World Cup, footfall is expected to be higher than ever.
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So, what can passengers do to avoid the madness?
Well, Jacob Wedderburn-Day, travel expert and CEO of Stasher, told UNILAD: "Travelers with flexibility should compare earlier or later options and check live fares before booking.
"If you can, take the first flight out. Early flights are not magic, but they have less time to inherit delays from earlier legs. By late afternoon, one storm, one crew delay or one backed-up hub can start rippling through the whole system."
The travel expert then warned folks of the 'biggest mistake' you can make while traveling on July 4th.
"The biggest mistake is planning for the flight on paper, not the airport on the day," Jacob told UNILAD.
He added: "People think, 'It is a domestic flight, I will be fine,' then forget they are traveling on one of the busiest days of the summer. Pack food, charge everything, check your aircraft, and do not cut it close if you are checking a bag.
"For short connections, keep essentials in your carry-on: medication, chargers, documents, a change of clothes and anything you would be genuinely stuck without. Checked bags can still make it, but crowded airports leave less margin for error.”
It's also crucial passengers 'stop treating the departure time as the deadline', particularly on peak days like July 4th, according to Jacob.
"On peak days, your real deadline is when you need to be through security, fed, charged up and near the gate," he added.
"Track the aircraft coming in for your flight, use the airline app, and give yourself enough room that one long bag-drop line does not ruin the trip.
"It is also best to check the airport map before you arrive. Some airports allow passengers to clear security in a different terminal and walk airside to their gate, but others do not. "If the airport has rail or reliable public transport, that can be less stressful than joining a packed ride-share queue."