Fun Family Travel Vacation

Flights across the country were delayed due to a computer error.   The computer malfunction caused flight plans and traffic control information to unavailable.  This caused cancellations and delays in flights all across the country.

Many people did have connecting flights that caused cascading problems for those travelers.  

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, has been particularly affected. Chicago and Washington, D.C., and New York metro airports also reported delays due to the glitch. The problem was exacerbating delays caused by bad weather in the Northeast. Orlando International Airport, Florida’s busiest, also reported about a dozen delays due to the chain reaction around the country, and flights in Tampa, Fla., were also delayed.    

Source: Associated Press

We all know that travel during the holidays is busy and congested. Some airports have a lot more travelers passing through than others. We can guess that the busiest airports include those that are in some of the larger cities. Orbitz has released a list of the busiest and least busy airports. The list is based on flight bookings that include traveling to these airports.

Top 10 Busiest Airports for Thanksgiving Travel

1. Chicago, IL – Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
2. Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles International(LAX)
3. Denver, CO – Denver International (DEN)
4. San Francisco, CA – San Francisco International (SFO)
5. Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Hartsfield International (ATL)
6. Boston, MA – Boston Logan International (BOS)
7. New York, NY – New York LaGuardia (LGA)
8. New York – New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
9. Newark, NJ – Newark Liberty International (EWR)
10. Seattle, WA – Seattle Tacoma International (SEA)

Top 10 Least Busy Airports for Thanksgiving Travel

1. San Jose, CA – San Jose International (SJC)
2. Nashville, TN – Nashville International (BNA)
3. Richmond, VA – Richmond International (RIC)
4. Sacramento, CA – Sacramento International (SMF)
5. Jacksonville, FL – Jacksonville International (JAX)
6. West Palm Beach, FL – Palm Beach International (PBI)
7. Hartford, CT – Bradley International (BDL)
8. Orange County, CA – John Wayne International(SNA)
9. Cincinnati, OH – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
10. Fort Myers, FL – Southwest Florida Regional(RSW)

5 Tips to Reduce Travel Time at Airports

Orbitz also has a list of 5 things that you can do to reduce your travel time. First, try to go to have your departure and arrival at airports that have least amount travelers. Avoiding a particular airport cannot always be done, so another suggestion is to book your flight for days that traditionally has fewer travelers. Orbitz recommends having your departure flight November 23, 2009 and your returning flight November 30, 2009. A third suggestions is to know your flight status and if it running on time. Fourth, check in online to avoid check-in lines. Fifth is to make sure that you are ready for security checks. Keep anything you need to show airport security such as ID, boarding passes, liquids in a zip-top bag, or medication, in a separate compartment of your carry-on bag. Digging for these items once you get to the front of the security line will cause delays and certainly not make you any friends.

Plans are underway for a new Disney theme park in Shanghai, China.  According to the Associated Press, the park will be a lot like the Magic Kingdom with some local Shanghai influences.  Many local companies are welcoming the new theme park for the jobs that it will create during construction and once the park is officially opened.    Plans are still in the works and details have to agreed upon before construction does begin.    This has been something that Shanghai has been anticipating and working towards. Residents that lived on farmland where the Shanghai Disney theme park is set to be built  have been relocated to another area-( This is similar to people being removed from their family homes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics).    This new theme park is not the first for Chin. There is already a Disney theme park in Hong Kong, China.   The Associated Press article did say that guests’ visits to the Disney Hong Kong theme park were not very high.  Maybe the theme park in Shanghai will have a better visitor turn out since it is the largest city in China.

United Airlines says that have special on tickets purchase by November 12, 2009.  The tickets must be purchase 14 days before the flight.   The airplane tickets must be purchased for the travel dates November 19, 2009 through January 4,2010.   This may just be what some families need for the holiday travel.

Sample fares are each-way based on required roundtrip purchase:**

Chicago – San Francisco $147

Denver – Boston $185

San Francisco – Denver $79

JFK – Washington Dulles, $74

Chicago – Orlando, $98

Los Angeles – Chicago, $156

Customers can purchase holiday fares at united.com, through United reservations, or through travel agencies. Fares vary based on the date of travel.

A mom and her 2 year-old son were kicked off a Southwest Airlines plane because he was fussing when the crew were giving their safety message.    This story made me look back at when my children were two.   She was dealing with a 2 year-old and most parents know that it is called the “Terrible Twos” for a reason.   Pamela Root and her son were travelling from Amarillo, Texas to San Jose California when she was asked to leave the plane. 

Root says she was confident Adam’s screams of “Go! Plane! Go!” and “I want Daddy!” would subside after the plane took off Monday in Amarillo, Texas.

She had to spend the night in Amarillo and purchased a travel crib and extra diapers for the extra night stay in Amarillo.  Southwest Airlines issued an apology, gave her a refund, and a $300 travel voucher.  She would like to also be compensated for the travel crib and extra diapers.

I wonder if she was holding her breath when she and her son were boarding the plane the next day to go home.

Source: msnbc