Americans will travel in near-record numbers this holiday season

Friday, Dec. 22, 2000 | 10:41 a.m.

Trip tips

Advice from McCarran International Airport, AAA and the Air Transport Association:

Give yourself plenty of time -- in fact, get there early.

Check your flight status before you leave for the airport, don't try to bring wrapped presents through security, and watch for drunken drivers.

These are a few of the perennial warnings issued to travelers during the busy holiday season. This year, travel experts assure us, those warnings should especially be heeded.

One reason is the volume of traffic on the roads and in the skies. This could be the second-busiest December travel season for Americans ever, the travel service AAA reports.

According to AAA, nearly 61 million people are expected to travel sometime over Christmas and New Year's, a 4 percent increase over last year's 58.3 million. The record for December travelers was set in 1998, when 62.6 million Americans took long-distance trips.

The Air Transport Association, an industry group representing the major airline carriers, said 39 million airline passengers will crowd the skies over the travel season. The association figures that the season begins Dec. 15 and continues through Jan. 1.

Peak days are expected to be Wednesday through Saturday, with the single busiest day Friday, with over 2 million passengers in the air.

The least busy days to travel should be Sunday, Monday and New Year's Eve, Dec. 31.

More than 400,000 Nevadans, nearly one in five, will travel at least 100 miles from home to holiday destinations, according to AAA Nevada. Three-quarters of them will travel by car, the rest by air, train or bus.

One bright spot for motorists -- while many will be traveling, fewer will be going to work, leaving the roads open.

"This travel period is more spread out," AAA Nevada spokeswoman Lisa Foster explained.

At McCarran International Airport, Clark County Aviation Department employees are working to ensure that things work smoothly. Hilarie Grey, McCarran spokeswoman, said they hope to avoid snafus such as the recent malfunction of the trams to the terminal's busy D gates.

"So far so good," Grey said.

She said the main problem for air travelers going through McCarran will be the weather. Not in Las Vegas, Grey emphasized, but in other parts of the United States.

The Midwest and South have been hammered by snow and ice storms. Unfortunately, many of the flights coming to and leaving Las Vegas go through "hub" airports in those areas. Grey said the East Coast and Midwest could see more travel-busting storms.

"They're going to see some heavy weather," she predicted.

Travelers can get the most up-to-date information on flights on the McCarran website, she said. Passengers also can check flight status by calling the airline or checking the airline websites.

"Definitely, keep in touch with the airline, check the web, do what you have to do," Grey said. "Just make sure you travel with a lot of patience. There will be delays."