Travelers May Spend Thanksgiving on the Runway

Already-slow industry prepares for the worst Thanksgiving in more than a decade
By Ryan Riley
Posted Nov 13, 2007 4:08 PM CST
Travelers May Spend Thanksgiving on the Runway
A turkey awaits Thanksgiving. Many airline travelers may not see their Thanksgiving tables this holiday season, as the 27 million passengers expected is a 4 percent increase over last year, at a time when the industry is experiencing the most delayed flights in over a decade. (Highbeam archive)   (Earth Life Forms - Animals)

A 4% increase in holiday passengers will likely cause lengthy delays, the airline industry warned yesterday—bad news for those who miss connections and could wait 3 days for another flight. Though airlines have hired seasonal workers in the first staff expansion since 9/11, some 2.5 million passengers may travel next Wednesday, up from a typical 2.1 million, reports the Washington Post.

"Some airports" plan to stock extra food and water, supplement existing check-in kiosks and baggage-check areas, and bring in rolling staircases and buses to de-board passengers from delayed planes. "We're all praying for good weather next week," says one aviation consultant. "Hopefully the airline gods will take pity on us mere mortals."

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