Is Turkey Day weekend traffic lighter than usual this year?

[DieselDragRacer]

Here's an article regarding Hartsfield and earlier I saw a TV report about O'Hare being relatively light:

Travelers should still expect an easy arrival and departure from Hartsfield-Jackson in the mid-afternoon. By 2:30 p.m., just the north and south economy parking lots were full. Departures were largely on time. Plenty of Delta and Air Tran kiosks were available and security wait-times were a few minutes or less.

TSA spokesman Jonathan Allen said just 26 people had opted out of full body scanners by 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. TSA expects to screen nearly 47,000 passengers today.

Only three people were protesting the recent tougher security measures imposed by the Transportation Security Administration.

Employees at the Houlihan's in the airport atrium said business this week has been unusually slow.

The manager, who worked 13 years but declined to give her name, said she'd never seen traffic so sparse.

Most of the tables on the restaurant's second floor were empty through lunchtime, and servers said on a day when they should have seen between 1,200 and 1,500 customers Tuesday, they served fewer than 500.

The AirTran protest out-protested the "Opt-out" protesters. Dozens of red-shirted AirTran employees picketing and shouting moved their line in front of Sharon Dempsey as she handed out pamphlets encouraging people not to submit to the security scanners.

"They're so obnoxious," Dempsey said, as the line of picketers nearly bumped her shouting, "Fair contracts, now!"

Security lines were moving smoothly at 11 a.m. The three protesters were handing out pamphlets that said:
"We have the right to say no. No radiation, strip searches, no groping of genitals. Say ‘I'll opt out.' "

Just after 11 a.m. airport security wait times were less than a minute, while in some moments nonexistent. TSA spokesman Jonathan Allen said he expects the flow to be steady throughout the day, with no peak times.
Both Delta and AirTran are heavily staffed and lines are small and moving quickly. Plenty of self-check-in kiosks are available.


-- AJC staffers Vino Wong and Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this article.

http://www.ajc.com/business/no-crowds-few-protesters-753064.html

 

[B727FA]

I only had one full leg today out of 4. Weird.

 

[MD11Drvr]

Well, I have been saying that the TSA would not be happy until they kill US Air travel. There has to be a better way than what we currently are seeing.

 

[FLYLOW22]

Flew yesterday our of LGA. You'd think from watching Fox, CNN and local that it was pandemonium at the airport. I didn't even see one of the new TSA sonar checkpoints looking at passenger ping there. Sailed right through. No delays. Full plane though.

 

[n757st]

Full planes both legs on the 23rd.

 

[CitationLover]

Flew yesterday our of LGA. You'd think from watching Fox, CNN and local that it was pandemonium at the airport. I didn't even see one of the new TSA sonar checkpoints looking at passenger ping there. Sailed right through. No delays. Full plane though.

Rumor is they shut them off so there was nothing to opt out of.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

All of my legs have been full.

 

[Saabslime]

Rumor is they shut them off so there was nothing to opt out of.

Interesting.....the security lanes at the airports I flew through that had these machines were roped off.

 

[Crzipilot]

Yup, roped 'em off, so they could efficiently get people through security so news cameras would have nothing to shoot. That way they can proclaim no delays due to security screening over holiday. No one opted out etc etc......

Come monday. Full steam ahead...ha

 

[G4G5]

Flew out of MSP on Wednesday (as a pax), sailed through security, the airport was a ghost town (5pm Dal flt to LGA). It was blowing snow the TV camera crews were all standing around with nothing to report. MD88 with around 10-15 empty seats. Flew back yesterday out of LGA, same deal, sailed through security, no lines, no TSA BS, A320 with around 5-10 empty seats.