Consumer Alert: Flying for spring break? Here are tech tools to make the trip a breeze

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Are you planning to head out of town for spring break?  If so, you’ll have lots of company.  The number of flyers this year is crazy.  Can the airports and airlines handle the volume? That’s the big question.

We’re expecting 158 million folks to take to the skies over the holiday.  That’s 2.6 million folks a day, and more than in 2019 before the pandemic.  And we’ve learned some of the biggest airports in the country are not ready for it.

The three biggest airports in New York – La Guardia, JFK and Newark don’t have enough air traffic controllers.  The FAA warns those airports are staffed at 54 percent, giving them about half the number needed. Added is the fact that many airlines are still struggling to hire more pilots and flight attendants.  It’s an equation that equals packed airports and frustrated flyers. And that can make a parent of young children pretty nervous. After all, you’re trying to keep up with your carry-on, the diaper bag, and your purse while gripping the hand of a toddler who likes to wander.  And you only have two hands.

So I chatted with AT&T tech expert Jason Komenski about how tech tools can be the extra hand you need while traveling this year.

“We’ve got our apple air tags, tile pros. We’ve got Samsung smart tags.  These are things that are about yay big,” said Komenski, holding his thumb and index finger two inches apart.  “And you can either stick them in their back pack, in their pocket, a lot of them have keychains you can hook them on their belt and wherever they go, you see them right on your phone.”

Here’s Deanna’s do list for using tech for travel:

• Use tile or Apple’s air tag on your luggage as well as your kiddos.
• Put all your tech accessories in one plastic bag, like your charging cords, charging block and portable charger.  Also include a waterproof carrying case for your phone if you’re going to a beach or water park.
• Always download the airline’s app for easy access to your boarding pass and information about your flight.
• Also download your hotel’s app so you can check-in online.  This is important.  If your flight is delayed you don’t want the hotel to give away your room.

And lastly exhale.  When that airport is crowded, the seats hurt your backside, your flight is delayed, and your kid is whining, remind yourself that you’re making memories, and all that hassle is worth it.