In light of the attacks, would you fly tomorrow?
 

If you're amongst those of us stranded away from home.....

Will you get on a plane to get home once the airports open?

Some have said if the airports open at noon tomorrow, that that will be the safest day in US avation history. Others are telling me to rent a car and drive for three days before I get back on a plane.

What do you think?

Fly. Today's events were a deliberately planned anomaly. As you've mentioned, it will most likely be one of the safest and time consuming task from checking in to getting to the gates. Everyone will overcompensate tomorrow.

I'm ticketed to fly Wednesday. I am not hestitant to fly.

I would fly. Airline travel, when it is restored, will be very safe. I have a trip LAX-PDX for this Friday & will fly it if I can.

I am ticketed Friday. If the plane goes, so will I. I think it will be safer than a week ago.

But more importantly, we can't let this paralyze us, or make us cower in fear. Sorry for my language, but f-ck the evil sickos who did this. I'll be on my plane. You'll get yours.

Yeah, I'll be flying this week as long as they open the airports back up and running. Don't let the cowards that did this win

I am taking my little brother on a long-planned and much-needed vacation on Friday.

As I told my mom, of course we will fly. If I didn't, and took Amtrak for instance, we'd be letting the terrorists win.

The heart of a city and nation must live on - I'm looking forward to my trip and to calling my mom before, during and after the flight.

Best, Lewis

I was scheduled to fly today so I don't know how to go about getting on a plane tomorrow but I will be on one if it is possible.

My wife flew today (was in the air during the attacks) and will fly tommorrow (continuing to her destination) if the airline is flying. I am ticketed for a Friday trip and will fly if not grounded.

I'm flying down to Atlanta on Thursday - and like others have said - I think it'll be safer tomorrow and the rest of the week than ever. After all, this is something that the terrorists knew they could only do once - as we'll learn how they did it - and then prevent them from doing it again in the same way.

But we must be eternally vigilant, and not become complacent after we've gone a month, two months, a year or more after this horrible day.

Life is too short to spend it being afraid. And if I don't fly, I need to look for a new job, which is more frightening to me than being unfortunate enough to pick the wrong flight. So, I'll keep on flying.

I cancelled tomorrow because of a couple of reasons. (2 FC upgrades on NW to PDX-MSP-YUL)

1. It was a pleasure flight, my wife's and my seats could be better utilized by someone trying to get home.
2. I doubt that our 12p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) flight will depart and we will probably become part of a giant mess. Besides, who wants to sleep on the floor at MSP?)
3. I'm not sure that scheduling will be settled down in the next few days.

Am thinking about booking somewhere else in a week or so. So, yes I would not hesitate to fly

We MUST keep flying. The ground stop right now is necessary, but for the sake of our economy, our morale and our national pride, this country needs to recover and get running again as soon as possible.

I have an ORD-SEA flight planned Saturday. If the plane goes, I go. Besides, I'll be spending the week in the NW mountains, which would be an ideal place to spend a terrorist attack.

yeah I'd fly. Maybe this is a flaw waiting to be weeded out by natural selection.
On the otherhand if we give in to fear, the terrorists have succeeded in their goal.

The worst thing we can do is let the economy grind to a halt as a result of these actions.

If my 1:25 flight thas was going today is going tommorrow -- I'm on it.

I'm planning to start my RTW on Fri evening if all goes well. I might be more cautios if I were flying on a US carrier or thru NYC, but that's a natural reaction--just what those terrorists want! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I'm ticketed on united SFO-JFK tomorrow, but not even thinking of going. As opushomes pointed out, why should I compete with people who truly need to be there for their loved ones. My family is safe, I'll see them next month.

I will go on my SFO-LHR-AMS trip at the end of the month, tho.

I was due to fly tomorrow out to Seattle on business. I'm not going now for a number of reasons:

• my flight is scheduled at 11:38am, I don't think it will go
• even though it's business, it was non-essential and I figure there are people who really need the seat to get back home
• our corporate security has asked us to put off travel for at least 24 hours.

Honestly, I have no worry about flying, but since it's not absolutely necessary to get out there if I can help by not adding to the logjam of folks trying to get around then I'll do that.

why not. i'm ashamed that we shut down the us world because of this. is there no back bone in our leadership!

I had a roundtrip scheduled Thursday CLE-MCI, returning on 10/1. I called CO and they happily refunded my non-refundable ticket no questions asked, in light of the current situation. I'm not flying primarily because I'm not confident they'll have the scheduling mess straightened out. I'm driving home (to MCI) tomorrow instead, as my wife is scheduled to have a baby on Monday morning, and I don't want to risk potential delays at an airport, and end up driving eventually anyhow.

Besides, as others have pointed out, there are an awful lot of people trying to get places the next couple of days; I'm sure they'll happily fill my seat...

I am flying - I want to get home. I am hanging out here in Chicago. United tells me that my flight is not cancelled if the ground stop lifts.

If we don't fly the terrorist will win.

Have strength.

Glad I am not flying this week however, still holding on to our tickets to Palm Beach, FL this weekend. Was concerned first about shark attacks but now this! Whoa.

Honestly, I have faith in the airlines and as they will be under heavy scrutiny and watchful eyes throughout the weekend, I think it should be a very safe time to travel.

Besides, I need the vacation.

------------------
"Fly me to the moon and let me earn alot of miles."

