Winter Travel Tips to Keep Your Holiday Plans on Track

December 17, 2025

The holidays are one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and with winter weather showing up in force around the Midwest, a little preparation can go a long way. Whether you’re headed home, visiting family, or chasing some sunshine, here are a few timely tips to help your travel day go as smoothly as possible.

1. Know Who Handles What

Airports and airlines may seem like one and the same, but in reality, we operate independently from each other. When you need help quickly, knowing where to turn can save time and stress.

Airlines handle:

• Lost, delayed, or damaged luggage: Consider placing a tracking tag inside your checked bag so you can monitor it from your phone.
• Flight changes: All delays, rebooking, cancellations and notifications are managed by your airline. Make sure you download their app and have notifications turned on to get the most current information, and to quickly access customer support.
• Aircraft deicing: Airlines operate their own deicing trucks and crews. Deicing liquid is time sensitive, and when snow or freezing rain moves in, it can be a race against the clock. The best thing to do is be patient and recognize there is a ton of communication happening behind the scenes to ensure everyone’s safety.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, your airline is the only one who can rebook you or assist with luggage transfers.

The airport handles:

• Runways and taxiways: Keeping surfaces cleared, treated and safe is a 24/7 job managed by rotating crews who start removing snow or ice almost as soon as it starts falling. We’re constantly gauging the weather forecast and current conditions to report critical information to air traffic control.
• Snow and ice removal in parking lots and sidewalks: We use a combination of third-party companies and airport staff to clear surfaces around the airports. As you can imagine, with thousands of cars parked in our lot it can get tricky, but we do our best and are here to offer help to your vehicle if needed.
• Safety and Security: We have our own police officers who also serve as firefighters and first responders. But they’re also here to help you! If you have any questions, need help finding something or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to stop an officer in the terminal or call dispatch at 309-757-1739. However, if you’re experiencing an emergency, please call 911.

2. Pack Smart

Speaking of knowing who handles what, TSA is solely responsible for screening passengers and luggage for any prohibited items. But they have a ton of helpful resources, from their social media channels to a huge database on their website. Here are just a few tips to keep in mind though:

• If you’re traveling with gifts, pack anything valuable or irreplaceable in your carry-on. Wrapped gifts may need to be opened during screening, so consider gift bags instead of wrapping paper.
• Make sure you keep any medications in a carry-on or personal item like a purse or backpack in case you experience any delays or cancellations. Your checked luggage may not be returned to you for several days during major storms.
• Bulky sweaters, presents and full-size toiletries can very quickly add up on the scale. Checked luggage must be 50 lbs. or less so try to weigh your bags at home before coming to the airport. If you need to double check or transfer items, the airport has two repack scales in the ticketing lobby you’re welcome to use!

3. Expect Weather-Related Ripples

Even if weather in the QC is clear, weather elsewhere can impact your flight. Nationwide storms can create:

• Downline delays: Simply put, the finely tuned and complicated network that moves planes and crews across the country can quickly get disrupted causing delays or cancellations.
• Crew timing issues: Pilots and flight attendants must meet federally required rest periods for the safety of everyone on board a flight. Delays due to weather can cause crews to ‘time out’ meaning they need to either locate another crew or wait until that crew has met the rest requirements and can fly again.
• Congested airspace: Ground stops, or temporary holds on allowing planes to land at a certain airport, may happen due to incoming weather or increased air traffic. These are dictated by air traffic control and again, as with all flight operations, safety is the primary focus.

4. Ask for Help When You Need It

We’re here to help. At any given time, you’ll find airport staff available to answer questions about parking, mobility assistance or simply where the nearest restroom is! Keep an eye out for our customer care team in the ticketing area or near our golf carts. Or, you can call dispatch at 309-757-1739. During extreme weather, we may offer rides to your vehicle, help with digging out or give your battery a jump. Our goal is to make your holiday travel as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Travel safe, pack your patience, and enjoy wherever this season takes you. Happy holidays from all of us at the airport!

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