Travelers move through a security check-in line at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Dec. 18, 2017 (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Today the U.S. airline industry enters its heaviest travel period of the year, an 18-day stretch when it will carry 45.7 million passengers, with the industry and many of its passengers in a joyous mood.

Weather looks manageable. Oil prices are way down. Americans have money to spend on travel. A government shutdown if one occurs is not expected to have a perceptible impact on TSA.

And so far, travelers seem to be in a generally good mood, based on their Twitter comments, although it is reasonable to assume that at some point someone among the 45.7 million will become outraged about something and will share their feelings via social media.

Thursday is slated to be the second heaviest travel day of the period, with U.S. carriers expecting to carry 2.87 million passengers, according to Airlines for America. Friday will be the heaviest day with 2.91 million passengers.  Third heaviest will be Dec. 26, the day after Christmas, with 2.78 million. Air travel will be up 5.2% during the period, A4A said.

Traveling through Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wednesday, on her way from Hartford to Austin, American passenger Mary Elizabeth Dunn posted this tweet: “Currently in the Charlotte NC Airport: Childrens choir singing holiday carols, beautiful Santa and Mrs Clause walking around greeting families, and joyous soldiers headed home on holiday leave.

“Might be the happiest layover I’ve ever experienced,” Dunn wrote, as she passed through American’s second busiest hub. (Dunn quickly corrected her spelling of Mrs. Claus’s name, which she termed “epically embarrassing.”)

USO of North Carolina tweeted that 3,300 soldiers were scheduled to make their way through Charlotte airport on Tuesday, “on the way to spending the holidays with their families and loved ones” as part of “Operation Exodus.”

On Wednesday, American and United both seized the opportunity to announce new routes, in press releases headlined “The More the Merrier,” by United and “28 Reasons to Fly American,” by American.  The 11 new United routes start in June, while many of the 28 American routes were slated to start this week.

Among the celebrants were Ithaca Tompkins regional airport (ITH), which tweeted Wednesday: “A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the Ithaca Airport on 12/22 @ 10:30 am to celebrate the arrival of the first flight from Charlotte – all are welcome to attend.” A news item on the airport’s site proclaimed “If you like Ithaca, you’ll love Charlotte,” and noted, that “From endless attractions to beautiful scenery, Ithaca and Charlotte have more in common than you’d think.”

For now, American plans a single weekly Saturday morning roundtrip aboard a 50-seat Canadair regional jet flown by regional partner PSA.

American spokesman Ross Feinstein said the world’s largest airline will carry more than 11 million passengers during the 18-day holiday travel period. On Friday, its single busiest day during the 18-day holiday period, American will operate 6,830 flights carrying an estimated 660,000 passengers.

American’s slowest day will be Christmas day, with just 5,020 departures. Travel experts always advise that Christmas can be a good day to fly, with low fares and generally uncrowded airports.

The highest departure days at American’s two busiest hubs will be Dec. 27 and 28 at Dallas, with 811 departures, and Jan. 2 at Charlotte, with 724 departures.

United Airlines expects peak outbound traffic today through Saturday, with peak return traffic Jan. 3 through Jan. 6. Total traffic each peak day will be about 500,000 passengers, said spokesman Charles Hobart.

“Generally speaking, we have more domestic widebodies to help with full flights (typically 47 per day, during the holiday schedule, goes up to 66 per day) and more frequency on ‘vacation’ type destinations (ski cities, Florida, Mexico/Caribbean),” Hobart said.

Despite rain in the east, none of the major airlines expect major weather disruptions to pre-Christmas travel.  Delta is “currently expecting the end of week weather [events] to be limited primarily to a rain event in Atlanta on Thursday and some rains and winds in the Northeast/New York area on Friday, where we may see some FAA/ATC driven ground delay programs,” Delta spokesman Drake Castaneda said Thursday.

Even if weather threatens to interfere with operations, “Both delays and cancellations have declined in recent years, likely a result of airlines leveraging technology to be proactive when bad weather is forecasted,” said airline software company Flight Aware, in a prepared statement. “Airlines are now able to re-accommodate passengers and relocate crews/aircraft in advance of major storms and it is evident that this is reducing the overall impact of these situations.”

