So you want to save time, money, and gas by carpooling with others to make your next flight? Great idea, but make sure you trust the people you’re traveling with, as you will be dependent on them when it comes to getting to the airport on time. Carpooling with perpetually late people will cause you undue stress and possibly make you late for your flight while carpooling with early birds will make you worry about being ready in time.
Knowing your travel companions’ habits is key. But assuming you have that under control, here’s a look at the major benefits of carpooling to the airport, as well as how to avoid flight delays.
4 Top Benefits of Carpooling to the Airport With Others
If you’re going on a trip in the near future with many other people in your party, you may be wondering what the most convenient way to get to the airport and park will be. Whether you’re traveling with a group from work or a few other families for a trip to Disney, you understandably want to stick together and not get separated – especially at the busy Detroit airport.
This is one of the reasons why carpooling to the airport makes sense. Once you’re there, you can conveniently park one, two, or more cars, depending on how many people are in your party, and proceed to the airport as one group. Check out these five benefits of carpooling to the airport.
1. Carpooling Saves You Money
Reduce the cost of gas and parking while reducing your fuel use as well, which is good for the environment. The more people you can fit in one car, the better. This socially economical way of commuting to the airport will help lower the overall costs we pay towards road maintenance, construction of new roads, and air pollution-related health costs.
2. Carpooling Improves Your Health
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, motor vehicles are a top source of air pollutants that impact human health. That’s because vehicle emissions form ground-level ozone, also known as smog, which triggers health problems such as reduced lung capacity, aggravated asthma, and increased chance of respiratory illnesses, including bronchitis and pneumonia.
Carpooling is also good for your mental health, too, as studies show that sharing rides reduces stress as compared with traveling alone.
3. Carpooling Saves the Environment
With fewer cars clogging the roadways, the amount of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions is reduced, leading to better outdoor air quality. Less traffic = less stress when driving, which improves everyone’s mental well-being and health.
4. Carpooling is Convenient
If you’re traveling with a few other families or co-workers who are all going to the same destination, you’re adding convenience to the trip with less stress and more companionship. You can use this time together to plan out your itinerary further and come up with a plan once at the airport. Waiting till you all gather there in separate cars can waste time, contribute to stress, and perhaps cause you to miss your flight.
In addition, by carpooling for a trip to the airport, you can leave when it’s most convenient for your group and all arrive at the same time so you can stick to a schedule.
If you’re concerned about finding parking, consider hiring a professional for your airport parking needs, whether you want valet service or on-site shuttle service to the Metro Detroit Airport.
Foolproof Ways to Avoid Flight Delays
While you can’t control the weather or mechanical problems that could cause a plan to be delayed, there are a few things you can control, such as flying during off-peak hours, choosing non-stop flights, and booking your DTW airport parking ahead of time.
Next, we’ll talk about how to avoid flight delays and prepare for them, just in case.
Common Causes of Flight Delays
Many factors will impact an airline’s arrival and departure schedule. The most common are:
- Security problems/mandatory evacuations
- Crew or pilot issues
- Unsafe weather conditions
- Ripple effects caused by other delayed flights
- Natural disasters
- Mechanical and maintenance problems
- Airline or airport errors
- Air traffic congestion
- Limited runway space
7 Tips to Avoid Those Delays
Here are the best tips to follow to ensure you have an on-time departure:
- Fly in the morning if you can, as this is when flights have the highest chance of being on time. As the day goes on, there are ripple effects caused by flight delays form other planes. Also, weather events tend to be more common later in the day, such as afternoon thunderstorms in Orlando, for instance, which can introduce even more delays.
- Choose nonstop flights whenever you can. If you can’t avoid a connecting flight, look for longer layover times so as to compensate for any potential delays.
- Fly earlier or later when flying during busy travel periods such as spring break or the winter holidays. These peak times often come with delays, so try to book your flight to arrive early or late during those times.
- Don’t fly at the beginning or end of the week. Ideally, you want to travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays due to lighter air traffic.
- Pay attention to the weather. For instance, avoid the Gulf of Mexico during hurricane season or New England in January when snowstorms are common. Also, weather-related cancellations are more likely to affect flights to and from smaller towns, as international flights will take priority.
- Arrive to the airport early, obey all baggage and security rules, have your documents and boarding passes ready to be scanned, and make sure your carry-on bags can be easily searched. Don’t hold up your own flight by being late or unprepared!
- Research your airport carefully, avoiding those known for excessive delays like New York City area airports or LAX. You may want to look into smaller airports in surrounding areas for less congestion.
Flight Delay Predictions: Resources
Finally, always check your arrival and departure times so you can be prepared for any possible delays. Get current real-time flight delay info on national airports from FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center. Also, check out this handy interactive map that shows you the best and worst airports for flight delays globally.
Call Valet Connections DTW Parking
One of the best ways to avoid delays is to stick to your own personal timeline so you’re not late for your own flight. But if you can trust your fellow travelers to be ready on time, by all means, carpool to the airport! Keep in mind that one of the biggest reasons people are late to their gate is that they can’t find parking when they arrive at the airport. We can help with that part. Call us at (734) 992-4946 to book valet services and parking.