Good weather helped get Thanksgiving travel off to an easy start in Denver and elsewhere across the country today. Planes leaving Denver International Airport on time and drivers enjoying clear skies and falling fuel prices.
“It’s been smooth all day,” DIA spokesman Steve Snyder said.
“The weather’s good, people are moving in and out, and there’s plenty of parking.” Even the lines at security checkpoints were moving well, officials said.
Cheaper parking lots farther from the airport were full, but spaces were open in the garage next to the terminal and the lots served by shuttle buses.
About 150,000 passengers were expected to travel through DIA Wednesday, up from roughly 130,000 on Tuesday. Sunday will be the peak travel day, when 158,000 travelers were expected.
“Roads are in good shape,” said Eric Escudero of the state Department of Transportation. “We don’t anticipate any wintry weather moving into the area.”
AAA Colorado reported this week that gasoline prices were 75 cents a gallon lower than their peak after Hurricane Katrina.
Nationwide, AAA said more than 37 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the holiday weekend, undeterred by expensive gasoline, rental cars and hotel rooms. The association, citing a telephone survey, said the number of Thanksgiving travelers is up 0.8 percent from last year.
Snow fell across parts of the Midwest, but Kate Kehoe wasn’t too worried about her trip of about 55 miles from Ann Arbor to Flint, Mich.
“I’m glad gas is not $3 anymore,” the preschool teacher said as she filled her tank.
The Air Transport Association, which represents major airlines, predicted 21.7 million people would fly on U.S. airlines from Nov.
19 to Nov. 29, slightly more than last year’s record number.
“Air fares are up probably roughly $40 … since last February, but that hasn’t deterred people,” Terry Trippler, an airline analyst with CheapSeats.com, told AP Radio.
Light snow during the morning caused no problems for airlines at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, which expected nearly 2 million passengers during the holiday weekend, said Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Wendy Abrams.
In Indiana, however, the snow contributed to numerous rush hour wrecks. No serious injuries were reported.
“It’s the first snowfall of the year and people don’t have the winter habits yet,” said state Trooper Robert Brophy at Fort Wayne, Ind.
Snow showers fell as far south as North Carolina, where Mount Mitchell had collected 10 inches overnight, and winter storm watches were in effect through Thursday evening for sections of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland and northern New England, the National Weather Service said.
Fog was the culprit in Idaho, stranding would-be travelers in Boise. “It’s a game of wait and see with an extreme dose of patience,” said Larissa Stouffer, marketing director for Boise Airport.
For hundreds of motorists, the day started with a miles-long traffic jam on Washington’s Capital Beltway after a gasoline tanker truck exploded north of the city on Interstate 95. No injuries were reported and the highway was partially reopened in about three hours.
“You wouldn’t want to be there today,” Mary Yacko, 79, of Elkins Park, Pa., said of I-95 as she waited for a train from Philadelphia with her daughters to Chantilly, Va. She planned to drive back through the Washington area Sunday. “I know that trip will be horrible.” Some travelers at Miami International Airport said conditions were surprisingly normal. “So far so good,” said Miami resident Rosemarie Wilder, 61, heading to Atlanta with her daughter and granddaughter.
But people who weren’t accustomed to Miami International didn’t share her opinion. “It’s like a hurricane,” Martha Bittencourt, 54, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, waiting for a flight to visit friends in Tennessee.
The check-in area at Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s McNamara Terminal was practically vacant this morning.
“This is the fewest I’ve ever seen in the airport, let alone for a holiday weekend,” Chris Spangler of Ypsilanti said after checking his bags for a flight to Richmond, Va.
Detroit airport spokesman Michael Conway said advance booking data showed that more people were flying to Detroit than from it for Thanksgiving.
Amtrak put an extra 60 trains in service this week in the Northeast Corridor, but many trains were already sold out, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black told AP Radio.
Traffic was up at Dallas-based Greyhound Lines Inc., spokeswoman Anna Folmnsbee, although she said she didn’t have passenger figures because most people buy their tickets on a walk-up basis.
