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Why The Window Seat? Because if you're a traveler, it's how you take in the world around you. And because it's the best seat in the house, the one with the most captivating view – and that is precisely what this blog is about. Sharing travel perspectives and experiences.
Posted in: Holiday & Seasonal Travel
Today, the fate of travel weather forecasts for the next six weeks rests upon the shoulders of a super-sized squirrel who subsists on dog food and ice cream. He also happens to be scared of his own shadow. But whether or not the much-loved groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicts more winter or the start of spring, the crowd that comes to learn his prognostication grows by the year.
*Photo courtesy of Alan Freed/PunxsutawneyPhil.com
Let It SnowA friend of mine is on the management team at one of California’s most beloved ski resorts. When I told him that I was going to write my blog post bemoaning the lack of snow in the mountains this winter, he howled at me not to jinx them any further. Indeed, East Coast resorts are reporting their bleakest season in 25 years, alpine resorts across Europe have cancelled hundreds of race events due to lack of snow, and West Coast resorts are being forced to advertise top-of-the-line snowmakers and groomers rather than the usual eye-popping base depths and abundant powder stashes. And with the ten-day forecast offering no glimmers of great white hope, folks whose income is dependent on the snow are understandably edgy. However, once I explained to my friend that my timing (or lack thereof) is such that the moment I write about the dearth of snow, it will dump like no tomorrow, he acquiesced. So I’m offering this one up for all of my snow-seeker friends out there.
Few things are more decadent than starting a day opening gifts, ending it with a steak dinner accompanied by a hearty bottle of Syrah, and filling up the hours in between at the spa. That was my Christmas.
Don't get me wrong. I love a Christmas back home surrounded by family and home-cooked meals, but every now and then it's nice not to lift a finger, or step foot in an airport.
Getting across St. Mark’s Square, the tourist focal point of Venice, is ordinarily like playing the video game Frogger, but with pigeons. Add in a flood, and the “Bride of the Sea” becomes Bridezilla--delicate to negotiate, ready to teeter over the edge at a moment’s notice, and squeezing out the waterworks for dramatic effect.
This is why, when I told friends and family I wanted to go to Venice in December, I was met with a number of skeptical looks. It is, after all, the rainy season in a city that is sinking, and the time of year most prone to floods. It is also the time of year with the least crowds and lines. Which seemed great reasons to me to pack my wading boots and umbrella.
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.
But don't just take my word for it. Take it from your fellow travelers. When polled at the airports, holiday travelers overwhelmingly (73 percent) said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience getting through security this year with only 9 percent of travelers unsatisfied or very unsatisfied. Who would have thunk it this year – a year with bankruptcies looming, higher ticket prices and record load factors – but those are the facts.
Oh yeah, that and the fact that the majority of you travelers would prefer to take your turkey with Jen and Vince over Brad and Angie, even the newlywed TomKat, Hill and Bill or even our own Pres and First Lady.
Go figure. Maybe there's just no accounting for taste.
All I know is that now I have to eat my words. I thought people would pick Brangelina and I predicted that security lines would easily swell up to 45 minutes long. It is with great pleasure that I was wrong because it meant better times for all of you. I guess now I can go eat turkey like the rest of America.
But look out. Sunday is still to come. That's the day when most people have to hurry up and wait at airports, in lines, on the tarmac with none of the fun of being with family and friends to look forward to.
Take comfort, Christmas is just around the corner…
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).
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.
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...
Spa Day
Venice: Bride or Bridezilla of the Sea?
February 02, 2007