Winter getaway guide 2005

By Sophia Banay

updated 6:37 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2005

While there are those who regard winter's arrival with excitement - as a chance to hone their skiing skills and conquer the black diamond runs on virgin mountain ranges - others regard it with all the enthusiasm of an IRS audit. Those people, if they are smart and can afford it, get on the phone to their assistants and book nice, long holidays somewhere else.

Somewhere else, in this case, is usually the beach. While sunning oneself on the sand between daiquiris and laps in the pool is appealing year-round, there is something especially delicious about it when 15-inch snow drifts and frost-bitten extremities are at just the other end of a plane ride: Still a recent memory, but one that fades with every application of SPF 15 sunscreen.

This year will be no exception, with The World Tourism Organization estimating that international travel will rise 5% to 6% through the end of December. But winter travel can be complicated by a variety of factors. "While flight delays certainly occur all year long, winter weather can increase their likelihood," says Rally Caparas, an air traffic expert from Travelocity Business, a full-service corporate travel agency affiliated with Sabre Holdings-owned (nyse: TSG - news - people ) Travelocity.

Caparas highlights factors like time-consuming de-icing procedures, runway configurations that are particularly vulnerable to wind gusts (including those at Newark and LaGuardia Airports in New York City) and increased crowds around the holidays at the world's busiest airport hubs, like those in Atlanta, Ga., or London, England.

The good news is that some careful planning can take much of the frustration out of winter travel. "Whenever possible, travelers should use alternate airports, which typically experience shorter and fewer delays," Caparas says. And for air passengers flying into chiller climes between Nov. 15 and March 15, booking flights that are scheduled to arrive between 11:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. local time, when the sun is out, will minimize delays caused by severe weather conditions.

In addition, analysts advise passengers to prepare for long security lines in advance: Have your passport and boarding pass ready and remove your laptop and anything that's likely to set off the metal detector well before you reach the front of the queue. Lines can move abruptly, even after a long standstill, and you don't want to be the slowpoke.

Slide show   2005 Holiday Highlights From Rockefeller Center to Red Square, people all around the world celebrated the 2005 holiday season. more photos

Even if you plan strategically to avoid the effects of the cold weather and crowded airports, PricewaterhouseCoopers has listed security worries, concern over avian flu and tighter corporate rules governing business travel as additional factors complicating winter travel this year. And on top of these disincentives, there may be an unpleasant surprise waiting when you actually call to reserve your vacation: Your favorite hotel could be booked solid - or just cost a lot more than it did last year.

"In warm weather destinations, like the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida, advance bookings were very strong and hotels, particularly at the high end, are tight on space. Many popular destinations are sold out for weeks at a time," says Scott Berman, a partner in PwC's Hospitality and Leisure advisory group. "From an operator standpoint, this is going to be a strong winter. From a consumer's perspective, if you don't have reservations already, you need to get working on that."

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