Getaway Day Expected To Break Local Records.
Reminder: Most Animals Need To Be Pre-Registered. The Fake “Emotional Support” Ruse Is Over.
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
UPDATED 6:02 p.m.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2022 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — If you are flying in or out of Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, or Miami International Airport, prepare for challenges and delays this Thanksgiving week.
Early Tuesday morning, all South Florida airports are already showing some cancelations and delays, albeit nothing like the meltdowns over the summer. Even so, airports are warning of parking problems, lengthy security lines, and travelers who have absolutely no idea what they’re doing. It’s the incompetent traveler — clogging a security line or trying to board at the wrong time — that often creates more of a problem than a ten-minute air traffic control delay.
And travelers are being reminded that “Emotional Support Animals” flying for free is no longer “a thing.” Animals must be pre-registered with most airlines, with proof that the animal is trained to provide a function or service. Most animals, including dogs, must remain in a carrier during a flight.
At FLL, officials are anticipating 689,775 travelers to fly in and out on Thanksgiving holiday getaways from Tuesday, November 22, to Monday, November 28, 2022. That’s a 14 percent increase in projected holiday passenger volume versus the same 2021 holiday period. In 2019, the holiday passenger forecast was 800,000. For 2022, the busiest Thanksgiving travel days at FLL should be Wednesday before the holiday and Sunday and Monday after. Overall, FLL expects an average of 98,539 daily passengers during the seven-day holiday travel period.
“After more than two years of battling COVID-19, we are thankful that the worst of the pandemic is behind us and that life for most of us has resumed with a degree of normalcy,” said Mark E. Gale, FLL CEO/Director of Aviation. “At FLL, overall passenger traffic (domestic and international travel) is nearing pre-pandemic levels, and airport business activity is essentially back in full swing, albeit with a few new-normal adjustments. We look forward to serving our guests this week and wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.”
Parking at all airports is expected to be in short supply, with Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport expected to reach capacity before Thanksgiving. Travelers are encouraged to use rideshare.
As of 6:02 p.m. Tuesday, FlightAware.com reports 2,524 delays are logged nationwide for flights within, out, or to the United States.
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