Smooth sailing, or flying, at O'Hare as holiday travel season begins
Harried travelers trying to reach their destinations on time for the holiday found something to be thankful for at O'Hare International Airport Wednesday.
"On time" departures posted on computer screens, minimal lines and uncrowded terminals.
University student Lakia Brown on her way home from Greenville, S.C., had a ho-hum trip and couldn't have been happier about it.
"It was great," Brown said heading to the parking lot with her parents. "Everything went on time."
More than 2.5 million people are expected to travel through Midway and O'Hare international airports this Thanksgiving season.
O'Hare's busiest day will be Sunday with about 223,000 passengers expected. Midway tipped the scale on Tuesday with more than 64,000 fliers passing through.
So far, "everything is moving smoothly," Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride said.
On Wednesday, 205,000 people stopped in at O'Hare, among them Margaret Kilpatrick of Vermont, who grabbed some coffee while waiting for son, Bryan Preston, to arrive from Lincoln Square in Chicago.
"We got here early, but he's sitting in traffic," she said.
Conspicuous among the travelers in coats and jackets, were Cortney Penhale, a newlywed still wearing her veil and husband, Matt. The two were experiencing a travel nightmare but it wasn't because of airport congestion - it was because their planned flight from Miami to Bangkok was thrown into limbo after protesters took over the Thailand airport in an effort to overthrow the country's prime minister.
At least, the airline "overnighted us here," Matt Penhale said.
"And gave us champagne," Courtney added.
Jordan Bohn and Thomas Strause, two university students from Sandwich, and friend Taylor Siegler, a Somonauk High School senior, tried to catch a little shut-eye in the comparative quiet of Terminal One.
You couldn't blame them. The trio rose early to meet Siegler's brother, who was supposed to be in at 7 a.m. for a flight from Washington, D.C., which he missed.
Strause considered flying home from Lexington, where he attends the University of Kentucky, but calculated with low gas prices, he'd be better off driving. "You've got to save money somewhere," Strause said.
Across the nation, high fares and economic woes have fewer people flying this holiday. The AA has estimated 4.5 million individuals will fly this year compared to 4.9 million in 2007. Americans also are cutting back on Thanksgiving road trips, with 33.2 million people driving versus 33.6 million a year ago.
But despite the dip, security checkpoints have been busy, especially with some fliers who haven't been to airports in a while. New Transportation Security Administration rules such as removing shoes and keeping most liquids going into carry-on bags in 3-ounce or less sized containers have generated questions, officials said.
TSA officer Annie Gregg had to confiscate one flier's 16-ounce package of gravy. "It was too large," Gregg said, regretfully.
For airport information and security rules, check tsa.gov or o'hare.com.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.flychicago.com/fidsohare/default.asp" class="mediaItem">O'Hare flight information </span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.flychicago.com/fidsmidway/default.asp" class="mediaItem">Midway flight information </span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gcmtravel.com/gcm/maps_chicago.jsp" class="mediaItem">Traffic conditions </span></a></li> </ul> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=253890">Roads, skies to be less crowded over Thanksgiving <span class="date">[11/26/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>