Nov 16, 2007 8:17 am US/Eastern
Easing Holiday Travel Headaches At Logan Airport
by Kate Merrill
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Lines at Logan Airport in November 2006.
CBS
Many people are headed to Logan and other airports today hoping to avoid the holiday travel rush.
Meanwhile President Bush is hoping a new travel plan will avoid the frustration and waiting travelers have faced in the past. Logan Airport is working on other ways to ease travelers' pain as well.
WBZ's Kate Merrill found one man Friday morning at Logan who was already running into those same old problems. A musician from London had to go from terminal to terminal before eventually finding a flight out, because so many are already booked full.
President Bush is hoping his new plan can at least for the Thanksgiving rush avoid more scenes just like that.
Thursday the White House announced there will be a so called "Thanksgiving express lane" for commercial planes. The pentagon will open up some un-used military airspace between Florida and Maine.
The "express lane" will be open from Wednesday through Sunday of next week, the busiest days of Thanksgiving travel season.
The President also says they will be taking steps to increase efficiency through Christmas.
Logan will be offering cots and food vouchers to travelers who face excessive delays or cancellations.
The airport is also expanding its discounted parking program, and will open up a number of gates for common use by airplanes to keep things moving.
Despite all this, Bob Weiss of the "Airport Journal" says the overall holiday travel relief plan is not enough: "Much more needs to be done, not only with the government, but with the air controllers, the military, the amount of flying primarily out of J.F.K. Airport, which is the big choke point at the moment."
If you're driving to your Thanksgiving destination, you can expect a lot of company on the roads as well. AAA is predicting 38 million drivers, a record number, will hit the roads for the holidays despite high gas prices.
Unfortunately only time will tell if the new plans to ease holiday travel will work.
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