Home Industry sectors Air Travel AirHelp: The ’10 Commandments’ of Air Travel

Legal services provider AirHelp recently released its 10 commandments of air travel that travelers always need to remember in case their flight is disrupted.

“Delays, cancellations and destroyed travel plans: 2018 has been one of the worst years in terms of flight disruptions, with a record number of travel plans going awry,” AirHelp said.

10 Commandments of Air Travel

1. Thou shalt have food and water – What could be worse than waiting for a delayed flight? Having to wait for a delayed flight on the tarmac! Many travelers don’t know that they are actually granted certain rights in those annoying situations. After two hours, the airline crew is required to provide you with food, water, operational lavatories and medical care if needed. After a tarmac delay of three hours, passengers must be given the option to deplane.

2. Thou shalt have a nice comped hotel – The question of whether or not you have to pay for an unplanned hotel stay following a disrupted flight is something that even frequent travelers are unsure about. In fact, under European law EC261, the airline is supposed to provide passengers on European flights with transportation to their hotel or accommodations, and a hotel stay.

3. Thou shalt be compensated for messed up luggage – There are so many things that may go wrong when it comes to your luggage. So it will be music to your ears to hear that there is a regulation called the Montreal Convention that grants you a right to financial compensation in case your suitcase gets delayed, lost or damaged after you check in for your flight. Whether you’re flying within the US or to one of the other 120 countries that ratified the Montreal Convention, if you experience luggage issues while traveling, you may be entitled to compensation. If your luggage is damaged, make sure to file a report within 7 days, and complaints for delayed luggage should be filed within 21 days. Luggage that doesn’t arrive within 21 days is considered lost – after this period there is no time limit for complaints. A recent AirHelp survey showed that 66 percent of Europeans that make claims for damaged luggage receive financial compensation.

4. Thou shalt not leave Fido at home – Animal lovers don’t have to skip their vacations, as long as they make themselves familiar with individual airlines’ pet rules. This is especially important in light of recent tragedies. If you wish to travel with your furry best friend, we advise you to research the airline’s rules. For example, some airlines only allow assistance or guide dogs to travel in the cabin. Others base their paw fees on your pet’s size and weight, plus their carrier’s measurements. When making the decision of whether to bring your pet along, you should consider: the size of your pet; the pet carrier; pet/dog carrier fees; the temperament of your four-legged friend; and the airline’s overhead bin space availability.

5. Thou shalt avenge your injuries – If you suffer some kind of injury while being on the plane, you are entitled to financial compensation. Thanks to a modification to the international regulation, the Montreal Convention, you can now get up to $138,000. It is also worth knowing that if your case requires legal action, you might be able to take it to court in your home country, if the airline operates flights there.

6. Thou shalt help other passengers – It happens all the time in movies: a passenger gets a heart attack, the crew asks “is there a doctor on board?” and George Clooney steps in to save the day. But what if a medical urgency happens in real life? It’s worth knowing that you have the right to help out, which means that even if you are not a doctor, you can assist another passenger in need, and you are covered by legal protection if you do so.

7. Thou shalt get on the flight – Selling more tickets for a flight than seats available is a common practice in the airline industry, which sometimes leads to passengers being denied boarding, although they arrived at the gate on time and ready to board the flight. As this is an extremely frustrating situation, the airline cannot get away with offering you a food voucher as consolation. If you’re bumped, and you don’t volunteer to deplane or take another flight, you can be eligible for compensation. Under European law EC 261, you are entitled to an immediate financial compensation of 250-600 euros, besides an alternative flight to your final destination or a refund for your ticket.

8. Thou shalt be treated equally – If you have a disability, you encounter more and different burdens when planning your trip. Especially due to this, nobody should be allowed to put even more obstacles in your way. Therefore, no airline can refuse to accommodate you. In fact, they are required by law to make sure accommodations are available. This is because of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), a law which makes it illegal for airlines to discriminate against passengers because of their disability. Airlines are also required to provide passengers with disabilities many types of assistance, including wheelchairs or other guided assistance to board, deplane, or connect to another flight; seating accommodation assistance that meets passengers’ disability-related needs; and assistance with the loading and stowing of assistive devices.

