Thanksgiving a Busy Day to Fly?
 

I'm flying out of Kansas City to Charlotte &amp; on to Nassau on Thanksgiving Day. Is Thanksgiving generally a busy day for air travel? <BR><BR>My flight leaves KC at 8:10 a.m. and my travel agent said we should be okay as long as we're at the airport by 7:00. Is that realistic?<BR><BR>Thanks.<BR>

Kristy<BR><BR>What is your IQ?

Will, what IS your problem? <BR><BR>Kristy, more and more people are figuring out that traveling on T'day itself is a good idea but it's still much lighter than the day before or the Sunday after. You are probably ok getting to the airport by 7 if you really are actually in line to check in by then. But you might want to check with the airline and/or airport people themselves.

I am a travel agent and I would never tell a client traveling anywhere on one of the busiest travel days of the year to show up an hour and ten minutes before their flight. Show up a minimum of two hours prior.

JJ<BR><BR>Do you not think this is a pretty stupid question? I do not even live in America but know that Thanksgiving weekend is the (or one of the) busiest weekend(s) for US airlines and airports.

Will--what does her IQ have to do with anything? Seems like a legitimate question to me. And besides she asked about Thanksgiving Day not weekend you moron.

No, I do not think this is a stupid question.<BR><BR>Kristy is not asking about the Thanksgiving weekend in general but specifically about 7 am in the morning on Thanksgiving Day. Historically, before the downturn in the airline industry, traveling on the actual DAY of Thanksgiving and Christmas has been much, much easier than the days around the actual holiday. <BR><BR>In past years, I and members of my family have often found many more seats available, and fares much lower, for flights on the actual holiday-day. <BR><BR>Kristy was asking whether, in effect, it's still true that travel is much lighter on the actual day of T'giving, and whether in the early morning, an hour and 10 min. arrival at the airport is enough.<BR><BR>As to that question, there are several answers, one of which was TA's. In contrast, I have been told by airport personnel at my local airport, which is about the size of Kansas City's, that they have gotten security clearance down to much less time, so for domestic flights, an hour is now usually enough, although I would certainly allow 2 hrs. at least for travel on T'giving Wed. or Sunday. <BR><BR>Moreover, that early in the morning, ESP. on a holiday, there is even the question of whether the counters are all up and running much earlier than 7, although KC is probably big enough that there would be people there. Finally, her flight is likely to be among the first of the day, so people for that flight would not be crowding in with people late for previous flights.<BR><BR>In sum, either you didn't read her question carefully enough to see what she was actually asking, or you just love to slam people on principle. Either way, you weren't at all helpful and you add to the nasty tone that turns people away from asking for help here.

Sorry, didn't mean to make anyone cranky.<BR><BR>First, I plan to be at the airport earlier than 7, maybe around 6:00-6:15.<BR><BR>Second, my theory is that people traveling for Thanksgiving to see family would want to be at their destination already on Thanksgiving Day, not still traveling.<BR><BR>Anyway, thanks for the intelligent responses...only.

I've flown out of KC on Thanksgiving, twice. 7AM is pleanty early to get to the airport on Thanksgiving Day. <BR><BR>It is a much lighter day for traffic than the day before and the set up at MCI with a seperate security screening for each 2-4 gates makes it quick to get to the gate.<BR><BR> Keith

FWIW I travel every year on the day before and the day after Thanksgiving Thursday, between two of the 10 largest US airports. There is a world of difference.<BR><BR>On Wednesday, it is a zoo. Just like our non-American friend thought. <BR><BR>But on Friday it is dead. Airline personnel are barely able to stay awake it seems. Planes are less than half full. <BR><BR>Indeed, the entire weekend is not a hectic mess.

Realistically speaking, 6am is TOO EARLY. 7am is perfect. Like the previous post mentioned, the ticket counter may not be open at that hour. You may want to consult your airline reservations desk and the representative can tell you exactly what time Kansas City opens. Also, keep in mind not all concessions will be open so early ( i.e. restaurants, shops, etc. ) The first flights of the day are usually the easiest and quickest to check-in. I am sure you are trying to take preventative measures by arriving early, but keep in mind the media, the government, and the traveling public tend to overreact to all of these security measures and check-in times. I can understand if you are checking in at Washington/Dulles for example, where you sometimes have to travel on the shuttles to the remote terminal, but if the gates are in the same building at Kansas City, then don't be so worried. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Kristy -- when you come back, tell us how it went, just for the heckuvit.

Just an update to my first post. We arrived at the KC airport about 6:55 for our 8:10 flight on Thanksgiving Day. Check-in took only a few minutes, so we had over an hour to kill until our flight. The airport was pretty dead that early. I'm sure it probably picked up some through the day.

Thanks for the update, Kristy. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.