"Shockingly quiet" and "no lines" at the nation's airports today.....

[marmar]

I guess the local news stations, which just loooove holiday travel stories, must be bummed.



AP via Yahoo!:



More Americans stay home for the holidays
By DON BABWIN, Associated Press Writer



CHICAGO – Travelers breezed through airport terminals Wednesday and drivers cruised open roads, the effects of a sour economy blamed for keeping people closer to home at the start of the annual Thanksgiving rush.

Even though gas prices fell and airlines offered last-minute deals, many Americans appeared to be skipping trips this year. San Francisco resident Sharon McKellar called the Miami airport "shockingly quiet" after flying in overnight to visit family.

At Boston's Logan International Airport, Alicia Kelly, 47, traveling with her husband and two children to Miami to spend the holidays with her family, said it was the lightest Thanksgiving travel day she's ever seen. "We have waited in no lines so far," she said.

The FAA's flight delay Web site showed no significant holdups at major airports at midday Wednesday. Security lines moved along briskly at under 10 minutes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport. At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, travelers found parking spots in the front row of the lot and no wait for check-in and security. The Delta terminal was nearly empty.

"This is crazy. There's no one here. It's quieter than on most weekdays," said Ryan Sullivan, who was flying to New York with his wife and two kids.

While most trips were going smoothly, security was a concern in New York City after federal authorities warned law enforcement of a possible terror plot by al-Qaida against the city's subway and train systems during the holiday season, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. However, no changes were made to the nation's threat level. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081126/ap_on_re_us/thanksgiving_travel

[KaryninMiami]

1. It's true- I flew this morning from Miami- NY and it was oddly quiet

I often fly on the Wed. before Thanksgiving and it's always been a busy day. Granted I left early from Miami but it gets busy there too and La Guardia was amazingly quiet when I arrived.

[Danger Mouse]

2. Nobody can afford to fly.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. refuse to fly.

Gestapo ain't my cup of tea.

[Danger Mouse]

9. yeah, i hate that too.

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. Some people refuse to fly. Sick of 'homeland security' bs.

[lindbergh]

3. Helpful was the fact there was no significant weather anywhere in the US today.

:D

[marmar]

4. But that has nothing to do with crowds in the airports....

..... just means they'll be in better moods.

[lindbergh]

5. When flights are delayed, there are more people sitting around in the airports.

instead of up in the air. It actually has a lot to do with it. :D

[marmar]

7. So does holiday air traffic being down more than 10 percent, which is the estimate.....

.... planes aren't full, even though airlines have drastically cut down on flights.

[lindbergh]

12. No argument there, I simply commented that good weather reduces the number of people

who have to sit around the airport. If you think that's wrong, feel free to elucidate. :shrug:

[xchrom]

8. i fly frequently at this time of year.

first there are fewer airplanes in the air this year -- remember they've cut back?

second it always busy at this time -- clear weather or no.
lines everywhere.

there are fewer travelers.

[lindbergh]

14. Yes. There are fewer travelers. And those who are still travelling are less delayed by weather.

That is all I was saying.

[Bluebear]

10. I worked at the airport all day. Passenger loads are *dramatically* down this year.

":)"

[WillParkinson]

11. My business depends on travlers...

And business is VERRRRRY slow.

[MindMatter]

15. Let's put this in perspective

The news media has been terrorizing Americans for months talking about how bad things are.

Yeah, there are some foreclosures where people went in way over their heads. This is correcting itself. In California, home sales are way up, now that houses are in the price range that hundreds of thousands can afford. In the Midwest, housing sales are down 20% off a year ago. This is no goddamned Depression. That is all bullshit to help cover the banks that ware walking away with over TWO TRILLION of our dollars.

The auto industry is in a real mess, mainly because people are so terrorized that they are afraid to make any significant purchases. You can't stop buying groceries, but anybody can delay a car transaction.

We don't need any more banking bailouts. We need the works projects / infrastructure investments that Obama is talking about. Start creating jobs and the rest of the problems take care of themselves.

I sure as hell hope somebody is keep track of all the money we're giving to these damned bankers.

[TlalocW]

16. Huh. While I hate that the economy is hurting

I guess I can look forward to open roads tomorrow when I get up early to drive from Tulsa to Wichita for Thanksgiving.

TlalocW