Boarding a plane can be a stressful experience, from queueing at the gate to making sure your bag fits in the overhead lockers.
Some choose to buy priority boarding to ensure they are on first, but this can sometimes cost a lot.
Those who refuse to pay any extra for their flight ticket can get free priority boarding this week with one simple item.
It is all to do with getting into the festive spirit.
Alaska Airlines and Virgin America are offering any passenger wearing an ugly Christmas jumper to board before other passengers.
To celebrate National Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 15 December, festive-wearing travellers will get to enter the plane 15 minutes before everyone else.
Any scrooges will have to wait until they are onboard before they are allowed to join them.
Whilst it doesn’t explain what constitutes an ‘ugly jumper’, many travellers are sure to have some Christmas garb they can wear.
Natalie Bowman, managing director of marketing and advertising at Alaska Airlines explained why they decided to do it: “Travel during the holidays can be stressful for guests, especially those who do not travel often.
“This fun promotion not only allows guests to board early on that day, but gives people another opportunity to dust off that ugly holiday sweater hanging in the back of their closet.”
It isn’t the only festive treat for passengers, as Christmas music will also be played during the boarding process for the rest of the month.
People are still advised to turn up two hours before a flight, due to the busy time of year.
Other airlines haven’t had as much luck spreading Christmas joy this year, with a Ryanair strike with more flights to be cancelled.
Pilots of the low-cost airline are to strike just before Christmas, having given notice to leave on Wednesday 20 December for 24 hours.
Union official Ashley Connolly stated it was “solely about winning independent representation for pilots in the company”.
Whilst it is too early to tell if it will still go ahead, Ryanair has said in a statement that they will “deal with any such disruptions”.
