I Flew!

[MAD]

I had to fly from LaGuardia to Atlanta on Wednesday and return on Thursday night.

The airports are like ghost towns…

I do that trip alot so I know those flights very well. When I called Delta to give them my frequent flyer number they were very good about telling me to not bring anything sharp like toenail clippers or nail files and to be there 2 hours early.

I took car service from Westchester county where I live although I usually park my car at LGA if it is only an overnight stay because it is $24 vs. $200 for R/T car service. I had been told that the parking lots at LGA were closed (false info-THEY ARE OPEN).

Anyway, I was quite nervous, although this is probably my 50th flight this year, but my first since last week. I got to the airport at 1:20 for my 3:30 flight (which is usually quite full). There were more police officers than there were passengers. Since there was almost no one to check in and the flights were empty, they put everyone (probably all 15 of us) on the 2pm flight to Atlanta.

I did not have to check my bag. At LGA we have never been allowed to pass security without a ticket. What is new is that they are asking for ID and a ticket. However, there are more security guards viewing the x-ray machine and there is a police officer or two which is also new. They also have new spot checks before security where they pull people over (usually with large bags) and open them up and go through the bags. They are opening up many more bags (random checks) after going through security, although they didn’t do a random check on mine.

My flight was unenventful (had my own row-stretched out and was asleep before takeoff).

Atltanta is considered to be the busiest airport in the country and it is also very quiet. My cab driver told me that he had wait 4 HOURS for a fare and there must have been 25 cabs sitting behind him. That really struck me as quite sad.

Anyway, my point to this post? Really, there isn’t one. Just that I did it; and it can be done. And the airlines are taking this very very seriously.

Sorry for this being so long and rambling.

[This message was edited by MAD on Sep. 24, 2001 at 05:35 PM.]

[MAD]

I had to fly from LaGuardia to Atlanta on Wednesday and return on Thursday night.

The airports are like ghost towns…

I do that trip alot so I know those flights very well. When I called Delta to give them my frequent flyer number they were very good about telling me to not bring anything sharp like toenail clippers or nail files and to be there 2 hours early.

I took car service from Westchester county where I live although I usually park my car at LGA if it is only an overnight stay because it is $24 vs. $200 for R/T car service. I had been told that the parking lots at LGA were closed (false info-THEY ARE OPEN).

Anyway, I was quite nervous, although this is probably my 50th flight this year, but my first since last week. I got to the airport at 1:20 for my 3:30 flight (which is usually quite full). There were more police officers than there were passengers. Since there was almost no one to check in and the flights were empty, they put everyone (probably all 15 of us) on the 2pm flight to Atlanta.

I did not have to check my bag. At LGA we have never been allowed to pass security without a ticket. What is new is that they are asking for ID and a ticket. However, there are more security guards viewing the x-ray machine and there is a police officer or two which is also new. They also have new spot checks before security where they pull people over (usually with large bags) and open them up and go through the bags. They are opening up many more bags (random checks) after going through security, although they didn’t do a random check on mine.

My flight was unenventful (had my own row-stretched out and was asleep before takeoff).

Atltanta is considered to be the busiest airport in the country and it is also very quiet. My cab driver told me that he had wait 4 HOURS for a fare and there must have been 25 cabs sitting behind him. That really struck me as quite sad.

Anyway, my point to this post? Really, there isn’t one. Just that I did it; and it can be done. And the airlines are taking this very very seriously.

Sorry for this being so long and rambling.

[This message was edited by MAD on Sep. 24, 2001 at 05:35 PM.]

[FirstCry]

Thanks for the report MAD. My mother is flying out in Mid-October. I will inform her to arrive early and bring lots of reading material, just in case traffic picks up alittle by then.

Member of the Baby Greenie Support Group of North America

“GOD BLESS AMERICA”

[SoEasy]

I flew from Philly to Los Angeles on the 15th, and back on the 22nd.

