San Antonio Riverwalk

Not possible I hear you cry! Well, the only way to guarantee this is to charter your own plane where you will have most of the control of when the plane takes off or not. But as this option is out of most people’s budgets we need to look at some of the other ways you can avoid delays. Having worked in the travel industry for over 25 years, and travelled pretty extensively during the period for both work and pleasure, you get to understand the way airports work and how delays can be created. I have listed below a few tips picked up over the years. They are really ways that you can minimise your chances of a delay rather than eliminate them as this is of course really impossible unless you win the lottery and can afford the charter. They are in no particular order and just by following a couple of the bits of advice could have a positive effect on your travel plans, of course not all are practical for everyone;

- Travel to and from a regional airport. These are generally quieter than the main airport, so with less flights taking off and landing, there is less likelihood of a problem that could cause a delay
- Try and travel early in the day i.e. if there is a choice of a flight go for the earliest possible one in the morning. Often a delay, for example technical reasons, could cause a knock on effect to other planes so if you are one of the first planes out then there are less planes around to have already caused this problem. This also means that if you are on the first flight, the plane has arrived the day before so you are not waiting for it to arrive
- If you can be flexible with the day you fly, choose in general quieter days of the week like a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to travel on – if the airport is quieter, then again there is less likelihood of a problem. Avoid times like Friday evening or Monday morning
- Choose an airline that has a big fleet – preferably located at the airport you are travelling from, so if something technical happens to your plane you won’t have to wait long for a new part or new plane
- If you can try and travel with the national airline of your country of destination, quite often this airline will get preferential treatment at the airports in their home country. Although it should not happen, the reality is it does. The national airline will often dominate the airport and provide the handling services to other airlines, which can mean at times of delay local airlines are able to take off and land whereas others don’t.
- Choose an airline that has a good crew representation at the airports you are travelling to. Again, this is another good reason to choose a national airline as crew, both cabin and pilot are only allowed to be on duty a certain number of hours regardless if they are flying or not. A delay can therefore be extended if a new crew can’t be found quickly whereas travelling with an airline from its home base will probably be able to put a new crew in place quicker
- Choose an airline whose business model works based on a quick turn around i.e. it’s not in their interest either to be sat on the ground in a delay
- Check online for the delay statistics of both the airline and the airports you are travelling through and choose an airline with a good record for delays
- Avoid airlines that are controlled by unions. Strikes are one of the main reasons for delays
- Don’t cause a delay yourself. Be vigilant at the airport, listen to messages, read the boards and follow signs carefully allowing plenty of time to get from one place to another
- If you can avoid flights with a change of plane or touch down this will take out a point in your travel where delay can happen. If you are forced to travel on a connection, then make sure you are booked with plenty of connection time
- Adverse weather is one of the biggest factors that can cause a delay. If you are booking your business or holiday flight at the last minute, take into consideration the airport you are taking off from or landing at weather conditions and the forecast
- If you can avoid having checked luggage, this means if something does go wrong and you have to catch another flight, you are not prone to waiting for your luggage and can act quickly. I have known people in the past to courier their luggage to the destination as opposed to taking it on the plane.

If you are delayed, pay attention to announcements, arrive in good time at your gate, avoid if you can showing your frustrations to the staff at airports. Generally, the people who you speak to are only the messengers and not the creators of the delay. I once knew a girl who worked on a check-in counter and she said once someone was so rude to her that she “accidentally” labelled his bag to the wrong destination ! Generally, in delay situations it’s everyone for themselves, once you are talking to someone, don’t go anywhere until you are protected on another flight.

If you can afford it, travel in business or first class. Airlines treat their higher fare paying passengers much better than their economy passengers. Also, if you have a loyalty card make sure the airline knows you have this as again they look after you better.