Airlines Say They're Working to Prevent 'Bumped' Holiday Passengers

WASHINGTON — The nation's airlines are cutting back on overbookings in an effort to prevent passengers from being "bumped" from their scheduled holiday travel, industry executives told a congressional subcommittee Thursday.

At a hearing on Capitol Hill, airline officials described their plans to meet the needs of the 27.3 million passengers expected to fly on their planes during the 12-day Thanksgiving period beginning Friday.

Delta Air Lines' preparations include nearly doubling the number of spare aircraft available for service from 12 to 22, eliminating vacation days for supervisors and other experienced personnel during the holiday travel period, and adding 87 extra flights as a "safety valve" in case of cancellations because of weather or other unforeseen circumstances, CEO Richard Anderson told the aviation subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

JetBlue Airways CEO Dave Barger said his airline will have 600 more customer services workers on duty in airports than during the last Thanksgiving season and five spare airplanes ready for duty, including one in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"JetBlue is ready," he promised.

Committee members pressed the airline and airport executives about bumping of passengers who arrive at the airport to find no seats on their scheduled flight because of overbooking. Being bumped is especially tragic for a traveler on the way to a Thanksgiving dinner, pointed out Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C.

Anderson said Delta's overbooking is based on historic no-show rates on specific flights. With fuel prices escalating, airlines cannot afford to fly with the empty seats of passengers who book flights and then don't show up, he explained.

But during the holidays, the airline will reduce its overbooking, and also add extra flights to reduce passengers' risk of being bumped, he explained.

Other airlines are also cutting back on overbooking during the holidays, said Edward Faberman, executive director of the Air Carrier Association of America, which represents low-fare carriers such as AirTran.

Faberman said holiday travelers tend to be families and others on personal trips, and are less likely than business fliers to be "no-shows."

Committee Chairman Jerry Costello, D-Ill., warned that airlines face record holiday crowds only months after a summer full of "unacceptable" flight delays.

He said 27.3 million passengers are expected to board planes during a 12-day Thanksgiving travel period beginning Friday and ending Nov. 27 — a 4 percent increase from last year.

"An average of 2.3 million passengers will travel each day with a 90 percent aircraft load factor," Costello told the witnesses.

Anderson said Delta has been preparing for the rush, including offering incentive pay for flying on the actual holidays and making it easier for spouses to accompany their working loved ones.

Anderson said Delta has 350 more pilots than it had last Thanksgiving. More flight crews are being designated "on call" and thus able to fill in at the last minute, he testified.

More flights are expected to leave on time, he said, because since the last holiday season, Delta has implemented a policy where the aircraft boarding door is closed three minutes prior to departure.

To speed passengers through its hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Anderson said Delta will have replaced two of its nine baggage claim carousels with new, larger units by Thanksgiving week and have all nine new carousels in operation by early 2008.

However, Anderson said Delta is concerned about lines at security checkpoints — where passengers at Atlanta have had to wait for up to an hour even before the holiday rush. The checks are performed by federal employees, not airline workers.

Asked if he had any tips for holiday fliers, Anderson said they should check their flight status online and print a boarding pass from the Internet. It's faster to have someone drop you off at the airport than drive, he said, and passengers should be mindful of carry-on restrictions.

And always wear slip-on shoes, he said.