Here's Why You'll Want to Wear a Holiday Sweater on Your Next Flight

Holiday time and the airports are a veritable zoo: chaotic, crowded and with boarding lines that can rival the wait for a major concert. The monotone drone from the check-in desk calls people to board, group by group, as everyone impatiently waits for their turn, looking on with envy as the “early boarders” saunter onto the plane.

When it comes to travel, early boarding is the holy grail of air travel (that and snagging an upgrade to business class). While the rest of us lowly passengers hope for enough overhead space to not be forced to gate-check our bags, the early boarding groups have their pick of the litter and enough time to comfortably relax in their seat.

On December 15, for National Ugly Holiday Sweater Day (which is apparently a thing), passengers flying Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, or Horizon Airlines can enjoy early boarding if they don a holiday sweater for their trip.

“Travel during the holidays can be stressful for guests, especially those who do not travel often,” Natalie Bowman, managing director of marketing and advertising at Alaska Airlines, told Apartment Therapy. “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.”

For fliers who simply refuse to let their fuzzy Rudolph sweater see the light of day, they can enjoy holiday music while they watch proud, ugly-holiday-sweater-wearing passengers mosey on by.