It's the busiest travel season ever! How to avoid lines, stay ahead of the crowds

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If you feel as if you're spending more time standing in line than on vacation, then you've probably been traveling this year.

And I'm sorry to break it to you, but it's about to get worse. Much worse.

This summer, travel is expected to hit record-breaking levels, with airports, attractions and even once-quiet destinations bursting at the seams. 

Want to fly somewhere? Get in line. Checking into a hotel? Get in line. Dining at a popular restaurant? Line. Visiting a museum to get out of the heat? Yep, another line.

It's not just an inconvenience. Serious crowds can form at the biggest tourism destinations, which can turn dangerous, said Tamara Herold, director of the Crowd Management Research Council at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

"Not knowing how to handle a crowd can increase the risks of serious injury or trampling," she said. 

She's not kidding. Earlier this year, at least 30 people were killed and many more were injured at the Kumbh Mela festival in India. Tens of millions of people visit Uttar Pradesh to bathe in the Ganges River. And who can forget the 153 people crushed to death in Halloween celebrations a few years ago in Seoul, South Korea?

So, what's the best way to avoid long lines and handle the inevitable crowds? 

How to handle a large crowd

Let's start with a worst-case scenario: You're stuck in a crowd this summer with nowhere to go.

Herold, the crowd control expert, has three tips for surviving a crush of people.

• Stay calm and take deep breaths. Don't panic! That will exacerbate the situation. “Try to stay as calm as possible and remain situationally aware,” she said.
• Move with the crowd. If you’re caught in a dense crowd, don’t fight it. “Move with the crowd to stay on your feet and avoid injury,” Herold said. Check alcoves or stairways for opportunities to escape the crush.
• Have a reunification plan. If you’re traveling with others, agree on a meeting spot in case you get separated. “It’s a simple step that can save a lot of stress,” Herold said.  

I hope you won't need these tips during your summer travels. But what about those long lines? What can you do beyond some of the obvious ways to steer clear of the lines, to avoid standing around during your vacation?

How to avoid the lines this summer

You don't have to get stuck in line over the next few weeks. Here are some practical ways to avoid a long queue.

• Get there early. That's the advice of Henri Chelhot, CEO of the venture capital firm that owns FlightHub and justfly.com. "The best advice I can give is to book the first flight of the day," he said. No one wants to get up at O'dark-hundred to catch a flight, so you're less likely to see a huge line at TSA or the gate.
• Zig when everyone else zags. In other words, if visitors go to one entrance, go to another. "Every time I go to the Louvre in Paris, it's amazing to see long lines at the Pyramid entrance, while the Carrousel du Louvre entrance will help you breeze in," said Susan Sherren, who runs Couture Trips. 
• Wait a while. We're heading into the busiest time of the year – late July and August. But wait! Summer doesn't end until mid-September, and the crowds start to thin right after Labor Day. "An often overlooked travel hack to avoid airport crowds is taking advantage of shoulder-season travel," said Denise Yaghi, a flight attendant for the Icelandic airline Play. "Not only can travelers enjoy faster and smoother airport experiences, but airfare during shoulder season is often more affordable."

Of course, you can also pay to avoid the crowds by carrying the right credit card or having a Global Entry membership. But for many travelers who take only one or two flights a year, that's impractical advice. And as a consumer advocate, I second that. You shouldn't have to pay more to avoid long lines. Everyone's time is valuable, and no one's time should be wasted.

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It can't go on like this

As I review the summer travel projections and gauge visitor sentiment, I'm struck by the growing consensus among experts: Something has to change.

There's already a strong case for capacity controls, not just at popular attractions but in entire cities. Many of my colleagues have already promised to stop promoting tourism during the summer because they don't want to contribute to the problem. 

I agree with them – it can't go on like this – but I don't think the answer is to stop writing about summer travel. I think it's time to start encouraging responsible summer travel. 

For example, most Americans don't realize it's the off-season in half the world – the southern half. You can get to some of my favorite places, like New Zealand and Chile, and enjoy lower rates, smaller crowds and great skiing. You can still travel this summer, but if you turn the equation on its head, you might find that travel will become more bearable.

But if everyone goes to the same places, I don't even want to think about the chaos that awaits us.

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at chris@elliott.org.