Megan Singleton: Bloggeratlarge.com writer travelling on the busiest day of the year

Today (December 22) is the busiest travel day of the year.

Bloggeratlarge.com writer Megan Singleton flew through three airports to get home for Christmas – Auckland to Wellington to Napier. 

In true Christmas travel fashion, her flight to Napier was cancelled due to lightening and bag drop chaos caused lines back to the baggage carousel.

Megan shares her tips for travelling during the busy season.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News TALKSEDB Travel with Wendy wo Tours unique fully
inclusive tours around.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
The world and joining me now to talk travelers. Meghan Singleton,
blogger at large dot com.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Hi Meghan, Hello Francesca.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
So, being the busiest day of the year at airports
and things, you very kindly took a hit for the team.
You took one for the team and decided I'm going
to go out there. I'm going to see what it's
like to really travel on the busiest day of the year.
How's that working.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Out for you?

Speaker 4 (00:41):
Well, completely by accident, I have to say.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
I set off yesterday to fly from Auckland to Napier
just as all the power went out across the central
North Island and so my flight was canceled after my
husband had already driven back home and my luggage was,
you know, somewhere going back around the carousel. So you know,

(01:04):
So I've always said this as a tip, right soon
as you get that alert that there's been a cancellation
or whatever, don't go line up at any desk. Gets
straight on the app. This is with their New Zealand
and rebook yourself, so because everyone's going to.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
Be doing the same thing.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
However, the next flight to Napier was this morning, leaving
for Wellington at seven am.

Speaker 4 (01:27):
So work backwards.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
What time was I up? Yup for something? And because
you've got to allow that extra time. So I got
to Auckland Domestic at six am and the bag drop
was queued up round the kiosks and back down to
the baggage carousel for flights this morning, they were calling
people forward for the next planes that were due out.

Speaker 4 (01:49):
So it was chaos and there were people.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
There were people behind me huffing and puffing and saying
they will never do this again, and why haven't they
done this?

Speaker 4 (01:56):
Why haven't they got that. At the end of the day,
I chose my attitude and I people around me and
Merry Christmas, and I explained that the reason the kiosks
are probably on pause right now is because the baggage
guy's out the back are a little bit and undated
getting bags through you. I'm here.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
I'm glad to hear that you practice what you preach,
because you tell us quite often you've got to put
your attitude. But now just have you made it to Napier.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
I'm here.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
I'm at my mother's house and I've made my pumpkin
salad which is due on the table up at the
farm in about fifteen minutes.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
It's amazing what you quite when you get up at
frame in the morning. So you flew to Wellington, then
you've got a flight up to Napier, so you've arrived
a day late, but you have arrived that bag dropping
things today, which was the sort of the situation at
the airport. Is that largely because there was a disruption
yesterday or is that just the way it is? Do
you just need to get out of that airport a

(02:52):
good hour early?

Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yeah, No, it is just the way it is.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yes, the disruption didn't help, but I was only on
a seat that was otherwise empty, right, So you know
everyone is trying to get their different flights to day.

Speaker 4 (03:04):
It is the busiest day of the year, and it's
been saying for ages, allow an hour more than you
normally would.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
I think the airport have been saying the same thing,
and just make sure that you don't because if you
held up at bagdrop it was actually a breeze going
through security scanning.

Speaker 4 (03:20):
It was bag drop.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
That was the hold up, So you know, just make
allowances for all of that, and get there early and
get a cup of coffee and you'll all be sweet
and everyone will have a merry Christmas.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
Or do what you've always told us to do, and
that is get all your get all your your presence
sent directly to where you're having Christmas, and take your
hand luggage and life will be a lot easier. Meghan,
I'm glad that you have arrived. Sounds like lunch is
going to be lovely. Merry Christmas. We look forward to
catching up with you over summer when you're going to
join me on some of our weekend shows. You can,

(03:52):
of course find more tips at blog at large dot com.
It is thirteen to twelve.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news talks that'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio