Summary of post-9/11 recovery progress.
Dec. 2001 vs. 2000
Airline Pax Traffic
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Air Canada -2.5%
AirTran +5.2%
Alaska -5.1%
American -17.4%
America West -15.0%
Continental -10.6%
Delta -9.8%
Northwest -11.3%
Southwest +0.6%
United -18.1%
US Airways -22.0%
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AND improving!
Yet transatlantic traffic is still down about 25%, sadly!
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Notables and no-names alike searched at airports
A 'near-proctological' experience
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/08/rec....ap/index.html
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The pain of air travel
Air travel these days is rather like it must have been taking a covered wagon. It not only takes a long time. It's an unpleasant experience.
Those who are returning to America's airports should be lauded for infinite tolerance and good will as they are poked, prodded and often made to partially disrobe by security guards, after standing in longer and longer lines. But the events of Sept. 11 also have significantly changed the industry's pledge to make things as easy as possible for passengers. No longer is the customer always right at the ticket gate or on the plane.
A passenger recently complained about his treatment and merely used the word "terrorist." He was immediately removed and now faces some vague federal charge after the pilot got into the act and refused to take off with him on the plane. The lesson to all air travelers - be very careful what you say. In fact, it is best to say nothing about anything in an atmosphere that takes exception to the most innocent of remarks.
At a Florida airport, a harried businessman who sounded Australian asked the ticket agent if there were some way to get his bag off the flight since his plans had been changed by the home office and he was now headed elsewhere. He was told curtly by the agent that the bag would not be off-loaded until it reached the designation for which it was checked. After pleading to no avail, and finally being told to move on, the frustrated passenger said that he guessed the only way to get the suitcase off the plane was to claim it had something bad in it. He was immediately arrested.
Even a Secret Service agent on the presidential detail isn't immune, it seems, from severe scrutiny. An American with Middle Eastern roots, he seems to have been treated rudely in a case that can be expected to have major ramifications.
Much of the airport nervousness could be expected under the circumstances, and in most instances, the airlines are trying to make travel less burdensome. They realize that many of them won't be in business if things don't get back to normal soon. But the examples of bad judgment are frequent enough to reveal a need for at least special new training of all personnel as well as the new government security forces approved by Congress...
http://www.nandotimes.com/opinions/s...-2066272c.html
[This message has been edited by doc (edited 01-10-2002).]