Holiday Travel Expected To Drop
President Bush trekked to the Transportation Department yesterday to outline the steps the White House was taking to curb air traffic hassles during the busy holiday travel season.
Citing long delays, lost bags and overbooked flights, the president jokingly asked, "Will it be 'It's a Wonderful Life,' or will it be 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'?"
About 2 million fewer Americans will travel by air during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the Air Transport Association, the airline trade association. The ATA said its forecast of 24 million air passengers this year represents the sharpest year-over-year decline in Thanksgiving travel in seven years.
"It's the fragile economy," said David A. Castelveter, an ATA spokesman. "When you see Citigroup lay off 50,000 people, people will have less spending power. Some of those people are travelers."
The AAA automobile club estimates that about 41 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, down 1.4 percent, or 600,000 people, from last year's level. A pullback would mark the fourth consecutive holiday this year to show a year-over-year decline in the number of travelers.
Respond: Will you be traveling this holiday season? How?
Citing long delays, lost bags and overbooked flights, the president jokingly asked, "Will it be 'It's a Wonderful Life,' or will it be 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'?"
About 2 million fewer Americans will travel by air during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the Air Transport Association, the airline trade association. The ATA said its forecast of 24 million air passengers this year represents the sharpest year-over-year decline in Thanksgiving travel in seven years.
"It's the fragile economy," said David A. Castelveter, an ATA spokesman. "When you see Citigroup lay off 50,000 people, people will have less spending power. Some of those people are travelers."
The AAA automobile club estimates that about 41 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, down 1.4 percent, or 600,000 people, from last year's level. A pullback would mark the fourth consecutive holiday this year to show a year-over-year decline in the number of travelers.
Respond: Will you be traveling this holiday season? How?