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Have you ever stood in the middle of an airport with people scurrying around you like busy bees in a hive—going and coming, coming and going every which way? On a recent trip, I observed the activity around me and wondered how many people actually pass through airports each year. In case you’ve ever pondered this, here’s a look at the domestic and international fronts regarding how many passengers fly each year, and the busiest U.S. airlines and airports.
*Note: The information that follows relates to the first seven months of 2008.

Domestic Travel

Passengers. 392.6 million passengers took to the skies on U.S. carriers via 5.586 million flights. That’s 1.5% fewer travelers and 2.1% fewer flights than in the same time period in 2007.

Busiest U.S. Airports. The top ten list for busiest airports includes Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas / Ft. Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston Bush, and Charlotte.

Busiest U.S. Airlines. Southwest, American, Delta, United, US Airways (includes merged US Airways and American West), Northwest, Continental, AirTran, JetBlue, and SkyWest make up the top 10 busiest U.S. airlines.

International Travel

Passengers. From January through July this year, 55.9 million people flew on 515,000 internationally scheduled U.S. carriers—up 4.5% and .9% respectively from last year.

Busiest U.S. Airports. The U.S. airports that held the busiest international schedule of flights were Miami, New York JFK, Atlanta, Newark, Houston Bush, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas / Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit Metro.

Busiest U.S. Airlines: American, Continental, Delta, United, Northwest, US Airways (includes merged US Airways and American West), ExpressJet, Executive, Spirit, and JetBlue made the top 10 list for flying the highest numbers of international passengers.

Remainder of 2008
Historically, the holidays are the busiest time of the year for air travel, but with the present economic conditions in the U.S, it will be interesting to see how many people choose flying as their mode of transportation. We’ll follow up this blog with air travel information covering August through December 2008 just as soon as those numbers are available. Stay tuned. In the meantime, we’d like to hear your comments.

Source:
U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (www.bts.gov)

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Because I will be flying during this year’s holiday season, I can’t help but wonder what kind of experience awaits me. The crowds are a given, but delays and cancellations are always anyone’s guess. The one thing I can control, however, is my own preparedness. Here are some tips to help you save time during the check in and security processes.

Don’t check bags. If you carry on your bags, you will avoid check-in lines, luggage fees, and be flexible if your flight changes at the last minute. You will also avoid baggage-claim hassles when you arrive at your destination. (One bag is allowed in the overhead compartment, as well as one under the seat in front of you.) Contact your airline carrier for carry-on baggage dimensions. (I travel with one suitcase and a full backpack.)

If you can’t travel light enough to carry on, ship luggage or gifts ahead. Try using UPS or Luggage Free , via their ground service to save money.

Avoid the check-in line. Twenty-four to 36 hours before leaving your home, check in at your airline’s website and print your boarding pass. If you don’t check bags, you can bypass the check-in counter entirely and proceed directly to the security area.

Arrive early. Whether you check luggage or not, it’s important to arrive at the airport in plenty of time to go through the check-in and security processes. Security wait times can sometimes be painfully slow. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Website provides estimated waiting times at major airports. A good rule of thumb is plan to be at your departing gate an hour early for domestic flights and 2 to 3 hours for international flights.

Passing smoothly through security. Your preparedness can really pay off in the security line. With your boarding pass and government-issued ID handy, slip your belt, keys, phone, coins, and jewelry into your carry-on before you reach the security area.

Your liquids must be visible and travel down the conveyor belt ahead of your other items. As many 3-ounces or less containers that can fit into a one-quart zip lock bag are allowed. Some liquids such as prescription medications and baby formula are allowed, but you should point them out to the screeners before you go through security.

Quickly place your shoes, jacket or sweater, and laptop, into a tub and onto the conveyor belt. Your carry-on bags can follow your tub. Check the TSA Website ahead of time for updated restrictions on toiletries (liquids), gadgets and other items.

Don’t wrap those holiday packages until after you arrive at your destination. Otherwise, they are subject to inspection and may be unwrapped.

Quickly gather all your items from the conveyor belt (double check that you have everything) and carry them to a nearby area.  There you can replace shoes and retrieve personal items from your bag, such as jewelry, watch, belt, etc.  Put your ID away and proceed to your gate with your boarding pass.

Source: Fodors 1,001 Smart Travel Tips, 2nd Edition, 2008.

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