Holiday travelers expected to cause delays at airport

Judy Odierna

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002 | 11:02 a.m.

Travelers can expect crowds at McCarran International Airport over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend to be just as heavy as any other holiday weekend, airport officials say.

One likely difference: More families will probably be taking to the air, possibly causing delays at the security lines.

"We're going to see a higher number of residents traveling," McCarran spokeswoman Debbie Millett said. "We're going to see more families with children, which means more diaper bags and strollers. It's also winter season, so there will be more heavy coats. It'll be slow through the checkpoints."

Millett also sees some heightened traffic problems at the parking lots and security holdups as travelers try to take wrapped gifts on airplanes.

"If you have a wrapped gift, it is not going to make it through," Millett said.

David Steigman, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, said the agency is trying to educate passengers on how to ease movement through airport screening through its website, tsatraveltips.us.

"Our screeners are always on high alert," Steigman said. "But the things we emphasize on how the public can help include putting things like a watch keys, coins and jewelry into a bag and into their carry-on bag so they won't set off the metal detector."

Some airlines, which expect to see a 4.5 percent increase in travelers this holiday season, are encouraging fliers to use self-service check-in kiosks to avoid lines at the ticket counter.

"You can get a boarding pass, an e-ticket receipt, change your seating all at these machines," America West Airlines spokeswoman Patty Nowack said. "It's definitely another option during the busy traveling season that may alleviate standing in a long line."

Kevin Bagger, director of Internet marketing and research for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said the authority expects to see about 271,000 visitors this weekend, with hotel occupancy at 92.9 percent.

Bagger said the number is slightly higher than last year, which had 268,000 visitors.

"On an average weekend occupancy is at 92 percent," Bagger said. "In March, which is usually our strongest month, occupancy is at 95 or 96 percent."

Alan Feldman, spokesman for MGM MIRAGE, said most of the company's properties are at or near sold out. However, their rates are flat or slightly lower than last year.

"Last year Thanksgiving was off substantially," Feldman said. "We are trending up a tad but we are still well off from our norm."

The Rio, too, will have nearly 100 percent occupancy over the long weekend, Harrah's Entertainment Inc. spokesman David Strow said.

"We are pretty happy with what we're seeing," Strow said.

Airport officials are expecting about 100,000 travelers per day, which they say is comparable to a normal busy weekend in Las Vegas.

Statewide, AAA estimates that 271,300 Nevadans will travel at least 50 miles from home this holiday, an increase of 2 percent over 2001. An estimated 225,000 will travel by car, while 46,300 will fly, an increase of 4.5 percent.

"Last Thanksgiving was the first major holiday after the 9-11 tragedy, and travel was, of course, decreased because of that," Lisa Foster, spokeswoman for AAA of Nevada, said. "But now people have a renewed enthusiasm for travel. I think that the increase in the number of people flying is indicative of the fact that people feel much more comfortable with the airline industry and security this year."

Sun reporter

Launce Rake contributed to this report.