Editor’s Note: Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force monitored crowd conditions Monday through Wednesday at 10 of the busiest airports in the country: Atlanta-Hartsfield; Chicago O’Hare; Dallas-Fort Worth International; Denver International; Phoenix International; Las Vegas McCarran; Los Angeles International; New York La Guardia; Orlando International; Reagan National.

I am in shock. Travel shock that is. Seriously, do you know how good travel has been so far this Thanksgiving? Phenomenally good, that's how much. If you're reading this you've no doubt read some of our other reports and learned that passengers were moving through security much faster than expected for such a busy time. Overall, security lines were less than 10 minutes at each of the airports, according to the Travelocity Thanksgiving Task Force team who tracked these findings throughout the week.

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Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Polls & Studies, Security & Safety, Thanksgiving '06
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Editor’s Note: Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force is monitoring crowd conditions ahead of the holiday at 10 of the busiest airports in the country: Atlanta-Hartsfield; Chicago O’Hare; Dallas-Fort Worth International; Denver International; Phoenix International; Las Vegas McCarran; Los Angeles International; New York La Guardia; Orlando International; Reagan National. Check back here through Nov. 22 for airport updates from our editors.

It’s a little after 5 a.m. in Texas, and as I prepare for the hectic travel day ahead, I can’t help but think about the sleep I lost last night and the turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes that I’ll stuff myself with tomorrow! But until then, I’ll be fielding calls from our on-site reporters at the nation’s top airports to learn about crowd conditions throughout what is traditionally known as the busiest travel day of the year.

Travelocity’s on-site reporters have already been at the airports for two days, monitoring wait times and surveying travelers about their experiences at the airports. The overall traveler sentiment? So far, so good. Seventy-two percent of travelers are satisfied with their experience getting through security with only 10 percent of travelers reporting that they’re unsatisfied, an indication that the TSA is well staffed and prepared for the busy day ahead.

We expect Thanksgiving crowds to peak today, so travelers should be prepared to wait in longer lines at both security and check-in points. AAA predicts 4.8 million air travelers to take to the skies this holiday season, a 3 percent increase over last year. Check back here throughout the day for updates on crowd conditions.

On a lighter note, our on-site reporters also asked travelers what celebrity couple they would invite over for Thanksgiving dinner. Despite their weekend wedding in Italy, TomKat (not surprisingly) is the most unpopular couple with 10 percent of the vote, while 28 percent of travelers would welcome Jennifer and Vince to their turkey day feast. Other contenders: The Clintons (24 percent); The Bushes (20 percent); and Brangelina (18 percent).

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Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Security & Safety, Thanksgiving '06
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Editor’s Note: Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force is monitoring crowd conditions ahead of the holiday at 10 of the busiest airports in the country: Atlanta-Hartsfield; Chicago O’Hare; Dallas-Fort Worth International; Denver International; Phoenix International; Las Vegas McCarran; Los Angeles International; New York La Guardia; Orlando International; Reagan National. Check back here through Nov. 22 for airport updates from our editors.

New York City is under a gridlock alert; airline load factors are at a high; and the nation’s airports are staffing up. Now, what exactly does all of this mean? I’ll tell you: it means that ‘tis the season for holiday travelers to come out in droves and all in the name of overstuffing themselves with Gram’s turkey and dressing!

While the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically the busiest travel day of the year, plenty of travelers headed to the nation’s airports today – many of them to get ahead of the rush. I’ve been collecting information each hour throughout the day, getting up-to-date information from our on-site reporters at 10 of the busiest airports in the country.

To the credit of the Transportation Security Administration, airlines and airports around the country, our Thanksgiving Task Force team reported smooth sailing despite increased foot traffic on what will likely go down as one of the busiest travel days of the year.

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Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Security & Safety, Thanksgiving '06
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Editor’s Note: Travelocity’s Thanksgiving Task Force is monitoring crowd conditions ahead of the holiday at 10 of the busiest airports in the country: Atlanta-Hartsfield; Chicago O’Hare; Dallas-Fort Worth International; Denver International; Phoenix International; Las Vegas McCarran; Los Angeles International; New York La Guardia; Orlando International; Reagan National. Check back here through Nov. 22 for airport updates from our editors.

Thanksgiving is nearly here -- yum! But before you can eat your turkey feast, you first have to get to your destination. Whoever said “getting there is half the fun” certainly didn't try to navigate the crowds at the airports during the holidays.

The million dollar question this year: how long will it take to get through security? At least that's the question I keep getting asked by all the media who know that the latest TSA changes means more headaches for travelers. My prediction for Thanksgiving travel: long lines at security. I'd plan for at least a half an hour, maybe more. With record high load factors this year, you can't afford to miss your flight for fear of missing your fancy dinner. To make it through the gate and board the plane on time, make sure you arrive at the airport at least two hours in advance for domestic flights (three hours for international), and bring plenty to do in case you end up with extra time on your hands. (Or, check out unique finds at airports across the country!)

But, what is really happening out there right now? I have on-site reporters stationed at 10 of the busiest airports for this Thanksgiving holiday to report back with those very details. After a day of surveying the scene, here's what they've found...

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Posted in Air Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Security & Safety, Thanksgiving '06
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