Travelers remain mindful
of delays
By Heather Mangold
City
Editor
Thanksgiving traveling may be a test of courage
for students who are planning to fly home for the holiday.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, there
has been a decline in the number of flights and airport security has
been elevated to a never-before-seen level. To reinstate the confidence
of American travelers, President George Bush signed legislation Monday
that appointed airport bag checkers to the federal payroll. Additional
efforts to enhance airport security include the installment of a greater
number of air marshals on commercial flights, the strengthening of cockpit
doors on planes and the implementation of National Guard troops, who
now patrol airports throughout the nation.
To finance these increased security measures, a
$2.50 fee will be enforced each time passengers board an airplane. Fees
up to $5 can be charged for each flight.
According to the AAA, 4.6 million people will fly
this Thanksgiving, a 27 percent decline in Thanksgiving fliers from
last year's 6.3 million.
But for one Purdue student, fear is not a factor.
Jimmy Budnik, a senior in the Schools of Engineering,
said he would much rather fly out of the Indianapolis airport than make
the 12-hour journey to his hometown of Tulsa, Okla., for the holiday
by himself.
"Right now I just like flying because it's the
quickest way to get home," said Budnik.
Budnik attributes his lack of fear to the smallness
of the towns through which he'll be traveling.
"Indianapolis and Tulsa are not major enough cities
for anyone to pick," he said. "Falling nations wouldn't really be aware
that Indy or Tulsa even exist. I'm not worried about them (terrorists)
picking my flight."
Budnik recalled his first time flying as a child,
saying it was "an exciting and fun" experience and that he would not
let recent events alter that attitude.
Budnik's only concern is that the airport security
will make him miss his flight.
"I'm going to be extra cautious about being very
early. I'm going to leave for the airport as early as I can," he said.
Laura Lowry, a travel agent of Travel Pointe, 2306
Northwestern Ave., said she's seen only a slight decline in fliers post-Sept.
11.
"We haven't noticed too much decline. A lot of
these people have to fly because there's no other form of transportation
to get there," said Lowry.
Lowry said her agency advises holiday travelers
to allow plenty of time for airport check-in procedures. Domestic flights
will take two hours to check in and international flights will take
three hours, said Lowry.
"Just be aware that there's going to be probably
some delays with everyone wanting to travel. We advise people to bring
something along to occupy their time," she said.
Greg Seiter, media relations manager for AAA, said
travelers should simply use common sense when preparing to travel.
"The most important thing is to call ahead and
check the status of your flight before you actually leave your home,"
said Seiter. "In some cases your flight may be canceled or delayed."
Seiter said that travelers who are planning to
fly are not the only ones that should plan ahead for the holiday season.
"You're looking at 30 million Americans traveling
by roadway at least 50 miles or more away from home," said Seiter.
Seiter said motorists should expect delays this
Thanksgiving as well. Checking for road construction, monitoring the
weather and bringing along emergency phone numbers in case something
should happen are all good ideas, said Seiter.
Even the number of people traveling by car has
decreased this season. Approximately 34.5 million Americans will drive
to their Thanksgiving destinations this year, leaving roads with 2.2
million fewer travelers in 2001 than last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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