Holiday travel: tips to save your sanity (and maybe some cash, too)

Seriously, do it. TSA Pre✓ costs $85 for a five-year membership, or $100 for Global Entry if you’re traveling internationally.

Forget about the long lines at security. With TSA Pre✓, you can skip those lines and get to your gate much quicker. That removes a huge chunk of the holiday travel stress right there!

And if you’re traveling with kids? Children ages 12 and under don’t need their own TSA Pre✓ membership if you have one.

Apply 2-3 weeks before your trip to give enough time for TSA to process and approve your application.

This is particularly important for your return travel. There are times when a layover or two is worth it to save some money on airfare. However, if the savings are modest, consider splurging on the direct or one-layover airfare to save you the headache.

The last thing you’ll want after days with family and the onset of the post-holiday blues is multiple layovers. Avoid this if possible.

Plus, weather is always an issue when traveling in the winter. By taking a direct flight, you have fewer chances of a flight getting delayed or cancelled, or missing a connecting flight.

Traveling with little ones? Direct flights mean fewer times boarding and exiting planes and no worrying about keeping the kids entertained during layovers.

Hopper is a great app for booking your holiday airfare at the best price. It searches the web for the best deals on flights and provides insights on deals as they pop up. The free app tells you the best month to book your trip based on price insights, as well as if a deal is worth pouncing on or not.

We often default to flying or driving for the holidays. Have you ever considered Amtrak for your trip?

Amtrak’s fares are determined by how far in advance you book rather than seasonality, which means no upcharge for traveling during the holidays. This could be a good option if you don’t like to fly, you’re traveling solo, or your destination is close enough that a train ride wouldn’t take up an entire day. Or, if your job allows you to work remotely, you could take two fewer vacation days for the holidays and work on the train ride there and home.

Are you traveling with kids? Then you’re probably better off flying. Little ones would likely benefit from quicker travel so they don’t get restless.

Some things are worth splurging on, like holiday travel.

Consider upgrading your airline seat to first class or one with more leg room to make the trip a bit more enjoyable, particularly for the trip home. You could cash in your points or miles through the airline or your credit card to mitigate the cost of your upgrade.

If there’s ever a time to prioritize comfort over cost, this is it.

Holiday travel is expensive, so why not get rewarded when booking your trip? Use your credit card instead of your debit card to get some cash back — which can go toward all those presents you’re buying this time of year — or rack up miles with your travel rewards card.

And another thing: Some credit cards offer travel perks, like trip cancellation reimbursement or rental car collision damage. Research your card to see if there are perks you can use to your advantage!

Check a month before your travel to see if your license, passport, or other identification will be valid for your departing and return flights. That way, it won’t expire while traveling and leave you stranded.

Heads up: Starting October 2020, your driver’s license, passport, military ID, or other identification will need to be REAL ID compliant in order to fly.

Your luggage is probably packed to the brim as it is. Shipping gifts to your destination could mean paying one less baggage fee.

You’ve got enough things to pack without having to worry about finding space for all the gifts. Save the space and headache by shipping gifts to your destination ahead of time. Just make sure you warn your family not to open any boxes with your name on it!

You might even save some money in the process with free shipping through Amazon Prime or another retailer. That sure beats paying to check an extra bag or two.

Maybe you’d prefer to pack your gifts instead of shipping them ahead of time. If so, postpone wrapping them until you arrive at your destination. That way, your beautifully wrapped gifts won’t get ruined during the trip.

Sure, driving will take longer than flying, but there are benefits to hitting the highway, such as:

• Not paying for airline tickets or checked bags
• Greater flexibility when choosing what days to travel
• Not having to rely on family, friends, or Uber/Lyft to get around
• More space to bring home gifts

Driving with kids? Use the time to tell them your favorite holiday memories when you were a kid.

How long are you staying with your family? If it’s a week or more, and you have access to a washer and dryer, you’re better off bringing fewer clothes and doing laundry rather than overpacking.

Want to avoid the post-trip laundry blues? Do a load or two the night before you head home so there’s one less thing to do after a lengthy trip.

Staying with family looks good on paper. Who wants to pay for a hotel or Airbnb if they don’t have to? However, those savings could come at a cost.

Having your own space gives you an excuse to get away from family when you need it. (And let’s face it, you might need it.) It might not seem like a big difference, but even if you spend every waking hour at your parents’ house and only go to the hotel to sleep, it’ll give you a chance to decompress and reset before going back the next day. Plus, you’ll have space to spread out and ensure that you’ll sleep in a bed every night rather than on the couch, air mattress, or floor.

Not worried about these things? Then, by all means, take advantage of the free place to stay!

Speaking of family time, your typical holiday might consist of sitting around the house, eating, and chatting away. All that time together could result in digging for things to talk about, and when that happens, all it takes is one political ad on the TV to set off the entire family.

Want to avoid this? Plan a family activity or event before you travel. Maybe you all go bowling one night or catch a movie. This will:

• Get everyone out of the house
• Break up all the sitting around, eating, watching TV, and talking
• Lighten the mood
• Give you something you all can talk about when you get back to the house

When it comes to boarding your pet or finding a pet sitter, book as early as you can — even before you make your travel plans. It’s a busy time of year for these services, so you’ll want to solidify these plans before spots or schedules fill up. You can always modify or cancel if your travel plans change.

Or, you could always bring your furry friend with you for the holidays! Just make sure to ask your hosts for permission beforehand.

We all know that holiday travel can be tough. But don’t let that keep you from seeing family this time of year! The holidays are a time to show family and friends how much you love and appreciate them. If you have to deal with some crammed leg room in coach, that’s better than staying home and missing out on family time.

By planning ahead, you can take some of the stress out of holiday travel — and enjoy all the fun waiting for you when you arrive!

Happy holidays!

With the Citizens Cash Back Plus® Mastercard®, you get 1.8% cash back on everything you buy — airline tickets, a hotel room or Airbnb, and all the gifts you buy!