‘Tis the season….for holiday travel. What does that mean for you?

Long lines, crowds, and potentially, a lot of frustration. Here are some tips to get you through the holidays…

First off, if you’ve waited this long to book your ticket … well, good luck. There’s always that chance for last-minute deals, but your best bet is to book tickets to travel ON Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and ON New Year’s Eve.

Delays at the security gate may be compounded by new TSA screening methods, including full-body scanners and pat-down procedures.

So be sure to arrive early to account for this. We’re talking at least two hours for a domestic flight, and three for international.

Be smart and don’t show up at the airport with a suitcase full of wrapped gifts. That will only cause more delays as security officials have to unwrap them for inspection.

Better yet, ship gifts ahead of time. Just remember that the general cut-off for shipping companies to deliver by Christmas Eve is usually December 17.

Bottom line: Flying during peak travel season is never fun, but if you can get from point A to point B in a reasonable time, you’re already ahead.

Get the latest on air travel security in our Travel Safety & Security section.