Red Hot Trouble Spots This Holiday Season: Predicting Delays
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
December 3, 2003
Worried about delays derailing your holiday trip? Well, if this past Thanksgiving weekend is any indication--and I suspect it is--things at our nation's airports are looking up.
For the third year in a row, your friends at Travelocity placed watchdogs at the nation's 25 largest airports on what are usually the two busiest days of the year. The purpose of this stealth mission is to let you know which airports are processing customers quickly and efficiently, and which airports may put a wrinkle in your plans, if you're not careful.
This year, we paid special attention to the airports that didn't fare so well in 2002--including Denver, Los Angeles, both O'Hare and Midway in Chicago, and the three New York area airports (JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark). Surprisingly, last year's laggards managed to stay out of the trouble zone this year. The Chicago airports were even among those sporting the shortest average wait times. In contrast, however, Washington Dulles found itself on the long-line list, whereas last year they were among the airports with the shortest lines.
Here are a few highlights from our study:
Wednesday, November 26th longest average waits from curbside through to security were found at:
- Atlanta: 30 minutes
- Washington Dulles: 30 minutes
- Cleveland: 25 minutes
Wednesday, November 26th shortest average waits from curbside through to security were found at:
- Dallas/Fort Worth: 10 minutes
- Houston Bush Intercontinental: 10 minutes
- Baltimore, Washington National, Boston, Chicago Midway, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Jose, Seattle: all 15 minutes
Sunday, November 30th longest average waits from curbside through to security were found at:
- Washington Dulles: 30 minutes
- Miami: 28 minutes
- Orlando: 27minutes
Sunday, November 30th shortest average waits from curbside through to security were found at:
- San Jose 10.5 minutes
- Chicago O'Hare: 10.6 minutes
- Chicago Midway: 11 minutes
Throughout the country, we're seeing a new post-September 11th normal emerge. Travelers and the Transportation Security Administration are starting to get the new airport routine down pat. This Thanksgiving, while travelers came to the airport with everything from surfboards to microwaves, they were much more familiar with the rules regarding what to check and what to carry than they were a year ago.
With the national average for security wait times clocking in at merely seven-and-a-half minutes, things are looking good for the travel days ahead. Knock on wood. And all we have to do is think back to the way things were two years ago to realize just how much progress we have made together in a relatively short period of time. In fact, some of this year's longest lines were for coffee, not security.
As always, there are things each of us can do to help speed things along. A few reminders:
- Parking lots fill up quickly around the holidays, so think about alternate parking options or try mass transit where available.
- Remember to pack carefully and get ready for security ahead of time.
- Checking in online at home and making use of e-kiosks are also good ways to save time.
Around the holidays it's always smart to give yourself some extra time when traveling. Given the improvements that have taken place at the airport, you might not need it at all–but I'm guessing you're going to want coffee.
Wherever you are headed this holiday season, here's to smooth and safe travels clear through 2004.
If you have a question or topic you would like me to cover in a future column, please e-mail Amy Ziff at askamy@travelocity.com And remember to look here for your topic each week!
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