U.S. Airports Help Ease the Travel Burden for Thanksgiving
Jennifer Billock November 23, 2016
Airports across the United States are adding special Thanksgiving perks to ease the burden of traveling.
Flying any time of the year can be stressful, but it can be particularly trying during the holiday season, when people rush home from across the country to celebrate with their families. This year will be particularly tough — according to Fortune, 600,000 people more than average will be going through our country’s airports for the Thanksgiving season. There has also been a 1.9 percent increase in people traveling more than 50 miles for the holiday this year, putting it at about 48.7 million people. That’s the highest it’s been since 2007.
To ease the frustration of traveling through crowded airports, some are pulling out extra perks for travelers. Airports in Chicago and Memphis have enlisted therapy dogs to walk around the terminals and meet people, hoping to ease some anxiety felt by travelers. The Chicago airports have two: a Jack Russell Terrier mix and a German Shepherd mix.
“Just the entertainment of a dog distracting your attention for a least a little while helps to improve your experience at the airport,” Ann Davidson, operations manager at Chicago-based Canine Therapy Corps, the group that provided the dogs, told Fortune.
Other airports are helping out with parking. Dallas-Fort Worth is offering seven days of parking free to the first 1,000 customers using special lanes starting Wednesday. JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark are offering reduced parking rates for a limited time.
Security lines will be easier on travelers at some airports, as well; Newark, LAX, and O’Hare now have expedited screening lanes at terminals serving United Airlines.
[Photo: Getty Images]
