E Pluribus Unum

I don't fly as much as some, but I fly a lot more than most. And I can tell you that the last couple of months have been hell at airports all over the country.

And it's not just me...the WSJ had a piece on it this morning ("Summer Flying Turns Ugly"):

The number of flights canceled in the first 15 days of June was up a whopping 91% compared with the same period last year, and the number of flights that were excessively late -- more than 45 minutes -- jumped 61%, according to the FlightStats.com...

"I fly a lot, and I've never seen it this bad this systematically. It's like the Italian train system," said Nick Abbott, a vice president at [yadda yadda yadda]...

I flew to Seattle in late May and then Washington DC in early June and both times the experience was FUBAR -- flights delayed, flights cancelled, missed connections, sitting on the tarmac for hours at a time, etc. It was gruesome, I tell you, gruesome!

Here are some words to the wise if you are booking air travel this summer:

• Fly early in the day
  It's the same as seeing your doctor: get that first slot in the in the morning because delays build all day. By late afternoon who knows how late you'll be? Which leads to the next tip...

• Don't book tight connections
  You can easily get from one end to the other of any major airport in the US in under 60 minutes -- if your inbound flight is on time (see above). But if your inbound flight is late, you are going to be stranded. And the airline will not (repeat NOT) bend over backwards to put you on the next available flight to your destination. Put your airline company on speed-dial and be prepared to call them to re-book asap if you think you will miss your connection.

  And that fantasy you had about getting a free hotel room? Bwahahahahahaha! Wake up, it's time for school.

  Bottom line: don't book a layover of less than two hours.

• Carry on food and water
  This has always been a good idea. After all, who wants to eat overpriced, high-sugar, high-sodium airport/airplane food? After you eat it, the last thing you want to do is sit on a plane, if you catch my drift (no pun intended).

  Nowadays, if you take an empty water bottle through security they're OK with that and you can fill it from the drinking fountain near your gate. And I always pack (or buy) a couple of bananas because they are the perfect snack.

  But the real reason to pack food and water? You just never really know how long you'll be sitting on the tarmac.

• Bonus Tip
  Guys, an airsickness bag can come in handy once the airplane bathrooms shut down from overuse after several hours on the ground. (Don't ask me how I know this.)