This is NPR's life kit, I'm Mary El-Segara.

So are you traveling this week?

If you are, I mean, honestly, it might be a little rough.

I have learned from years of travel,

the absolute worst time to travel is during the holidays.

Benay Wilson is a freelance aviation journalist

in San Antonio.

It starts when you get to the airport parking,

then when you get into the airport,

if you're checking a bag, the lines are gonna be long,

and then you're gonna get to the TSA security checkpoint.

It's gonna be a little crazy there,

and then once you're sitting at your gate,

they might run out of seats.

So I always tell people to just pack their patients.

Wilson travels a lot, takes about 35 to 50 flights a year,

and she's got some tips for you on what to do

when you're traveling for the holidays,

and everything that could go wrong, goes wrong.

That's after the break.

Okay, first things first.

Some people haven't booked flights yet

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