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Without an agent, you're on your own
Thanksgiving Travel
Thanksgiving air travelers face full jets, fees
ATA: Four busiest travel days expected to be November 20, 25, 29 and 30
updated 3:49 p.m. MT, Mon., Nov . 23, 2009
CHICAGO - The number of air travelers over the Thanksgiving holiday will be down this year, which means shorter lines and fewer airport hassles, but full planes and new fees may keep passengers grumbling.
"With seat cutbacks in the 6-7 percent range — and on some airlines even higher — the bottom line is planes are going to be as full as ever," said Rick Seaney, chief executive of Farecompare.com, on Monday.
"While there may be less people physically at the airport, the planes are going to be packed," Seaney said.
The U.S. airline industry, battered for more than a year by economic turmoil, has slashed capacity since 2007 to offset weaker demand and support fares. As a result, airports are less busy but planes are extremely full.
The Air Transport Association (ATA), an industry trade group, said this month that it expects a 4 percent year-over-year decline in the number of passengers on U.S. carriers during the traditionally hectic Thanksgiving holiday.
"It is increasingly apparent that the economic headwinds facing the airlines and their customers are anything but behind us. The recent announcement that U.S. unemployment surpassed 10 percent highlights one of the key factors impacting consumer buying decisions," said ATA president James May in a statement on November 9.
Peak travel days
Nevertheless, the skies over the United States tend to be more crowded on the days around Thanksgiving than at any other time of the year. The four busiest travel days surrounding Thanksgiving Day this year are expected to be November 20, 25, 29 and 30, the ATA said.
Holiday travelers cringe at the thought of weather delays or air traffic control glitches like the one last week that led to widespread delays and cancellations, particularly in the heavily traveled New York area.
The U.S. military, however, will allow commercial airlines to use some of its air space along the East Coast and parts of the West Coast near Los Angeles to help reduce congestion over the holiday period, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Fees and surcharges
While less traffic is some comfort to air travelers, miscellaneous airline fees and surcharges are an annoyance. In recent years, airlines have introduced new fees to generate revenue amid falling demand and volatile fuels costs.
Fees for bag checks or priority seating — although technically optional — could irk inexperienced holiday travelers who are surprised by the costs, said airline consultant Michael Boyd.
"I don't think consumers will be paying more. They'll be paying it in a different way," said airline consultant Michael Boyd. "There will be fares. There will be surcharges. And there will be fees. And that does make things more complex.
"Anything that makes it more difficult to do business causes anxiety," Boyd said.
Carriers are adding surcharges of up to $30 each way, around numerous popular flight dates in 2010 such as Thanksgiving, FareCompare's Seaney said. He said most major airlines have added the fees.
In the News
Horror stories about online bookings
send customers back to travel agents
Rick Cropp and Barbara Braidwood, Canwest News Service
We have been hearing more stories than usual about the frustrations of online travel
engines' customers lately. In addition to horror stories we ahve read about , two
people we know faced dropped bookings when they arrived at the airport.
One had booked a flight and the other a whole vacation package and both were told
that there was no record of payment (even with a confirmation number) and they
would have to pay for their trips again. So, we were not especially surprised when
we saw the report by eMarketer (they sell market research and trend analysis about
Internet commerce) about the decline in the number of people booking online and
the increase of people booking through travel agents.
An indication of how fed up people are with online booking engines is websites that
will refer you to e avetted travel agent that can then help you book your trip.
Zicasso.com and Tripology both have generated good PR by taking business away
from the online booking engines. Their service is a cross between booking online
and having a qualified travel agent help you.
After you fill out a form with the details of your trip, you receive a no-obligation quote
in a short time.
Booking through a travel agent is some of the best insurance you can buy. When
problems arise, you have someone to call. You can go and have a coffee while they
sort out the problem. If they can't fix it right away, then, you'll at least know that when
you return from your holiday, your travel agent will probably have fixed the snafu.
TRAVEL TIPS
8 Helpful Travel Tips, since air travel can sometimes be frustrating:
1. Use a Travel Agent, the service is worth the fees they charge. It's very difficult to fix a situation that happens when you book via the internet.
2. Don’t travel with gel pens. You could wake up in a pool of ink, as the air pressure changes can cause the ink to burst out.
3. ALWAYS look at the airline luggage routing tags that the ticket agent is putting on your checked baggage, and look at your claim stubs too. Don’t just assume they are putting the right tag on the right bag.
4. Take note of something interesting about the contents of your bag. It makes it easier to identify if there’s a problem.
5. Travel with Sharpie markers and zip-closure plastic bags. They are great for marking and identifying things quickly.
6. Mark your bag! Tie a bright colored ribbon on the handle to identify it quickly. A lot of bags look alike
7. Bring pre-printed return address labels with you. They’re great for quickly filling out airline luggage tags and other forms.
8. Get a travel pillow that supports your neck. Keep in mind, some airlines are beginning to charge for pillows and blankets inflight.