"If you have elite status, you may have even more options. United Airlines, for instance, offers a same-day confirmation service on select flights for all passengers with elite status-that means they can make a guaranteed switch to an earlier flight in the same cabin class at no charge, without paying a difference in fare. When in doubt, call the carrier's customer service line and ask an agent to check how full the flight is."
"If you dread the idea of waiting on hold, many airlines offer customer service chat features. Southwest Airlines, United, and Delta's mobile apps all have live chat options, and JetBlue agents are available through Apple Business Chat. United also has a text option for customer service help. Passengers can text "UNITED" to 32050, and an airline representative will get in touch when it's your turn in the queue-no waiting on hold required."
"If an empty plane is a priority of yours, be strategic about the day of the week, time of year, and time of day you plan to travel. January is usually the least busy month for air travel overall, according to data from Expedia. On the flip side, flights in August are among the fullest all year. On average, Tuesday is the quietest day of the week to fly, per Expedia."
Passengers with elite status can access additional options such as United's same-day confirmation service that guarantees a free switch to an earlier flight in the same cabin without fare differences. Travelers can call carrier customer service or use airline chat and text features to check how full flights are; several carriers provide live chat in mobile apps and United supports text inquiries. Strategic timing can reduce crowding: January tends to be least busy while August is among the fullest. Tuesdays are typically quieter and Sundays often the most crowded.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]