I notice the weather is on the stormy side for much of the country today – and it’ll only get worse once winter is upon us.

Naturally, when that happens, planes can and will be delayed.

But here are four tips that can help:

• 1.) Book the “first-flight-of-the-day”. Try to depart around 6am – the delays (and resulting domino effect) tend to build up as the day goes on.
• 2.) Book a direct flight. This way, you won’t have to worry about missed connections or delays on other flights.
• 3.) Book flights with a good track record. The Dept. of Transportation publishes month-by-month statistics at www.bts.gov, including the specific flights that are “most frequently delayed” and a list of airlines with the best and worst “on-time arrival rates”. The latest statistics – for the month of August – can be found here.

Finally, make sure YOU don’t get delayed on the way to the airport. Give yourself plenty of time to get there, especially since nowadays many flights take off a few minutes ahead of schedule.