9. Thou shalt complain – Traveling by air was once a luxurious privilege, but has become as commonplace as taking the train. However, when things go wrong and travel is disrupted, passengers still very rarely complain or claim compensation for the hassle they’ve gone through. One major reason for this is that more than 87 percent of travelers still don’t know their rights as air passengers. Besides your right to compensation, you can always complain when an airline doesn’t fulfill the service they’ve promised – some might even take your feedback seriously and try to improve their service.

10. Thou shalt be compensated – If you are on a flight to or from Europe, and you arrive to your destination with delays of more than 3 hours, you may be eligible to file for compensation. Under European law EC 261, you could claim up to 600 euros from the airline in cases where disruptions are the fault of the airline, and the departure airport is within the EU or the airline carrier is based in the EU and the flight is landing in the EU. If you don’t have time to file a claim right away, don’t worry, as you have up to three years to file for compensation. AirHelp offers a free eligibility check via the website or the app-integrated boarding pass scanner, so you can check whether you are owed money while you’re still at the gate.

It’s been another busy week for new flight announcements in air travel news. 

Air Italy announced an ambitious expansion plan this week. The airline announced plans to launch its first flights to Canada with a new, nonstop Milan – Toronto flight starting May 6, 2019. Airbus A330-200 aircraft will service the route, which will run four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. 

In the United States, this week Air Italy announced plans to add a new flight between Milan and Chicago O’Hare starting May 14, 2019. The direct, nonstop flight will run three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, also on A330-200s. 

KLM announced a new Italian flight of its own this week: a new route to Naples on Boeing 737-700/800 aircraft, offering seasonal summer service starting April 21, 2019. The new flight will run daily in July and August, and on weekends during the rest of the season. 

In Mexico, this week Delta, in conjunction with its partner Aeromexico, announced plans for a new flight from Minneapolis / St. Paul to Mexico City, subject to government approval. Service will be aboard Airbus A319 aircraft, with a projected launch date for the daily flight on June 8, 2019. 

In the Caribbean, on December 20 Jamaica officially welcomed its first flight from Spirit Airlines flight from Detroit into Montego Bay. The flight will operate three times weekly, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. 

Also on December 20, Seaborne Airlines increased its service on the route between San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Croix, USVI, from two to three daily flights, rising to six daily flights on January 8, 2019. That month, Cape Air will start ramping up its operations to an average of six daily flights on the same route, increasing the number of seats by about 50 percent. The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism says it has embarked on a marketing initiative with the two airlines to promote the new flights, which will run during the destination’s peak winter season and will aim to compensate for the 100 seats lost with the discontinuation of daily JetBlue service on January 8, 2019. JetBlue has a codeshare relationship with both Seaborne and Cape Air. 

Finally, in airport news, officials announced that the Parliament of Saint Lucia has voted to borrow $100 million to finance a major expansion of the Hewanorra International Airport. With construction set to kick off early next year and end by the end of 2020, the redevelopment plan calls for a new terminal building with modern facilities, restaurants, shops and executive lounges. The old terminal will be converted to house the airport’s support services.

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year and certainly the busiest.

Friday marks the busiest day to fly nationwide, with nearly 2.9 million people expected to hit the skies ahead of Christmas Day, according to Airlines for America.

As of 10 a.m. Friday, there are more than 80 flights delayed at Boston’s Logan International Airport, Flight Aware reports.

Travel nightmares are expected for New England passengers due to Friday’s severe storm. Strong gusts are expected to slam the region as high wind warnings, flood watches and coastal flood advisories were issued for several New England areas.

Influx of Passengers at Logan Airport for Christmas

Dec. 21 is expected to be the busiest day for air travel ahead of Christmas Day, but a massive storm expected to hit New England could make for travel nightmares.

(Published Friday, Dec. 21, 2018)

On Thursday, more than 7,000 flights were delayed at airports across the country, especially in the south.

To accommodate potential delays and cancelations, passengers are encouraged to give themselves extra time to get to the airports.

Airlines for America estimates 45.7 million passengers will travel on U.S. airlines from Dec. 20 through Jan. 6.

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This year has been the busiest in the history of Montreal’s Trudeau airport, with 19 million travellers passing through so far. 

But the airport says it’s expecting the upcoming week to be the busiest of the year.

