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CNN Live Sunday
Tips For Holiday Travelers
Aired November 30, 2003 - 16:11 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.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, let's get an undate now on specific air traffic conditions and backups around the country. Our travel consultant, Rally Caparas of travelvelocity.com is tracking them in Atlanta and he joins us now. Rally, thanks for joining us. First question to you, where are the biggest backups across the country?
RALLY CAPARAS, TRAVELVELOCITY.COM: Well, Kelly, the biggest backups are actually in the sky. The roads in the sky, the highways in the sky are absolutely cluttered full of airplanes. We have about 7,250 airplanes over the skies in the United States right now and the lines are building to get into locations such as LaGuardia and some other airports.
You will start to see delays, if you've not already started to see them. Main locations: Newark, LaGuardia and Philadelphia. The outbound flights should operate just fine, it's the inbound legs, the arrival flights that are going to be delayed by 45 minutes or so. Winds and runway configurations will contribute to it, but it's just the massive volume that's to hit the airports here in the next three to four hours and it will be a consistent thing.
So expect some short term delays into the airport if you're headed to those three locations. West Palm Beach down in south Florida has seen 60 to 90 minute arrival delays just about the entire day. They backed off just a bit, 30 to 45 minute arrival delays now the only problems. Very heavy volume the only reason and it should start to become moderate as far as delays are conserned.
Chicago O'Hare Aiport, they've had wind and runway configuration situations situations all day. Now they're seeing 45 to 60 minute arrival delays and it will stay that way until around 9:00 Central time when most of the volume will be on the ground.
Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport seeing gusts of up to 35 knots. And they will likely see some 45 minute arrival delays when they get to their peek period between 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central time. The reduced arrival capacity at that airport will be the problem at that point.
And then on the West Coast, San Francisco has had a hard day of it. One to two hour arrival delays that will continue to be the case. Low clouds, fog, rain, wind, and of course the volume. Overall, however, because of the cooperating weather, mostly clear and dry, we're going to see yet another excellent day on the busiest travel day of the year. Kelly, back to you.
WALLACE: Rally, quickly, what's your advice for anyone that still going to be heading to the roads, or heading out for flights later today?
CAPARAS: Kelly, the advice that I have is to continue to be the intelligent traveler that most of the people have proven over this busiest period we've seen since 2000 -- well actually since September 11. It's been amazing how everyone has cooperated, done the right things. From the airlines, air traffic control has done an outstanding job in handling the volume. And now the airlines also have indicated, as the weather has cooperated, have shown they can perform at a high rate, under the circumstances with this incredible volume.
WALLACE: Rally Caparas. Thank you so much for joining us, of travelvelocity.com.
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 30, 2003 - 16:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, let's get an undate now on specific air traffic conditions and backups around the country. Our travel consultant, Rally Caparas of travelvelocity.com is tracking them in Atlanta and he joins us now. Rally, thanks for joining us. First question to you, where are the biggest backups across the country?
RALLY CAPARAS, TRAVELVELOCITY.COM: Well, Kelly, the biggest backups are actually in the sky. The roads in the sky, the highways in the sky are absolutely cluttered full of airplanes. We have about 7,250 airplanes over the skies in the United States right now and the lines are building to get into locations such as LaGuardia and some other airports.
You will start to see delays, if you've not already started to see them. Main locations: Newark, LaGuardia and Philadelphia. The outbound flights should operate just fine, it's the inbound legs, the arrival flights that are going to be delayed by 45 minutes or so. Winds and runway configurations will contribute to it, but it's just the massive volume that's to hit the airports here in the next three to four hours and it will be a consistent thing.
So expect some short term delays into the airport if you're headed to those three locations. West Palm Beach down in south Florida has seen 60 to 90 minute arrival delays just about the entire day. They backed off just a bit, 30 to 45 minute arrival delays now the only problems. Very heavy volume the only reason and it should start to become moderate as far as delays are conserned.
Chicago O'Hare Aiport, they've had wind and runway configuration situations situations all day. Now they're seeing 45 to 60 minute arrival delays and it will stay that way until around 9:00 Central time when most of the volume will be on the ground.
Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport seeing gusts of up to 35 knots. And they will likely see some 45 minute arrival delays when they get to their peek period between 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central time. The reduced arrival capacity at that airport will be the problem at that point.
And then on the West Coast, San Francisco has had a hard day of it. One to two hour arrival delays that will continue to be the case. Low clouds, fog, rain, wind, and of course the volume. Overall, however, because of the cooperating weather, mostly clear and dry, we're going to see yet another excellent day on the busiest travel day of the year. Kelly, back to you.
WALLACE: Rally, quickly, what's your advice for anyone that still going to be heading to the roads, or heading out for flights later today?
CAPARAS: Kelly, the advice that I have is to continue to be the intelligent traveler that most of the people have proven over this busiest period we've seen since 2000 -- well actually since September 11. It's been amazing how everyone has cooperated, done the right things. From the airlines, air traffic control has done an outstanding job in handling the volume. And now the airlines also have indicated, as the weather has cooperated, have shown they can perform at a high rate, under the circumstances with this incredible volume.
WALLACE: Rally Caparas. Thank you so much for joining us, of travelvelocity.com.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
