Christmas is right around the corner, and with it comes the dreaded holiday travel season.
Whether you’re flying out of O’Hare or Midway in the coming weeks, you’re likely to encounter large crowds, extended waits, weather delays, and other obstacles.
Here are some tips to make your trip through the airport hassle-free!
Plan for traffic
If you’re driving to the airport this holiday, you’ll want to give yourself extra time getting there.
While there are no major construction projects on the Kennedy and Stevenson Expressways right now, drivers should anticipate increased traffic over the coming weeks.
Driving to O’Hare or Midway from downtown typically takes about 40 minutes, but we recommend giving yourself an extra 20 or 30 minutes to account for potential traffic snags.
Skip the traffic, take the CTA
Looking to bypass the traffic altogether? The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has you covered!
The CTA offers 24-hour service to O’Hare via the Blue Line and service to Midway via the Orange Line from 4:59 a.m. – 1:34 a.m.
Flight delays and cancellations
With Chicago in the midst of its coldest and snowiest pre-winter in years, flight delays and cancellations are possible this holiday travel season.
Multiple chances for snow could impact the Windy City in the lead up to Christmas, so travelers should plan ahead and expect the unexpected.
Flyers can view real time delay and cancellation updates by visiting the Fly Chicago site from the Chicago Department of Aviation.
TSA delays
Chicagoans may encounter longer-than-normal wait times at TSA this holiday travel season, due to factors like high traffic and delays from the recent REAL ID rollout.
While the standard rule of thumb is to arrive at the airport two hours before departure, travelers may want to get there even earlier in the event of security screening back ups.
For more information and extra travel tips visit the CDA site.
