CELEBRATE NATIONAL AVIATION DAY WITH BHTP’S BEST TRAVEL TIPS

 
In case it slipped your mind, National Aviation Day is Aug. 19.

National Aviation Day has been around since 1939, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose Aug. 19 to commemorate Orville Wright’s birthday and promote aviation and the ever-advancing science of flight.

It’s a fun day (at places like the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum and the Henry Ford Museum, where a full day of festivities is planned), and a great opportunity to reflect on all things flying – including the role travel insurance plays in making flying less stressful.

 

Photo credit: Kelsey Knight via Unsplash.

 
The Best (And Cheapest) Times To Fly

The cheapest flight to Europe advertised by Pan Am in 1960 was $298. That’s roughly about the cost of a budget flight to Europe today – except that $298 in 1960 dollars equals more than $2,500 today!

Flying has gotten more economical over the years, and more people are interested in finding the best times to fly, both to save money and avoid flight issues.

You can find lots of theories on the best times to fly and buy tickets, but in general:
 

• If you’re traveling around holidays, try to fly around the peak days. For instance, if you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, fly the Tuesday before or the day of Thanksgiving.
   
• According to farecompare.com, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are usually the cheapest days to fly.
   
• For international travel, weekdays are usually cheaper than weekends.
   
• Very early and very late flights tend to be cheaper than prime-time flights. (And as a bonus, very early flights tend to have fewer issues.)
   
• For more specific information on best times to fly and buy, download the the Hopper app.
  
  

Photo credit: Caleb Woods via Unsplash.

Best And Worst Airports

Again, there are many theories on what makes a good or bad airport – and many airports can be either, depending on the airline you’re flying and the time of day or year when your flights are scheduled.

For instance, many flights into and out of New York’s La Guardia airport experience problems – but primarily late in the day. Early flights tend to be less problematic.

On the other hand, Salt Lake City is one of the nation’s most reliable airports in the summer and much less so in the winter, when unexpected snows can wreak havoc.

Here are the 10 worst major airports for delayed arrivals and departures in May 2018, according to the Air Travel Consumer Reports:

Photo credit: Hanson Lu via Unsplash.

 
Dealing With Flight Issues

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s annual “State of Travel Insurance” report has found that flight delays, cancellations, and missed connections top many travelers’ lists of biggest travel inconveniences.
 

Here are 10 of our best tips for making flying more worry-free:
 

1.  If you’re waiting in line to deal with a flight issue, call the airline. When they put you on hold, tweet the airline and post a Facebook message. If you’re still stymied, call the airline’s international customer service. They can often help when domestic operators are slammed.
 

2.  Take early flights. Small scheduling problems early can turn into huge problems late in the day.
 

3.  Know which airports are best and worst for the time and date you’re flying. The DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Reports are great for this.

4.  If it’s a child's first flight, rehearse the process for several days before departure. Be honest but reassuring about ear-pressure pain, and promise there will be chewy candy available.
 

5.  Take full advantage of the invitation for passengers with small children to board early, but don't actually board them. Have an adult prep the seats and stow diaper bags. Then board the children at the very end to avoid the stampede.
 

6.  Reset your wristwatch to the local destination time soon after boarding.
 

7.  Pack your carry-on like it’s your only bag. Airlines still lose luggage.
 

8.  Keep multiple copies of important documents, including prescriptions, in multiple places – and not in your checked luggage.
 

9.  For some of the best airfares, don’t be tied to a destination. Let the airfare determine where you want to travel, and not the other way around.
 

10. Get travel insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s AirCare plans can pay you within minutes* for your flight inconveniences like delays, missed connections, flight diversions, late night hotel arrivals, or even tarmac delays. It can also help flyers in multiple ways, with rebooking, finding lost luggage, and coordinating flights home if a trip is interrupted.

 

Photo credit: Ross Parmly via Unsplash.

 
How Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection Helps Travelers

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection provides flight insurance for flight mishaps like flight cancellation and delay, missed connections, flight diversions, late night hotel arrivals and tarmac delay.

This coverage is in addition to traditional travel insurance coverages that involve flights, like emergency medical evacuation and trip interruption, where a return trip home (generally by air) is necessary.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection also offers auto-filing and auto-payment of many flight-related claims. Our real-time flight tracking means we can detect flight issues as they happen and automatically initiate a claim, and then we can pay claims automatically, often in less than a minute*, into a specified account or PayPal.

Finally, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s 24/7/365 emergency travel assistance can help travelers with a myriad of flight issues.

Enjoy National Aviation Day; check out some vintage airplane ads or watch a flight-related movie like Test Pilot or The Right Stuff. And if you’re looking to fly soon, consider flight insurance like AirCare. It’ll help you fly more worry-free.