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CNN Live At Daybreak
Eye on the Sky: Travelocity.com Air Travel Delays
Aired December 23, 2003 - 06:45 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.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN ANCHOR: Time to check with -- in with our 'Eye on the Sky.' That would be Air Traffic Expert Rally Caparas from Travelocity Business.
What's on the -- what's the early word on flight delays? I know a lot of people are traveling now and need to know how early do I have to get to the airport and will my flight be delayed?
RALLY CAPARAS, AIR TRAFFIC SPECIALIST, TRAVELOCITY.COM: Good morning, Holly.
Well, you're exactly right, it will be a very, very, very crowded day at the airport. It's been that way since about Sunday morning. You can expect at every major hub airport across the country, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, all of the major hub airports, 30 to 45- minute arrival and departure delays will be the norm today. The heavy volume, the crowds, increased security because of the orange alert is going to be out there, so expect at least a 30 to 45-minute arrival departure delay.
Make sure you arrive at least two-and-a-half hours, folks, two- and-a-half hours to the airport prior to your scheduled departure time. That will get you through security and through the processing safely. Like I said, on Sunday morning 8:00, I was there with thousands of people at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport just to drop my kids off, and it was a long, long wait for them, too. So keep that in mind and make that the regular plan for today and tomorrow.
Now delays from Boston all the way down to Miami, expect good conditions and near on-time schedules all day and evening long. Mother Nature has blessed us with an excellent day for air travel along the East Coast.
Detroit and Cleveland, they will see 30 to 45-minute arrival and departure delays, first because of low clouds, fog and rain, and then later on today because of some snow and departure flight de-icing. Excuse me. Those delays could increase if the snow starts to fall more -- well, if it gets really, really heavy. And we'll stay tuned to Chad and see how he's going to update that, but it could get much worse later this evening once we get past 5:00 or so.
Chicago O'Hare, delay free early, but they will see 45-minute arrival delays. Heavy volume and runway configurations are not going to bode well with one another, and so we will have 45 to 60-minute arrival delays into Chicago.
And then on the West Coast, San Francisco, they'll see some pretty poor conditions move in over the next hour or so. Forty-five to 60-minute arrival delays, low clouds, fog, wind, rain and poor visibility for just about the entire day.
The rest of the country looks set up for a pretty good travel day.
I'll be back in the studios all day with you all tomorrow to keep everyone updated on Christmas Eve. That will do it for me this morning. Holly, have a great one.
FIRFER: All right. Thanks, Rally, same to you.
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 December 23, 2003 - 06:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN ANCHOR: Time to check with -- in with our 'Eye on the Sky.' That would be Air Traffic Expert Rally Caparas from Travelocity Business.
What's on the -- what's the early word on flight delays? I know a lot of people are traveling now and need to know how early do I have to get to the airport and will my flight be delayed?
RALLY CAPARAS, AIR TRAFFIC SPECIALIST, TRAVELOCITY.COM: Good morning, Holly.
Well, you're exactly right, it will be a very, very, very crowded day at the airport. It's been that way since about Sunday morning. You can expect at every major hub airport across the country, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, all of the major hub airports, 30 to 45- minute arrival and departure delays will be the norm today. The heavy volume, the crowds, increased security because of the orange alert is going to be out there, so expect at least a 30 to 45-minute arrival departure delay.
Make sure you arrive at least two-and-a-half hours, folks, two- and-a-half hours to the airport prior to your scheduled departure time. That will get you through security and through the processing safely. Like I said, on Sunday morning 8:00, I was there with thousands of people at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport just to drop my kids off, and it was a long, long wait for them, too. So keep that in mind and make that the regular plan for today and tomorrow.
Now delays from Boston all the way down to Miami, expect good conditions and near on-time schedules all day and evening long. Mother Nature has blessed us with an excellent day for air travel along the East Coast.
Detroit and Cleveland, they will see 30 to 45-minute arrival and departure delays, first because of low clouds, fog and rain, and then later on today because of some snow and departure flight de-icing. Excuse me. Those delays could increase if the snow starts to fall more -- well, if it gets really, really heavy. And we'll stay tuned to Chad and see how he's going to update that, but it could get much worse later this evening once we get past 5:00 or so.
Chicago O'Hare, delay free early, but they will see 45-minute arrival delays. Heavy volume and runway configurations are not going to bode well with one another, and so we will have 45 to 60-minute arrival delays into Chicago.
And then on the West Coast, San Francisco, they'll see some pretty poor conditions move in over the next hour or so. Forty-five to 60-minute arrival delays, low clouds, fog, wind, rain and poor visibility for just about the entire day.
The rest of the country looks set up for a pretty good travel day.
I'll be back in the studios all day with you all tomorrow to keep everyone updated on Christmas Eve. That will do it for me this morning. Holly, have a great one.
FIRFER: All right. Thanks, Rally, same to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
