Wednesday morning: Traffic pours into Los Angeles International Airport

(CNN) -- Travelers are out and about in droves Wednesday -- one of the busiest travel days of the year. Delays are inevitable, but there are ways to save time and make the going easier during the holiday rush.

The first hurdle comes before you even walk inside the airport.

"You find out you have to be driving around a parking lot, maybe going to a satellite parking lot, waiting for a bus to take you back to the terminal," said ticket agent Kathryn Arens Adolph. "You can miss your flight."

Solution? Have someone drop you off -- or take a taxi, airport shuttle or limousine.

Here are a few other tips to make the trip smoother:

• Know how many bags you are checking, remove shoulder straps and have name tags already on bags.

• Arrive early -- get to the gate at least 20 minutes ahead of time or risk losing your seat assignment and being bumped.

• If your plans are flexible, however, being bumped can bring a holiday bonus in the form of free tickets.

• Ask whoever is picking you up to meet you outside baggage claim, or get to your final destination by taxi or mass transit.

Based on a report from CNN's Business and Travel and Beyond. The segment appears Monday through Friday on Daybreak at 5:30 AM (ET) and on Early Edition at 7 AM (ET). BT&B also airs Sundays on the World Today at 10 PM (ET).

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