Whether you’re flying home to visit friends and family over the holidays or jetting off to a destination for a little R & R, there’s no question, Christmas is one of the busiest travel times of the year.

According to Expedia’s Holiday Outlook, flight searches for Christmas travel in 2024 are up by 20% over the previous year. If you’re one of those people braving a busy airport to board a plane this year, Air Canada has some travel tips to help make your holiday journey an enjoyable one.

Air Canada’s Top Travel Tips For the Holidays

We are officially in the “peak holiday travel period”, which according to Air Canada runs from mid-December until January 6, 2025 with the period between December 19-23 expected to be the busiest travel days.

Air Canada expects to welcome over 2.2 million travellers this holiday season and will operate up to 1,000 flights globally every day across Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, and Air Canada Express.

If you’re one of the millions of people hopping on a plane to fly this holiday season, Air Canada has released its top tips to help customers travel with ease:

Download Air Canada’s Free Mobile App 

Air Canada suggests before you fly, download the airline’s app through either the Apple store or Google Play. Doing so, will allow you to do the following:

• Check in and download digital boarding passes.
• Get automatic updates to boarding passes.
• Track flight times, gate changes, inbound flight status and walking directions to departure gates at 12 of Air Canada’s most frequent destination airports.
• In Canada, the US and select international stations, receive tracking updates for checked baggage on flights and carousel pick up information.

Check In 24 Hours Prior to Departure

Be sure to check in 24 hours before your scheduled departure via the app or online at aircanada.com. Travellers will also save themselves time and potential delays by ensuring they’ve done the following:

• When checking in, ensure your travel contact information is accurate so Air Canada can relay any flight and travel updates directly to you through email and SMS.
• Check and ensure you’re aware of any baggage cut-off times for your departure.
• Check the in-app digital boarding pass for recommended airport arrival time, baggage drop cut-off times, the latest gate location, and boarding time.
• In the event of flight changes, you will receive revised flight information including new flight times and rebooking information through notifications sent by email or SMS. Changes will be reflected in the app.

Ensure You Have All Required Valid Travel Documents

Before you leave for the airport, double check you have all valid travel documents needed based on the destination you’re going to:

• ID must match the name on the ticket.
• Valid government-issued ID is required to board all commercial flights.
• Certain countries may have additional entry requirements such as visas.
• Review the available services that many airports offer such as expedited or reserved spots in pre-boarding security screening.

For those travelling internationally, Air Canada also recommends customers visit Air Canada’s Travel Ready Hub or check the Air Canada app for the latest government entry requirements such as visas, any required health certificates and all other eligibility requirements.

Arrive At the Airport On-Time and Navigate Terminals

The Air Canada app provides recommended arrival times and terminal information, and outlines the three key steps to get you on your way quickly:

Step 1 – Head to a self-serve kiosk and print and fasten your tag.

Step 2 – Check your bag at the drop-off station.

Step 3 – Head to security and on to the gate to relax before boarding.

Consider Using an AirTag or Find My Network Accessory

Air Canada is one of just a few airlines that recently implemented Apple’s new Share Item Location feature, which lets travellers share their AirTag location so the airline can track baggage through live location links. Here’s how it works:

• Generate a Share Item Location link in the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and securely share it with Air Canada’s baggage team through its Delayed Baggage Claim website
• For customers’ privacy and security, location sharing will automatically end as soon as a customer is reunited with their bag, can be stopped by the customer at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days.
• To use the new Share Item Location feature, customers should verify that their Apple device is running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS 15.2 or later.

Air Canada says it’s expecting to welcome over two million travellers this holiday season. Senior VP, Global Airports & Operations Control, Kevin O’Connor says:

“Our team is fully prepared with staffing, equipment, and contingency plans. We are closely monitoring weather and liaising with other partners in the aviation ecosystem to ensure the safe transportation of our customers and their baggage to their final destinations. On behalf of the 39,000 employees at Air Canada, we wish all our customers a wonderful holiday season and look forward to welcoming you onboard.”

Add Peace of Mind With an Aeroplan Credit Card

While no traveller wants to think about flight delays or cancellations, winter weather can be unpredictable during the holiday season.

When booking an Air Canada flight, using an Aeroplan co-branded credit card provides travel insurance coverage for both cash and Aeroplan award bookings, offering valuable peace of mind.

For the best value, we recommend the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card, which earns 3 points per dollar spent on Air Canada purchases.† Other strong options include the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege Card*, the CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege Card*, and the American Express Aeroplan Card, each earning 2 Aeroplan points per dollar spent on Air Canada purchases.†

Conclusion

We are officially in the “peak holiday travel period”, which according to Air Canada runs until January 6, 2025.

If you’re one of the millions of travellers taking to the skies this holiday season, Air Canada has released its top tips for travellers to help make your holiday journey an enjoyable one, starting with downloading the Air Canada app.

Doing so can help save you time and frustration with on-line check in, digital boarding passes, baggage information and more.