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." (More Thanksgiving stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X