ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The lines that stretched around the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport kiosk desk and terminals have vanished as the 2022 holiday travel season wraps up.
For many passengers, it marks the conclusion marks of a messy season of travel which was filled with numerous canceled flights, snoozes on hard airport seats and lost luggage. Alaska Travelgram Publisher Scott McMurren says that the chaos of the season might have left Alaskans with some hard lessons learned.
“With this recent meltdown over the holiday season, it just goes to show you that you need to take some additional steps,” McMurren said.
During the holiday season, ANC continued to advise passengers to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport, urging them, that their best resource would be to contact their individual airlines.
“Before you leave your home, check in, and usually, your app will have the most current information,” McMurren said. “You don’t want to be getting out of the car, getting out of your taxi or whatever, to find that your flight is delayed.”
That’s just one of the tips McMurren has in his Airport Survival Guide 2023. In addition to that, he recommends that travelers sign up for Global Entry to help them cut down on time when trying to go through security.
McMurren also recommends purchasing travel insurance, avoiding tight connections when booking flights and making sure to have the airline apps downloaded. McMurren said that those specific steps can better help travelers stay informed on any delays or changes in gates.
One of the last things McMurren suggested on his list is to have a way to track your checked bag.
“This holiday season is evidence that the airline may have lost your bag and they may not be able to find it. So, you need to track your own bags,” McMurren said.
Devices like Apple AirTags, McMurren said can help travelers know exactly where their bag is.
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