Airline passengers facing a long, hot summer
12:16 p.m. Thursday, June 21, 2007
Long lines at the ticket counter, planes filled to capacity, and summer storms are leaving passengers at their breaking point. On Wednesday, a computer malfunction at United grounded all of the airline's departures for two hours. 268 planes were stuck on the tarmac from coast to coast.
Two weeks ago, an FAA computer glitch left thousands of passengers stranded on the runways or stuck in terminals. That took five hours to fix, and bad weather only added to the chaos.
"People were screaming at the counter people, and screaming at the attendants trying to figure out what was going on," stranded passenger Mark Podell said.
Experts warn it'll only get worse. As the summer travel season heats up, so does the weather. This will lead to more storms and rough skies. In turn that will cause more flight delays. The FAA said delays are already up 10 percent over last year.
"There are going to be much longer lines," said Cindy Cohen of Lonely Planet. "People will get bumped and they will be upset."
Even the most seasoned travelers are hunkering down for a very long, hot summer in the skies.
So what's a summer traveler to do? Come to the airport early; at least two hours before your flight. Also come prepared. Bring enough supplies to last you 24 hours and that includes medication, even a change of clothes.
Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to come to the airport armed with patience. You're certainly going to need it this summer.
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