Thursday October 04, 2007 - Let's face it - domestic air travel is becoming more and more difficult. The overall on-time arrival rate was 74.8 percent, with the nation's 20 largest airlines reporting an on-time arrival rate of just 71.7 percent. With these abysmal records, the government will be asking for a restriction of schedules and/or increased pricing during peak travel times. The airlines and the FAA claim that the congestion will be alleviated with a new satellite based air traffic control system, but this system will take almost 20 years to complete.

Travelers have few options except to take advantage of the new services being offered to help cut down on the stress and complexity of travel. Service providers such as CarryOn, Inc. based in Gainesville, Georgia offer travelers the option to ship their frequently-used travel items (such as clothing, toiletries and chargers) ahead to their hotel, eliminating the need to check a bag. This means delays aren't compounded by a wait at baggage claim and the traveler can be more flexible with scheduling.

Airline traffic is projected to double by the year 2025, according to the FAA. Savvy travelers will have discovered many was to ease the burdens of frequent travel long before then.