Holiday Airport Travel

The Christmas holiday is a little over a week away, airports are buckling down and making sure their passengers know what to expect when they board the plane.

With the Christmas holiday only a little over a week away, Meridian Regional Airport is making sure its passengers are informed and ready to board. President of Meridian Airport Authority, Tom Williams explained what passengers can expect during their holiday travel.

“Holiday travel looks like it’s going to be good this year. People are getting more comfortable with traveling, “said Williams. “They see now that it is safe to travel on the airline. The mask policy helps that. The masks seem to be working, they do their jobs. When you have people in close proximity to each other, wearing a mask makes a difference.”

Experts say about two million people will travel through airports on a daily during the holiday. Williams says planning is key. If you’re traveling through a small airport, it’s best to be there an hour ahead of your flight; and 2 hours ahead of the flight at larger airports.

“All airlines want flights to depart on time. People who arrive past the deadline, we’re just not able to get you in because of the computer system so getting to the airport on time is important. If it's Meridian an hour ahead is the right time to get here if it’s a larger airport like Jackson, you need to be there two hours ahead, stated Tom Williams”

Many airports are even offering the option to change your flight or get flight credit if you’re uncomfortable with how many people are on board.

“One thing that’s really changed because of the pandemic has been the opportunity to change your flight without fees or change fees. If you get to the airport and there is something that comes up where you need to change your flight, you can do that without a fee. If you get here and you feel like there are more people on the flight than you really want to be around then that’s fine, you can change your flight without a fee.”

Since most people are just getting back into traveling, Meridian Regional Airport is encouraging you to call in with any concerns or questions you may have.