How to Choose a Flight With the Least Chance of Delays Due to Weather Conditions
The holidays are notoriously difficult times to travel by plane, in part due to the large number of people trying to fly and in part due to the increased likelihood of winter weather. Snowstorms and icy runways can quickly disrupt daytime flights.
But while you can’t plan for every contingency or know what the weather will be like when you book your flights, you can minimize potential disruptions with smart planning.
Why you should choose an early flight
Generally, experts recommend booking an early flight as delays and cancellations accumulate throughout the day. Since passenger flights are not usually operated overnight, airlines have downtime to prepare for the future (or cope with existing) schedule chaos. Getting on a morning plane can minimize the chances of being hit by domino delays. And if your early flight is canceled, you will have more same-day departure options than those scheduled for the evening.
Be prepared to even make your first flight in the morning to get a little behind as de-icing is often required after the plane has been in overnight and is covered with frost or snow. It may still make sense to fly the earliest possible, as most later aircraft taking off in winter conditions will still have to remove the ice and these operations do not have to be in turn .
Fly straight if possible, even if you need to drive further
While a direct flight is not always possible if you are traveling between smaller cities, this is perhaps the best way to minimize disruption. You only need to rely on the route of one plane and there is no risk of missing connections due to delays or lost checked baggage somewhere along the way. Direct flights can certainly be delayed or canceled, but the overall experience is likely to be less time consuming and frustrating than if you had to catch two or more planes.
If you live a few hours from a major hub, it might even be worth traveling to a larger airport to catch a direct flight – weighing the total time and cost against the likelihood of delays, of course.
Choose your connections carefully
If you don’t have a direct flight, don’t default to the fastest or cheapest route. Consider flying a more southerly route where there is less chance of snow and ice.
Of course, this is not an exact science either. While northern airports are more likely to be hit by winter storms, they are also better equipped to deal with the impact and keep jobs. Even light snow can paralyze an airport, which rarely experiences winter weather .
In addition, the airports you visit before boarding also matter. Even if you’re flying through sunny Texas, your plane can come from snowy Minnesota. Unfortunately, this is out of your control and it takes a lot of research to determine the flight path in advance.
You may consider connecting or terminating at smaller airports (or minor airports in larger cities) that have fewer passengers and flights. Slightly longer docking times can also pay off if your first flight is delayed or ice needs to be removed.
Don’t forget about alternative routes if the weather is bad.
Check the weather before your trip and find out what alternative routes are available. If you expect to be affected by the cancellation, you can get ahead of it by changing the schedule with your airline (instead of waiting for all other stranded passengers to try to do the same). Of course, know that the weather is unpredictable, the airline staff is very busy at this time, and the number of flights with so many places to the destination is limited. Willingness and patience are the keys to success.