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Travel agent fears ongoing flight issues will become more frequent

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — There are more headaches with passengers trying to find a way home after the holidays.

Given widespread flight issues, mostly surrounding Southwest Airlines, it's raising a concern that this might be more common in the future.

"I think we will find these situations much more frequently after storms are getting worse," said Jessie Ladipo, who runs Trips to Cherish in Lexington.

Ladipo has suggestions for ways to hopefully lessen the risk of being stuck in an unfamiliar airport or city.

"You need to pick your departure airports and where your layovers are going to be very carefully," she said.

Ladipo suggests avoiding layovers in cities that are prone to bad weather, including northeast or northern cities in the winter and southern cities in the summer or fall.

"I say it's better to spend a little more money and fly through another airport," she said.

Ladipo suggests avoiding New York, Detroit, or Chicago in the winter because of snow. She says a connection through Atlanta or Charlotte on the east coast is more ideal.

"You can't avoid all of it," she said. "There is no way to mitigate all of it."

Ladipo also suggests not booking too many events at your destination close to your scheduled arrival time. She says it's best to book that with some wiggle room in case you are delayed.

"I always recommend joining the flight club, even if you never plan on using the airline again, she said. "You'll get re-booked quicker."

Ladipo also suggests reading the fine print as far as prices and policies go with the airline, and also always purchasing travel insurance.