VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse travelers urged to plan ahead amid flight delays.
PUMA: Mostly right now, people are just curious as to what is going to happen next.
HORNING: The ongoing government shutdown has impacted air travel in recent days. Although Syracuse Hancock International isn’t on the list of 40 airports reducing flights, passengers are still feeling the effects of airline delays. So what’s AAA Communications Specialist Valerie Puma’s most important piece of advice?
PUMA: Planning ahead. If you know that you have a flight either leaving Syracuse or coming into Syracuse anytime soon, make sure that you have that airline app downloaded to your phone, because that’s going to be the best way to get updates about your flight.
HORNING: Now another tip that Puma suggests is to avoid checking a bag if at all possible because it might not end up here on the baggage carousel, it might end up over here where all of the misplaced and delayed bags have ended up from their prior connecting hubs. Thanksgiving travel is just a couple of weeks away and it remains to be seen whether all of this ongoing mess will trickle over into the holiday season.
PUMA: If you can leave as early as the weekend before Thanksgiving, and then returning that Friday after Thanksgiving is going to be less busy. The weekend of course is going to be very busy on the roads.
HORNING: And if social media is any indication, not even celebrities such as Alec Baldwin are spared this difficulty. Baldwin, whose mother was born and raised in Syracuse, shared his recent travel headaches to Instagram. Airport representatives told me that they encourage all travelers—regardless of celebrity status—to monitor their flight status with their airline.
PUMA: Please be patient and please be kind to all the workers coming in. They’re helping out and doing their best. This is the time of year where a lot of people are going to be traveling.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The ongoing government shutdown has impacted air travel in recent days. Although Syracuse Hancock International isn’t on the list of 40 major airports reducing flights, passengers are still feeling the effects of airline delays.
Valerie Puma, a AAA communications specialist in Western and Central New York, explained her advice for upcoming travelers.
“Plan ahead,” said Puma. “If you know that you have a flight either leaving Syracuse or coming into Syracuse anytime soon, make sure that you have that airline app downloaded to your phone, because that’s going to be the best way to get updates about your flight.”
The major issues have emerged at the large airline hubs which has created lengthy arrival delays and runway delays for outbound flights, hence impacting smaller airports such as Syracuse.
“We’ve said for the last few years to arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours ahead of an international flight. Add an extra hour to that.”
Avoid checking baggage if at all possible to escape delays at the check-in counter or deal with misplaced or delayed luggage.
It remains to be seen whether this ongoing mess will trickle into the holiday season with Thanksgiving week right around the corner. One things for certain, the air traffic havoc has plenty of travelers turning to the roads if their destination is within reach on the ground.
“If you can leave as early as the weekend before Thanksgiving, and then returning that Friday after Thanksgiving is going to be less busy,” said Puma. “The weekend after, of course, is going to be very busy on the roads.”’
And if social media is any indication, not even celebrities such as Alec Baldwin are spared this difficulty. Baldwin, whose mother was born and raised in Syracuse, shared his recent travel headaches to Instagram.
Airport representatives issued this statement in response.
“We encourage all travelers – regardless of celebrity status – to closely monitor the status of their flight(s) directly with their airline. Pack your patience and be ready to be flexible if traveling in the coming days. Be sure to download your airline’s mobile app as updates (generally) flow the fastest through their apps. Also monitor any forms of communication you have set up with your airline (email, text, phone call) for updates.”
Puma leaves passengers with a light-hearted reminder to deal with their travels.
“Please be patient and please be kind to all the workers coming in,” said Puma. “They’re helping out and doing their best. This is the time of year where a lot of people are going to be traveling.”