Travel has returned with a vengeance. Airports, including Denver International Airport, have seen record numbers of passengers passing through checkpoints.

At the same time, though, there aren’t enough screeners or security lines, airports are remodeling and expanding, pilots and air traffic controllers are retiring in droves, flight attendants are over-worked and passengers are short-tempered Add the increasing number of business travelers who tend to cut things a bit too close and too many passengers with too much stuff. Commercial flights can quickly become a nightmare.

Still, you have places to go and people to see. How can you turn the nightmare into a dream — or at least a more pleasant experience?

First, keep in mind the oft-repeated mantra. Book the first flight of the day if at all possible. Getting up at 3 a.m. to catch a 5:30 flight might not be appealing, but it sure beats the cascading delays and cancellations that can affect flights as the day — and especially bad weather — progresses. Early flights buy you response time. It’s easier to rebook since there are still flight options left in the day and opportunities for routing workarounds. Weather is usually less of an issue at the start of the day. Consider leaving the afternoon before if you have a really important meeting.

Next, allow sufficient time for connections. Sure, airline websites will let you book a 20- or 30-minute connection. But is that even remotely feasible? If you land at one terminal and have to go to another or land at one end of a terminal and have to go to the other end, is that doable? Will you make it to the gate at least 10 minutes before your domestic connection — 20 minutes or more for international? Nothing is more frustrating than racing to the gate only to see the boarding door closed.

Keep up with potential time traps at airports along your route of travel. At Denver International Airport, major renovations are under way in the Great Hall, changing security access points and increasing the number of gates. Navigating all these obstacles adds time to a trip.

Many international airports experience long times at immigration due to staff shortages. Plan for far longer connections than airline websites offer.

In October, I traveled from Denver to Brussels and then Barcelona. Given the huge lines that often occur at Denver, I allowed 2.5 hours from arrival at the airport to flight departure. Even with CLEAR and TSA Precheck, it took more than one hour to get through security. In Brussels, we had to clear European Union immigration. That took more than 90 minutes because of short-staffed control points.

We researched potential bottlenecks before leaving Grand Junction and planned accordingly. We had three hours to connect in Brussels, so we weren’t rushed. We even had time to visit the airline lounge.

Enroll in programs that speed your way through security and immigration. Despite the previous example at Denver International Airport, CLEAR and  TSA Precheck almost always make trips through security checkpoints smoother and faster. Apply for Global Entry if you travel more than once a year to international destinations.

Make sure your identification is current and meets Transportation Security Administration requirements.

It can take months to renew a passport, and you still need 90 days to 180 days of validity upon return from an international destination for another country to let you in. Consider identifying a window of 100 to 120 days when you won’t travel and start the renewal process. If you’re getting your first passport or it’s been more than five years since your passport expired, the process could take even longer. That’s especially true if you will have to appear in-person to process paperwork.

Join an airline frequent flyer program. Even the lowest membership level could get you more rapid help when problems arise. Keep the airline app on your phone. Sign up for mobile alerts so you know about problems before the rest of people on your delayed or cancelled flight.

Finally, many websites offer tips about getting the best support when things go wrong. Make sure you have a few of them among your browser favorites so you can check for ideas on how to resolve issues.

Finally, travel with a positive attitude. It really does help you and everyone else along the way.