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Air travel down this holiday season
by Donnie Elliott
"Thanksgiving weekend usually sets the pattern on how busy air travel will be for the upcoming
holiday season," said Joan Jeide, Continental's senior analyst of revenue control.
Despite airlines offering discounted fares to entice travelers to fly, there was a 27 percent drop
in bookings from last year for the entire airline industry for this year's Thanksgiving holiday
weekend.
Although still early, Jeide expects these numbers will rise because of the low booking statistics
for mid- to late-December. Booking statistics do not translate into the number of passengers who
actually fly, it refers only to those who book a flight.
Because of recent layoffs, there have been 20 percent fewer flights available for travelers flying
on Continental Airlines.
According to Jeide, early reports indicate no differences in the percentage of bookings on
Continental Airlines flights than in years past; however, the drop in ticket prices and recent layoffs
resulted in Continental Airlines taking a 24 percent cut in revenue for Thanksgiving.
In order to combat the projected loss of holiday travelers, many airlines lowered their ticket
prices leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. In fact, Northwest Airlines lowered its round-trip fare
from New York to Houston from $386 to $113. According to Travel Consultant Sharon Ryen of Frosch
Travel, this was a bold attempt to reach out to holiday travelers who were concerned about flying.
Although the Sept. 11 tragedy has definitely taken a toll on holiday travelers, Jeide feels the
American Airline's crash last month may have had more of an effect on travelers than the September
terrorist attacks.
Ryen thinks that the increase in security at airports may result in people feeling safer about
flying today. Only those with airline tickets are allowed to pass through security checkpoints. In
the past, non-ticket holders could go straight to any gate as long as they first went through an
airport metal detector.
"Many clients have actually commented how safe they feel when flying due to the numerous safety
precautions that airports have taken," Ryen said. "However, the safety precautions might detract
from people flying shorter distances."
One of the main reasons is that airport security now hand-search carry-on items as well as luggage
that passengers check at the ticket counter.
"I fly to Dallas at least once a month to visit family," said Ric Sugerak, an undergraduate
English major. "I feel safe once I'm in the air; what is bothersome to me is the long wait at the
airport. I'm seriously thinking about driving home for the holidays because I know the lines at the
airports will be horrendous."
UH-Clear Lake International Student Advisor for Enrollment Services Katherine Dickerson said a few
of the international students on campus who are graduating have expressed some concern about flying
home after the semester.
"Prior to Sept.11, there were some international students who flew home for the holidays, but there
are even fewer now," Dickerson said.
"Many are worried about re-entering the United States because of tighter security."
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