Flying or driving: what Kansas holiday travelers can expect

Flying out of Wichita Mid-Continent Airport to get to your turkey dinner?

Expect a bustling terminal and full flights.

Air travel out of Mid-Continent the week of Thanksgiving is expected to increase roughly 2 to 4 percent over last year’s holiday travel numbers, airport spokeswoman Valerie Wise said Friday.

The busiest travel days will be Wednesday, Nov. 26; Saturday, Nov. 29; and Sunday, Nov. 30, Wise said, so passengers are encouraged to arrive two hours early to avoid problems catching their flights.

“Typically, this time of year there’s some inexperienced travelers, and it may take them a little longer to get through the security checkpoint,” said Keith Osborn, the Transportation Safety Administration’s federal security director for Kansas.

Parking could also cause delays, Wise said.

Due to construction on the new airport terminal and parking garage, motorists dropping off or picking up travelers will not be allowed to park or wait in front of the terminal, Wise said. Instead, travelers are asked to park their vehicles in the cellphone lot, which is south of the Park and Ride lot in front of the Air Cargo building.

“Officers will strictly enforce these parking restrictions,” Wise said.

“The lane in front of the terminal is used by our courtesy vehicles, so there is just not enough room to sit there and wait.”

Motorists also can park in the airport’s short- and long-term lots, Wise said. If long-term parking fills up next week, travelers will be directed to overflow parking areas near the terminal and will not be charged parking fees, Wise said.

Travelers can check @flyICT on Twitter and the airport’s mobile website for parking updates. Wise also urged travelers to check the status of their flights on www.flywichita.com before arriving at the airport.

In terms of the weather, forecasters say there is a chance of rain or snow on Thanksgiving. There also is a chance of snow and ice next Sunday, Nov. 30, when many travelers will be returning home.

Wise said, as of Friday, seats were still available on flights next week out of Mid-Continent.

“We do expect our loads to fill up as we do get closer to the holiday,” Wise said.

Last November, 61,545 people flew out of Mid-Continent Airport. Wise did not have a breakdown of the number of passengers during Thanksgiving week in 2013.

Nationwide, about 3.6 million people will fly this Thanksgiving holiday – up 3 percent from a year ago, AAA said in an e-mailed report this week. The number puts air travel at its highest level since 2007.

Roadways

More travelers are expected to hit the roads, too, this Thanksgiving, thanks to an improving economy and falling gasoline prices.

AAA projected that 41.3 million people will drive to their holiday destinations, making up more than 89 percent of the people traveling 49 or more miles and representing an increase of 4.3 percent from 2013. It would be the most people on the roads for Thanksgiving since 2007 and the third-most since at least 2000.

Total holiday travel is estimated to be up 4.2 percent from a year ago, AAA said.

The projected jump in holiday travel shows how Americans are benefiting from a surge in domestic oil production that has helped create a global surplus, driving down crude by almost $30 a barrel and gasoline by more than 80 cents a gallon. Savings at the pump are expected to boost consumer spending on everything from Christmas presents to trips, according consulting group IHS Inc., which helps AAA prepare its forecasts.

“Americans are more optimistic about the future as improvements in several key economic factors, including employment, GDP and disposable income, are boosting consumer confidence and the desire to travel,” said Marshall Doney, AAA president and chief operating officer. Sliding gasoline prices “are increasing disposable income and enabling families to carve out more money from household budgets for travel.”

Travel will climb even as expenses have increased, with hotel rates 8 percent higher than last year and car rentals 10 percent more expensive, according to the report. Airfares will be about 1 percent costlier, averaging $189 for a discounted, round-trip ticket across the 40 top domestic routes, AAA said.

The motoring club’s forecasts cover the Thanksgiving holiday travel period from Wednesday, Nov. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 30.

This story was originally published November 21, 2014 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Flying or driving: what Kansas holiday travelers can expect."