The holidays might bring good tidings, but they also bring travel headaches, especially at the airport, on the runway and in the air. When Thanksgiving rolls around and people start flocking to the airport, all bets are off. Delays during late November and late December are inevitable. This year will be no different'or will it?



Flight numbers are down because of the recent struggles in the airline industry. However, most carriers are banking on a reasonably busy holiday season to help ease the pain induced by the slow economy. 24 million people will be flying over the week of Thanksgiving. That's a 10% drop, but there will be at least 10% fewer flights offered by most airlines.

So, despite fewer people traveling, you can still expect major delays and crowded skies if you are traveling on or near one of the coming holidays.

President Bush recently outlined some plans to help ease the strain of Holiday travel. Like last year, two air corridors usually used by military aircraft will be opened to commercial flights during the week. The extra airspace is in Florida, Maine and California.

In addition to the airspace, the government approved an experimental auction of take-off and landing times at JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports in the New York area.

Three new runways will be open later this week at the nation's biggest airports. Washington D.C.?s Dulles, Chicago O'Hare, and Seattle-Tacoma will all christen new sections of tarmac before the busy holiday.

These extra efforts may help, but the real problem is the shortage of airport personnel during the holidays. With fewer air traffic controllers and grounds crews, there is only so much that an airline can do to remain on schedule. It seems that busy, congested airports and skies will remain as much a part of the holidays as your family's traditions.