First flight, USAIR is the dominant carrier in Philly, and the day after they started flying again … we had almost 3 hrs of standing in ONE LINE for check in with the gazillion people grounded there for days, and just made it onto the plane … which took off on time, half empty.

Second flight, USAIR is minor player at LAX, they said come an hour early … we were much earlier than that for other reasons, NO LINE at all, plane on time and nearly full.

In both places, no one can park in the short term lots yet, they ask for pictures both at the check in counter and at the security check points. I didn’t see anyone going through luggage. However, the people watching the carry on scanners were actually WATCHING them, not chatting.

At LAX, the cops are stationed at the entrance to the airport checking people, although since we were on a rental agency bus by that point I have no idea what they were really looking for. They were succeeding in creating a traffic jam though!

[Erin]

Thanks for the report, MAD! I’ve got a flight from BWI to O’Hare this evening. I’m taking lots of stuff to read while I stand in line for 2 hours.

[Flash44]

Imagine how much faster you would get on and off your plane if people were not dragging huge suitcases from the overhead bins or trying to stuff them in there. Plus, they turn off the air, so you get hotter and hotter as you wait…You should be allwed a shoulder bag to fit under your seat and that’s it. Having said that, I’m sure they will lose all my luggage next time I fly…

F44 - Once a nerd, always a nerd.

[Lisi]

since plane tix are so cheap now, my friend and i have been campaigning to get our parents to take us to Disneyland on our first four day weekend in october. we figure that it will be really inexpensive and there won’t be any lines! (and the parents are close to agreeing too!)

[Just_My_Style]

Many aviation safety specialists have mentioned banning all carry-ons in the future- including purses and diaper bags. I don’t know what I would do. I guess not fly until my son is old enough not to need diapers (another 2 years). That would be difficult. I live in Georgia and my parents are in NJ. We fly 2-3 times a year up north.

[findeight]

They took my eyebrow tweezers!!!
Until the feds take over for these third rate security contract companies and their minimum wage flunkies plus get some standards written that apply everywhere you can expect more of the same. Inconsistent at best. Airline employees have been complaining about this for at least 10 years.

From Allergy Valley USA

[Dementia_13]

No, it wasn’t rambling at all! In fact, it was extremely helpful. I am going to be flying quite a bit beginning in October, and I really appreciate the information.

I work very close to BWI Airport. Its eerily quiet lately - it seems like far fewer than normal are landing or taking off.

[MAD]

Has anyone else flown yet? Erin? What was it like?

[Cactuskate]

It is nice to hear an inside report. I’m sure it will be a bit un-nerving in the beginning. But things will settle down.

Now if I could come up with a good reason to get the heck out of Dodge as they say. those days of business travel have passed. Maybe I need to go to Oregon and hug a fir tree or something.

“The older I get, the better I used to be, but who the heck cares!”

[Weatherford]

Just flew back from Ireland. Plane was EMPTY (well, maybe 75 people on a 300 person plane?!)

I got to the airport VERY early - and my suitcase was inspected by security (random checks) before check in. As well as my hand luggage - computer case & Camera case.

THEN, hand luggage was thoroughly checked again by security at the x-ray place, THEN again before voarding the plane.

The Irish are taking this VERY seriously. Shannon airport was unusually quiet, and NEWARK was dead! I have never seen the runway so empty, much less the terminal.

It was cloudy and rainy over NYC, so we couldn’t see anything. Just as well, IMHO.

I thought about NOT coming back for a while, but I really had to…

[MAD]

What I meant to mention…

I usually book myself on the 7:30pm ATL to LGA because it is impossible to get a seat on the 6:30pm or 5:30pm. When you call, you are told they are 50-60 seats oversold. Yesterday I got to the airport at ATL at 5:15pm hoping to get on the 6:30 and they had 70 seats on the 6:30pm UNSOLD. That means that they had 120 less seats (approx.) unsold than usual. OUCH for the airlines.