• Facing hefty pay cuts, workers demonstrate at Trudeau Airport

Nearly 57,000 passengers are expected to travel by way of the Trudeau Airport during that period for the holidays. 

The airport’s security staff is warning people to arrive ​about four hours in advance for their flights because lineups to go through security could be especially long. 

The airport attributed the record-breaking year to an increase in air travel.

“Montreal-Trudeau is seeing a strong and sustained growth in passenger traffic and is continuously expanding its air service,” the airport’s CEO Philippe Rainville said in a news release.

In October, the airport announced its 150th destination: Vienna. 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and certainly the busiest.

Friday marks the busiest day to fly nationwide, with nearly 2.9 million people expected to hit the skies ahead of Christmas Day, according to Airlines for America.

As of 10 a.m. Friday, there are more than 80 flights delayed at Boston’s Logan International Airport, Flight Aware reports.

Travel nightmares are expected for New England passengers due to Friday’s severe storm. Strong gusts are expected to slam the region as high wind warnings, flood watches and coastal flood advisories were issued for several New England areas.

Influx of Passengers at Logan Airport for Christmas

Dec. 21 is expected to be the busiest day for air travel ahead of Christmas Day, but a massive storm expected to hit New England could make for travel nightmares.

(Published Friday, Dec. 21, 2018)

On Thursday, more than 7,000 flights were delayed at airports across the country, especially in the south.

To accommodate potential delays and cancelations, passengers are encouraged to give themselves extra time to get to the airports.

Airlines for America estimates 45.7 million passengers will travel on U.S. airlines from Dec. 20 through Jan. 6.

Get the latest from NBC Boston anywhere, anytime:

Download our FREE app for iPhone, iPad and Android. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and sign up for our e-mail newsletters.

HIGHFILL, Ark. —

TSA project 41 million flyers will pass through security this holiday season. Some of them from Northwest Arkansas Regional and Forth Smith.

If your goal is a timely transition from airport parking to security to getting on your flight, there are a few things you can do to get home for the holidays smoothly. Starting with airport arrival, assuming you’re parking for at least 24 hours, be prepared to pay anywhere between $6 and $24 per day.

“If you’re worried about the weather when you are out of town please use the deck,” said Kelley Johnson, XNA Airport Director. “But we have all price points. We have economy, if you don’t mind a little bit of a walk. We’ve got long term, which is closer to the building – short term which is right at our front door, which is the most expensive option. Then we have valet – if you want to valet your car”

Once at security, many of us know to take off our shoes and take out our laptops. But be ready to also remove any food items as well.

“If you’re taking something to your relatives for instance, your favorite fruitcake, be prepared to take that out of your bag. If it’s something you’re not real sure about from a checked baggage perspective or going through the check point. If it’s a gift and it’s wrapped, it may have to be unwrapped so think about that as well,” said Johnson

What you wear may set off the alarms too. So avoid sequins or outfits with large buttons. In other words when it comes to TSA – bling is bad.

If you’re travel partner happens to be your furry friend. Make sure you check with the airline you are flying. Different airlines have different protocols when it comes to pets on planes. For instance, Delta just installed new restrictions by animal age and for certain service and emotional support animals.

“Certain registrations, certifications are required – letters from your veterinarian,” said Johnson. “But do check before you get to the airport. There is nothing worse than having to cancel your trip because you can’t take your pet along that you intended to bring.”

Of course, whether your flying out of Northwest Regional or Fort Smith – get to the airport early to avoid rushing. At least an hour in advance is the advice.

Both airport websites are a one stop shop for everything you need to know for your trip – including flight information.

Just go to http://www.flyxna.com/ or https://flyfsm.com/

AlertMe

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) — Millions of people are flying home for the Christmas holiday, but a severe storm across the east coast is expected to create headaches for travelers all over the country.

None of the outgoing flights at the Capital Region International Airport were cancelled, although one United flight to Chicago-O’Hare did see about a 30-minute delay Friday evening. Flights were also delayed in other parts of the state because of that heavy rain in the northeast.

A mix of heavy rain and strong winds are expected to cause delays all along the east coast, including at airports with a lot of foot traffic such as Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.