I am in D.C. from Denver... came in last night to DCA drove up GW parkway noting how beautiful and serene it is. They won't win, odds are in my favor now; I am flying out of here either tomorrow (business not possible for me now) or Thursday as scheduled.

I had a flight tomorrow morning, and only considered not flying if I couldn't get back home before the weekend.

I really don't want to drive from Tucson to Atlanta, but will if I cannot get a flight.


btw: The rental car company told me that one customer was going to pay an estimated $1500 in rental and drop-off fees to drive home.

I am 1200 miles from home and my wife; driving is an option, but not the hoped for one.

As pieces of news and rumor start to filter out, it is clear that some things will have to change for all of us in the flying republic.

Reports on CNN.com, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and on NPR have said (as of 9:15 ET) that on at least two of the planes the hijackers were armed with knives and cardboard cutters. These could have gotten through check in security for the people boarding on a plane. How these people got into the cockpits is harder to understand, but increased security and vigilance in light of this and the near-crash of the BA jet earlier this year in Africa will be necessary.

How about a thread around the appropriate security precautions to take to reduce the future risk and threat to all of us?

I would not mind flying intra-Scandinavian. I guess it's a matter of which countries generally "piss-off" terrorists, and lucky for me, my country does not really do that too much. I think I will stay on this side of the pond for some time, and I am really scared thinking of the possible aftermath scenarios.

[This message has been edited by Goldlust (edited 09-11-2001).]

I will be flying on Friday if I can. The shuttle from work in New York to home in the DC area.

I would certainly travel... I will not let these terrorists make me a prisoner in my own country... that is what they want.

William

If UA 1737 is allowed to leave YYZ, I'll be home in DEN tomorrow. If not, I'm back at the Marriott Bloor Yorkville again tomorrow night.

I really would like to get home to my wife and two young daughters.

RAD

Sure I would fly. Here is my take on what we will see.

1 - airlines will have to scramble because planes are in the wrong cities, flight crews, fuel, etc could be a problem

2 - Other than moving the stranded, the number of people flying will be low. All optional travel will halt. Our company has also told people not to travel

3 - Security needs to be tight, but we will find that it will be over burdensome. All the tight security would probably not have stopped this situation.

I want to go home - now!

I have a flight scheduled for Thursday night, and will take it if we're flying.

I don't fear for safety, though I know every moment of that flight will be spent thinking of the terror on board those four flights this morning.

I am worried about the chaos as the nation's air traffic tries to recover from the systemwide cancellation of over 60,000 flights (!). It's bad enough trying to recover from a blizzard in Chicago, let alone a nationwide ground stop.

On top of that, we'll have stringent security in effect. The metal detectors will be turned all the way up, and we'll see long lines at the scanners.

But we've handled chaos before, and we'll handle it again tomorrow.

I do have a flight scheduled for tommorrow night but I am not planning to go, but not because I fear flying now. I am scheduled on the red-eye from SMF to DCA. This was to be a sightseeing type vacation. That isn't goint to be possible and they don't need tourists plus I'm sure there are others wanting to get home and such who can better use the seats.
Suzy

I have no qualms about flying IAD-BOS-IAD this sunday-wednesday. As others have said, security should be air tight.

Besides, at this point I have to think that most pax would rather take a knife in the gut then put up with the demands of a hijacker...but as I say, I seriosuly doubt it will come to that again for quite some time.

I AM NOT FLYING TOMORROW!!!!!!

I am scheduled to fly tomorrow. I am currently in ATLANTA and live in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, and I wouldn't think of getting on an airline flight. I just rented a car and am gladly driving across country.

Many of you have written: oh, I'm sure security will be airtight tomorrow! Gee, how frickin dumb. Gee, do you think security was airtight today? Are all those old security grannies at the airports going to keep you safe.

Believe me, I want to see this country operating as a complete and total police state before I get back on a plane?

Think I'm a nut? Well, just imagine you hopping on a UA flight from LA to Boston this morning....thrilled that it was a light load so you got the upgrade....then ending up dead as a freakin doornail as you plowed into the World Trade Center.

Have fun flying tomorrow. I'll stay on the ground.

Simply, yes. Most of us are going to be on a plane again sooner than later, and the weather forecast looks good. Beyond that, there is very little that I can control, yesterday, today or tommorow.

I'm in Boston now and scheduled to fly home to Phoenix on Friday... In my mind, I know it will be safe... but in my heart and thinking of my kids... I may drive.

Dear SNA, Hope you have a safe trip home ! Your chances of a car accident are far greater than a plane accident.Part of me hopes more people feel that way so the fares come down but the other part hopes the other way so everyone stays in business & can afford more security instead of less.
To answer the ? YES I hope this doesn't turn into a world war so my wife & I can still go on our vacation to Egypt in 28 days!

Absolutely. Non carborundum illegitimus. (Don't let the *******s grind you down.)

Statistically speaking, your odds of surviving a flight tomorrow just went way up.

Unless I was away from my family, I would not fly tomorrow or the next week. With the lower part of my city under rubble, I really wouldn't be of sound mind or spirit to do business (not that I am working) or go on vacation at this point. I have an 8-segment mileage run scheduled for the end of the month, and I may even cancel that. Keeping perspective is important, and getting some more miles is the least of my priorities right now.

Whenever any of us flies next, my prayer is that we'll arrive safe ... and that each of us will try to bring a little extra thoughtfulness, patience and grace to our dealings with gate agents, FAs, security folks, fellow pax, etc. We'll all appreciate the extra margin of civility in the weeks and months ahead.