We had to circle LGA once. But when we approached NYC our pilot came over the loud speaker and said “Manhattan on the right” and even though the seat belt sign was on and we were not allowed to stand up, several people on the left hand side of the plane unbuckled and stood up and looked. And the plane got very silent. I have never heard a pilot make that announcement and I have never seen people stand up nor seen that happen before.

[MAD]

I think they have had to cancel flights for two main reasons: lack of passengers and now lack of employees.

[msj]

Were you allowed carry-on on your flights? That is other than your purse?

Fortunately I do not fly often, (despise travel-I’m a homebody-happy with my horses on the farm) but do so at X-Mas time. The amount of carry-on luggage is overwhelming at that time.

Believe me, and I’m sure I’m going to get flamed for this, I’d love to see all airlines do away with carry-on.

For the record, your post wasn’t rambling at all. It was very informative.

msj

[Erin]

I followed the airlines’ advice and got there 2 hours early… and this is a monumental achievement for me, because I’m usually lucky if I get there before they start boarding.

I had e-tickets and no bags to check, but I still had to check in at the ticket counter. (You now you need a boarding pass or receipt from the airline before you can go through security.) The line at the United ticket counter at BWI was non-existent. And this was at 5 pm on a Friday.

There was a very long line to go through security for most of the gates, but I happened to be going out of this tiny little section of the airport with only 3 gates, so no line at security. They want to see your ticket and a photo ID, and they not only have you walk through the metal detectors, they scan you with the little stick thing and pat down your ankles and stuff.

So, the process of getting to the gate took about 10 minutes. I then had an hour and 45 minutes to wait for my flight.

As we got on the plane, they were announcing that it was a full flight… but people must simply not be showing up for their flights. It was probably 1/2 to 1/3 empty.

At O’Hare, they no longer allow cars to wait at the curb to pick people up. They were shooing people along unless the folks they were right there ready to get in the car.

Flying out of O’Hare was the same as BWI – no lines to speak of, although this was pretty early on Sunday, so maybe that was why.

Both airports were pretty subdued. Very strange. Lots of security and police around.

Although I admit that I was leaning toward cancelling this trip for a while and have been thinking of putting off other travel plans, I’ve changed my mind. I think it’s important that we all get back out there.

There are some really good airfares to be had right now, too.

[gwen]

It is nice to know that people DO make it to their destinations…it makes me feel a little better!

Barb

[Clive_s_Mom]

to Las Vegas for a convention. I pretty much encountered the same stuff as MAD, but I flew out of Dulles. There were plenty of police and dogs and the lines were INSANE to get to the ticket counters (unlike what Erin saw - literally hundreds waiting in line). You also cannot leave a car idleing or unattended in the drop-off/pick-up lanes like you used to - they have police patrolling the lanes moving everyone along and put up cement barricades.

It was weird though, that with so many people in line at ticket counters, the planes were virtually empty. The flight attendents on the way out (last Sat - just 4 days after the attack) were in good spirits, trying to make jokes and keep everyone at ease. On the way home, they had just found out the airlines were laying off lots of staff - they were not nearly so pleasant.

Carry-ons - they let them on, but they scoured my purse and bag, literally going through everything. They didn’t do that at Las Vegas, but did at Dulles. I took my cell phone and my palm pilot - no one ever asked to see them work properly. EEeeeeek.

Unlike in the past, when the fasten seat belt sign is on - you’d better be in your seat. Several people on my plane got the wagged finger and an escort back to their seats by annoyed flight attendents.

I did overhear some stewardesses complaining that no one checked their badges in Denver - made me worry, as they were concerned that they hadn’t been checked. Hopefully, that was just an oversight and has been corrected.

Anyway, got home safe. Not too crazy about flying anytime soon - thankfully, I don’t need to.

• C

[MAD]

Nothing Has Changed.

I was ready to check everything, but was surprised to find you can carry on just like before. I was allowed to carry my purse, my laptop/briefcase and a suitcase. Just keep in mind that it takes longer to get through the security because they are looking very close at everything through the x-ray machine.

And the lines are not taking 2 hours because there are no passengers. But you should still get there 2 hours in advance just in case.