USALife.info / NEWS / 2023 / 12 / 23 / BUSIEST HOLIDAY TRAVEL SEASON IN YEARS OFF TO SMOOTH START WITH FEW AIRPORT DELAYS
 NEWS   TOP   TAGS   ARCHIVE   TODAY   ES 

Busiest Holiday Travel Season in Years Off to Smooth Start With Few Airport Delays

04:22 23.12.2023

As the holiday travel rush reached its peak on Friday, there were high hopes for a smoother experience for drivers and airline passengers compared to last year. With mild weather and lower flight cancellation rates, US airlines projected confidence in handling the crowds after hiring additional staff. This comes as a result of lessons learned from the travel disruptions that plagued the industry last year, culminating with the Southwest Airline debacle that left over 2 million people stranded. However, while the cancellation rates have been the lowest in five years at just 1.2% of US flights, the threat of bad weather always looms.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has warned airlines that the government will hold them accountable for operating smoothly and treating passengers well if disruptions occur. In a recent announcement, the Transportation Department revealed that Southwest Airlines has agreed to pay $140 million to settle the issues that led to their meltdown last year. Despite these measures, by early Friday evening, approximately 70 flights in the US had been canceled, and 3,480 had been delayed, as reported by FlightAware.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been working tirelessly to ensure a smooth travel experience for passengers. On Thursday, they screened over 2.6 million travelers, which was projected to be one of the busiest travel days, along with Friday and New Year's Day. Although it fell short of the record-breaking 2.9 million passengers screened on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, it is evident that travel has been strong this year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Despite concerns about the economy, the TSA has already screened 12.3% more travelers compared to last year and 1.4% more than in 2019.

However, for some travelers, the holiday rush has already presented challenges. Robert Lake, who took a pre-dawn flight from Atlanta International Airport, hoped to beat the crowds but found the world's busiest airport already packed in the early hours. He expressed his frustration, saying, "It was very hectic. I got to my boarding area, like, maybe just minutes before the plane took off," after arriving in Tampa for a holiday cruise. On the other hand, some travelers have been pleasantly surprised by the ease of their trips despite the crowds, with Kendall Black commenting, "Super easy. We had a great flight. No issues so far," after flying from Houston to Chicago O'Hare International Airport with her family to visit her sister.

Beyond air travel, the roads are also expected to see heavy traffic during the holiday season. The American Automobile Association (AAA) forecasts that 115 million people in the US will travel 50 miles or more from home between Saturday and New Year's Day, a 2% increase from last year. According to transportation data provider INRIX, the busiest days on the road will be Saturday and Thursday, December 28. Despite concerns about inflation, travelers have been aided by lower gas prices and airfares. The nationwide gas price average as of Friday was $3.13 per gallon, which is down 15 cents from a month ago. Additionally, average airfares in October were 13% lower compared to the previous year.

Internationally, air travel has also rebounded, although it remains below pre-pandemic levels. ForwardKeys, a travel data firm, reported that airlines have sold 31% more tickets for international arrivals to global destinations between December 21 and December 31 compared to the same period last year. However, some travelers in northern Europe have faced difficulties due to bad weather and labor unrest. A storm brought heavy rain and strong winds across the region, causing trees to fall and prompting flood warnings along the North Sea coast. Furthermore, workers at the undersea tunnel between Britain and France went on a surprise strike, leading to the cancellation of passenger and vehicle-carrying services. Fortunately, an agreement was reached with the unions, and Eurostar announced that services would resume on Friday, with extra trains scheduled between Paris and London.

Looking ahead, AccuWeather forecasters have predicted a major snowstorm in the Rockies as a Pacific storm merges with another storm in the Northwest. They have warned travelers to be prepared for possible flight cancellations and delays in Denver over the weekend. Despite these potential challenges, travelers remain eager to embark on their holiday journeys, hoping for a smooth and joyous travel experience.

/ Saturday, December 23, 2023, 4:22 AM /

themes:  Chicago  Houston  New Year's Day  Thanksgiving  Illinois  Texas  Georgia  Colorado  France

VIEWS: 101


01/05/2024    info@usalife.info
All rights to the materials belong to the sources indicated under the heading of each news and their authors.
RSS