Arriving flights from New York City were delayed in Flint, Grand Rapids and Detroit

In case your flight gets delayed download your airlines app so you can get the most up-to-date information and pack your charger or laptop on your carry-on so you won’t be bored while waiting in the terminal.

For better or worse (it’s mostly worse, if we’re being honest), here’s what air travel will look like in the New Year.

When it comes to flying the number of procedures, regulations, classes, rules, and styles can be labyrinthine, obscure (Is there a difference between Preferred and Premium?), and ever-changing. Oh, and did we mention that they can be totally different depending on your carrier? But there are some changes coming to air travel that, as you line up your plans for 2019, you can already plan for.

By now, though the labeling depends on the carrier, such distinctions as Basic Economy and Economy Plus are pretty well understood by even not-so-frequent fliers. Though the specifics differ from airline to airline, it generally means that paying for whatever the step above “Basic Economy” is entitles you to some kind of perk (like more leg room) or basic features that have been reframed as perks (like being allowed a carry-on bag in addition to your “personal item”). Now more airlines will be taking things a step further by rolling out their version of “Preferred Economy.” That is, charging customers (sometimes exorbitant) fees for the privilege of choosing a seat that’s been determined to be preferred—usually, this means aisle and window seats but may also include middle seats near the front of the cabin.

If you have a tight connection it’s handy to be near the front so you can disembark faster, but there are no other material benefits. No extra legroom, no free drinks. As of December 14, United joined American and Delta as the latest airline to implement Preferred Seating. And while not all airlines have preferred seating it’s easy to see other carriers following the lead of the big three.

Let’s just hope that making you wait for a cup of water to melt isn’t the next idea the legacy carriers take from budget airlines.

Starting January 23, Delta will be changing its “Zone” boarding process. Though the new procedure will have two additional groups (up from 6 to 8) Delta said that the new process was smoother because fewer people were lining up at the gate. The new order will be pre-boarding, Delta One, Delta Premium Select/First Class, Comfort Plus, Sky Priority, Main Cabin 1, Main Cabin 2, Main Cabin 4, and Basic Economy.

The breaking up of the Premium cabin from one group into two makes a logical sense—the Delta One Suites being more luxurious than mere regular first class. But it’s the realigning of the Sky Priority boarding zone that’s sure to stir up controversy. With the new boarding procedure, Comfort Plus passengers will board ahead of frequent fliers. Platinum and Gold Medallion level members are unlikely to appreciate their loyalty going unrewarded.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking about how much better air travel would be if it was more like Minority Report you’re in luck (as well as terrifyingly prescient). Biometrics technology is slowly but surely finding its way into airports around the world. Using a camera-based system, passengers simply scan their faces and then go ahead with boarding. The system is so efficient that British Airways reported the process of boarding 400 passengers took a scant 22 minutes. Delta and Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta were the first to launch a fully biometric terminal in the U.S. in late November and they’ll be far from the last. At least 70 percent of airports and airlines have plans to start testing what’s looking to be the ccheck-inprocess within the next three years.

But for passengers who have privacy concerns have the option to check in the old fashioned way. Though even the most principled person may find them straying from the righteous path when faced with a daunting security line.

Put on your Ugg boots and order up a pumpkin spice latte because Basic is here to stay. At least as far as airlines are concerned. Not only will more airlines create their own version of the stripped-down flying experience (Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue are confirmed to be joining the club in 2019) but carriers that already offering it are doubling down. United will now have basic economy to transatlantic flights and Delta has started offering basic economy awards tickets to frequent flyers on select routes.

Love Shrinking Seats? Get Ready for Shrinking Bathrooms

If you thought seats on planes couldn’t get any smaller than you hadn’t considered the toilet seat. The new Boeing 737 MAX may be showing us the future of restrooms in the sky and the future is … cramped. In order to get more passengers on a flight airlines have taken to shrinking their bathrooms so that they’re now 10 inches narrower and sinks so small passengers can only wash one hand at a time. Passengers that have already experienced these small bathrooms have photographed themselves hunched over just to fit inside. But it’s clear the experience is far from easy, even for the not-so vertically gifted.

But given the fact that American Airlines estimated that they could see an extra $500 million in revenue from the 12 extra seats these tiny toilets allow it’s not unlikely that other airlines will follow suit.

All Photos Courtesy Of Shutterstock