Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Interview with Sam Gilliland

Aired November 27, 2002 - 11:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is planning on about 2,000,000 passengers by the end of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Whew, that is a lot of people.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is watching the travel rush at DFW this morning -- how's it going out there, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it's going pretty good so far. The goal here at DFW International Airport, the third busiest airport in the world, is to get the folks here through these security terminals in less than ten minutes, and we just had a chance to speak with some of the airport officials, and they say that people are actually getting through here in about six minutes, and actually the line here at this particular moment is rather short, as you can see.

We'll explain the music you're hearing in just a little bit, but the DFW has benefited because these ticket counters are actually spread out throughout the several terminals throughout the airport grounds here, so that really helps out in terms of getting people through here quite a bit.

No security problems to report so far today as well, but what they are doing here with so many flights going out of here, 2,000 flights today, they've seen a 10 percent increase in travelers -- or they will see a 10 percent increase in travelers from this time last year to this year. So people here very excited about the fact that many people are returning to the air.

That music you were just hearing is part of what they're doing here, trying to make this experience this travel day, which is so hectic for so many people, a little bit more soothing. They have got people walking the grounds passing out popcorn, balloons, and they have turned at least this terminal and several other terminals here at DFW airport into, basically, Carol, one big karaoke bar, so you get a little bit of a sound from some of the people here, just taking a little bit of time to enjoy the music and sing a little bit for people and travelers as they're going through -- Carol.

LIN: Ed, do you find that music soothing?

LAVANDERA: I don't know. I'm not the one traveling today. Some are better than others, but I've got to be honest -- we've been here all morning.

LIN: OK. Soothing the savage beast of the traveler. Good luck.

LAVANDERA: It depends on how long your travel day has been this morning.

LIN: Yes. It is going to feel awfully long at DFW if they keep that up. Thanks so much, Ed. Reporting live in Dallas.

Whatever it takes, you know?

There are some common sense ways to make air travel today smooth as mom's homemade cranberry sauce.

Sam Gilliland is the CEO at Travelocity. He joins us from Dallas. Boy, did you -- were you digging that music, Sam?

SAM GILLILAND: Well, I have got to tell you, it looks like people are having a great time out at the airports today.

LIN: Yes, that's true. That's true, but we need some help, you know, and I think that helps -- some of your tips can actually start us off well while we're packing.

GILLILAND: Yes. It's important to pack light, and what you'll hear as you get out to the airport is that the Transportation Security Administration, which now has control of security at 429 commercial airports, they are going to let you on with one carry-on bag, like a roller bag, and one additional item like a purse or a briefcase, a laptop carrying case, and no more.

So you want to pack light, and even pack light as you're packing those bags that you're going to check. It's a two-bag limit, typically 70 pounds or less for each bag, so pack light, and be commonsensical about what you put in those bags. Obviously, no sharp objects, nothing that would draw scrutiny from the security officials at the airports.

LIN: Yes, and would you recommend checking your bags? I mean, I have found that to make it so much easier, and you avoid a lot of the random checks too.

GILLILAND: Yes, you do, and you can get through the checkpoints faster when you do that, although I think the TSA has done really a pretty darn good job of training those employees. They're enthusiastic, they are getting you through security pretty quickly as you saw there at DFW airport and across the country, as we monitor 25 of the busiest airports, we're finding it's really going pretty well out there, with just a few exceptions.

LIN: Yes, it's looking pretty good. All right. Thanks so much, Sam.

GILLILAND: All right. Thanks, Carol. Happy Thanksgiving.

LIN: Happy trails. Happy Thanksgiving.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 27, 2002 - 11:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is planning on about 2,000,000 passengers by the end of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Whew, that is a lot of people.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is watching the travel rush at DFW this morning -- how's it going out there, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it's going pretty good so far. The goal here at DFW International Airport, the third busiest airport in the world, is to get the folks here through these security terminals in less than ten minutes, and we just had a chance to speak with some of the airport officials, and they say that people are actually getting through here in about six minutes, and actually the line here at this particular moment is rather short, as you can see.

We'll explain the music you're hearing in just a little bit, but the DFW has benefited because these ticket counters are actually spread out throughout the several terminals throughout the airport grounds here, so that really helps out in terms of getting people through here quite a bit.

No security problems to report so far today as well, but what they are doing here with so many flights going out of here, 2,000 flights today, they've seen a 10 percent increase in travelers -- or they will see a 10 percent increase in travelers from this time last year to this year. So people here very excited about the fact that many people are returning to the air.

That music you were just hearing is part of what they're doing here, trying to make this experience this travel day, which is so hectic for so many people, a little bit more soothing. They have got people walking the grounds passing out popcorn, balloons, and they have turned at least this terminal and several other terminals here at DFW airport into, basically, Carol, one big karaoke bar, so you get a little bit of a sound from some of the people here, just taking a little bit of time to enjoy the music and sing a little bit for people and travelers as they're going through -- Carol.

LIN: Ed, do you find that music soothing?

LAVANDERA: I don't know. I'm not the one traveling today. Some are better than others, but I've got to be honest -- we've been here all morning.

LIN: OK. Soothing the savage beast of the traveler. Good luck.

LAVANDERA: It depends on how long your travel day has been this morning.

LIN: Yes. It is going to feel awfully long at DFW if they keep that up. Thanks so much, Ed. Reporting live in Dallas.

Whatever it takes, you know?

There are some common sense ways to make air travel today smooth as mom's homemade cranberry sauce.

Sam Gilliland is the CEO at Travelocity. He joins us from Dallas. Boy, did you -- were you digging that music, Sam?

SAM GILLILAND: Well, I have got to tell you, it looks like people are having a great time out at the airports today.

LIN: Yes, that's true. That's true, but we need some help, you know, and I think that helps -- some of your tips can actually start us off well while we're packing.

GILLILAND: Yes. It's important to pack light, and what you'll hear as you get out to the airport is that the Transportation Security Administration, which now has control of security at 429 commercial airports, they are going to let you on with one carry-on bag, like a roller bag, and one additional item like a purse or a briefcase, a laptop carrying case, and no more.

So you want to pack light, and even pack light as you're packing those bags that you're going to check. It's a two-bag limit, typically 70 pounds or less for each bag, so pack light, and be commonsensical about what you put in those bags. Obviously, no sharp objects, nothing that would draw scrutiny from the security officials at the airports.

LIN: Yes, and would you recommend checking your bags? I mean, I have found that to make it so much easier, and you avoid a lot of the random checks too.

GILLILAND: Yes, you do, and you can get through the checkpoints faster when you do that, although I think the TSA has done really a pretty darn good job of training those employees. They're enthusiastic, they are getting you through security pretty quickly as you saw there at DFW airport and across the country, as we monitor 25 of the busiest airports, we're finding it's really going pretty well out there, with just a few exceptions.

LIN: Yes, it's looking pretty good. All right. Thanks so much, Sam.

GILLILAND: All right. Thanks, Carol. Happy Thanksgiving.

LIN: Happy trails. Happy Thanksgiving.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com