Suggestions for holiday departures, arrivals

11-16-2006

The next seven weeks will be the busiest travel time of the year, as Americans head somewhere for the holidays. Much of this travel will be via the highways; the AAA expects 30 million Americans to hit the roads. But the holidays also will send a tidal wave of passengers crashing against the dikes of airport security that have been erected around a leaner, meaner and significantly diminished domestic airline industry. Many of those passengers will be taking their first flights since the new security regulations were put in place.

To accommodate this traffic, airlines are adding upward of a million extra seats. To fill them, carriers have announced a round of fare sales this week, with discounts for those who buy their tickets by Friday.

At the same time, there will be fewer people, from gate attendants to baggage handlers, to serve those travelers, as carriers continue whittling their legions of employees. To exacerbate the problem, Transportation Security Administration security personnel are also being scaled back, adding to potential bottlenecks. Fortunately, TSA furloughs at Pittsburgh International have been postponed until after the holidays.

The bottom line: If you haven't flown recently, know that significant changes have taken place, both at the airport and on the plane. Here are some general tips to keep in mind:

1. Good days and bad. When booking flights, particularly during the holidays, avoid flying on Friday afternoon or evening or Sunday (or Monday, if it's the end of a holiday weekend). Travel on Saturdays and on the holiday itself is generally less busy.

2. Get to the airport on time. Plan to be there at least 90 minutes prior to domestic departures and two hours before international flights. Add half an hour during peak travel times.

For the latest travel traffic conditions, check the airport Web site (www.flypittsburgh.com). In addition to real-time data on departures and arrivals, you can find out how full the parking lots are, the length of security lines, even traffic flow on highways to the airport.

3. Photo IDs. In addition to a ticket and boarding pass, you'll need a government-issued photo ID. (Apparently, however, there has been some relaxation of these ID regulations. My wife and mother-in-law recently flew to New York City and back, with no photo IDs at all.)Know that nonpassengers can get gate passes from the airlines to accompany children and travelers with special needs to and from their departure gate.

4. Baggage. Passengers who can fit their belongings into a single carry-on won't have to wait for their bags to arrive upon landing and will also eliminate the risk of having them go astray, but carry-ons will complicate and lengthen the process of getting through security.

To avoid delays, never pack prohibited items in your carry-ons. Limit metal objects worn on your person, clothing or shoes. Remove keys, cell phones, change from your pockets and heavy metal watches and jewelry from your wrist. Send them through the X-ray scanner. Also, remove electronic items (laptops, cell phones and CD players) from your carry-on cases so that they can be examined separately.

Another point: If you're taking along presents, wait until you get through security to wrap them. This holiday season, the airport plans to renew its gift-wrapping service for purchases made in the air-side terminal, with proceeds going to support the SIDS Foundation.

If bringing any questionable items, pack them in bags that will be checked. Generally, each passenger can check two bags for free, but there are weight and size limits, and airlines have become more vigilant about collecting fees for overweight luggage.

If you're taking larger items, such as golf clubs or skis, consider shipping them ahead -- or renting them when you arrive. That's especially true if you have more than one other suitcase to check. While sports equipment is generally counted as luggage and shipped for free, it's expensive if you have to pay extra.

5. Meals. Airlines have pared back or eliminated free food on most domestic flights, although you can often buy box meals on the plane. You can also bring a brown-bag snack or buy something at the airport. At Pittsburgh International, as at most other airports, food courts, stores and duty-free shops are on the other side of security, so plan to clear the checkpoints and then browse.

5. Finally, expect the unexpected. Bring a fully charged cell phone, charger and extra battery. Or buy a prepaid phone card. Also, bring phone numbers for your airline, hotel and rental car companies, as well as for people you're expecting to meet.

Of course, many people other than passengers will be journeying to the airport. Here are tips if you'll be picking up someone:

First, check their arrival status at www.flypittsburgh.com.

If you are within an hour of the airport, ask the passengers to call you when they get off the plane. If they have checked bags, there's a good chance they'll be waiting at the curb when you arrive.

Otherwise, the best idea is to park your car in the short-term lot and wait inside. County police are discouraging stopping along the airport ring road, and no waiting is permitted at the curb outside the baggage area.

To encourage use of the short-term parking lot, rates have been reduced to $1 for the first hour, a small price to pay to avoid the hassles of trolling around in your car. You can enter the lot by making a left at the end of the pick-up area.

Of course, even meeting someone inside the terminal can be problematic.

Over the past two weeks, there have been high-level proposals that would give nonpassengers access to the stores in the air-side terminal during nonpeak hours, but unless the TSA is willing to quickly and radically alter its regulations, that is unlikely to happen soon enough to be any immediate help.

Likewise, there are also discussions about creating a waiting area in the airport, most likely at the bottom of the escalators in the baggage claim area, but considering other uncertainties about the airport's future use, that is not likely to be done soon.

In the meantime, waiting for passengers at the security exits is the only option. That means traipsing from side to side across the entry hall as the two alternating shuttle trains arrive. Unfortunately, there's no seating, which contributes to the confusion of passengers lined up to get into security.

It seems these security regulations will be with us for the foreseeable future. Considering all the extra inconveniences airport users now face, any steps to make the meet and greet process more accommodating would be reason for thanksgiving.

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