White House Unveils Plan to Ease Holiday Travel Congestion

Source: Fox News

Ahead of the holiday travel crunch, President Bush ordered steps Thursday to reduce air traffic congestion and long delays that have left passengers stranded.

The most significant change is that the Pentagon will open unused military airspace from Florida to Maine to create "a Thanksgiving express lane" for commercial airliners. It will be open next week for five days — Wednesday through Sunday — for the busiest days of Thanksgiving travel.

Bush said the problems with delayed flights are "clear to anybody who's been traveling. Airports are very crowded. Travelers are being stranded and flights are delayed, sometimes with a full load of passengers sitting on the runway for hours.

"These failures carry some real costs for the country, not just in the inconvenience they cause but in the business they obstruct and the family gatherings they cause people to miss,' the president said. "We can do better."

The new plan also will be in effect for the Christmas travel season, and White House press secretary Dana Perino said the Federal Aviation Administration was imposing a holiday moratorium on nonessential maintenance projects, allowing all FAA personnel and equipment to be focused on keeping flights on time.

Further, the Department of Transportation will propose doubling the bump fee that airlines must pay to travelers who buy tickets but wind up without a seat. The penalty now is $200 or $400, depending on long the passenger has been inconvenienced. The proposed increase would make the fee $400 to $800. Perino said that rule, if it becomes final, wouldn't be in place until next summer's travel season.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311793,00.html

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If he gets his fingers in holiday travel no one will get anywhere until at least Easter.

of the perpetual toxic cloud emanating from 1600 Penn Ave?

Why don't they just stay where they are and eat turkey?

Just a guess.

In fact, the bush cabal had been blocking these moves. But now, since there might be some political gain, the decider took credit for something he opposed.

Quelle surprise!

It's a little embarrassing for him to be stuck below tricky dick and still falling. MOST HATED PRESIDENT IN HISTORY. And we've had some doozies.

... the flight controllers say it won't help at all.

There certainly is a problem with this... I've sat on a tarmac for hours stewing, unable to use the lav, unable to make cell calls... it's ridiculous.

Just how will they speed up the process?

"the Federal Aviation Administration was imposing a holiday moratorium on nonessential maintenance projects, allowing all FAA personnel and equipment to be focused on keeping flights on time."

the wing on that plane, no problem we will use quick drying bondo and some duct tape. Who decides what is essential or not? Didn't they want Wall St. opened as soon as possible, didn't Christi Todd Whitman stand out there and say the air is good in NY city. When it comes to making money, nothing else is important to these bastards.

I refuse to have to take off my shoes, have my private stuff closely scrutinized by swaggering asshole rent-a-cop clowns, and throw away perfectly good toothpaste, hand lotion, WATER, and whatever else the chickenshit candy-ass little fear-mongers are trying to make us think we should be scared of. It's just not worth the hassle to fly anymore.

Just calling *'s plan should be enough to get most to reconsider flying.

Where's the relief in gasoline prices?

When Bush directly intervenes in something, disaster always follows.

And why is he socializing the airspace, anyway? Shouldn't free markets decide where planes fly? (sarcasm)

redaction and stricter anti terrorist measures-they have enough room in those detention centers:sarcasm:

I too thought Bush might use prison time to divert potential flyers....

...to create "a Thanksgiving express lane" for commercial airliners."

If, pray tell, we are "at war", relaxing the security of the airspace over military installations hardly seems like the move of someone interested in preventing a terrorist attack.

LIHOP part deux?