The tips you NEED for spring & summer travel
February 12, 2024
It’s not too late to make your spring break or summer travel plans! From Charlotte to Phoenix, searching for low airfare and knowing your passenger rights, you don’t want to miss these travel tips before you take to the skies for warmer days.
Charlotte connections
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is now one of the busiest airports in the world and it provides plenty of connections to your favorite sunny destinations. With dozens of daily flights to Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico, don’t sleep on connections through CLT when researching your next vacation. But don’t be intimidated by the sound of a busy airport – CLT is easy to navigate with five concourses and plenty of services and amenities. MLI has twice daily flights on American Airlines with reasonable layovers so you can get to the sunshine A.S.A.P.
Phoenix year round
After a couple of years on hiatus, Allegiant will extend service to Phoenix/Mesa through the summer! We’ve heard from so many of you about how important summer service to Phoenix is and Allegiant heard you, too! Allegiant schedules are posted through mid-August. Pro-tip, you can save money by booking in-person at the airport. Our Allegiant team is available one hour after each departure so check qcairport.com/departures or give us a ring at 309-757-1768 to get more counter hours.
Peak travel, peak prices
For a few weeks in March and April, practically every school in the U.S. will have a spring break. Airlines, hotels and destinations all know it and may charge premium prices to capitalize on one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. But the more flexible you can be with your travel plans, the better the opportunity to find better prices. Track your flights early, set alerts for price drops and get ready to jump on a deal when you see it. Google Flights is a great place to start. Don’t forget for Allegiant flights, you can only book by going to https://www.allegiantair.com/deals.
Know your passenger rights
When airlines delay or cancel flights, you may feel as if you’ve been left in the lurch. But that’s not always the case. You may be eligible for a partial or full refund, hotel, or meal vouchers. It’s not a given, but it’s always worth asking. In these situations, the airline may automatically rebook you, load vouchers onto their app or send them to the email you used to book your airfare. We strongly suggest downloading your airline’s app before you travel. It’s the best way to get notified of any schedule changes and be able to quickly rebook if airlines make that option available. Remember, the people at the counter or gate are often limited in what they can offer, so please stay calm, be polite, and keep your airline’s customer service information handy so you can share your experience and request an additional review of your circumstances. Airport operations are also completely separate from airline operations, and we don’t have oversight into their systems or policies so it’s important to always work with your airline since the airport can’t offer anything on behalf of an airline.
Below are the customer service FAQs for each airline that serves MLI with links to request additional assistance:
If you really want to take a deep dive, you can also check out the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fly Rights for a comprehensive consumer guide to air travel.
One of the best tips is to use your hometown airport. Taking a long drive only to be met with even longer lines is no way to start a vacation! Stick close to home, with friendly staff who will treat you like friends and neighbors – because that’s exactly who you are to us.