Holiday Throngs Start to Swell at Airport

EAST AUSTIN, TX -- At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA), it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas—but not in the good way.

As of Wednesday evening, flight delays were already being reported. But with unseasonably—almost aberrant—temperatures in the 70s throughout the day, it could’ve been far worse.

According to flightaware.com , there were some 9,000 flight delays and nearly 1,000 cancellations during the same period nationally—particularly in areas experiencing weather that is more severe.

Fox 7 News assembled a tally of cities most affected by delays that happen to be connecting airports. Leading that list were Chicago, Newark, Denver and Atlanta.

ABIA spokesman Jim Halbrook offered tips for travelers in light of weather-induced flight delays.

“Check all the way through,” he told Fox 7. “Make sure if you have a connection that the flight coming from the other airport is going to be three in time, just so you can be prepared.”

What’s more, travelers should arrive 90 minutes before their flights, especially during peak travel hours—5 a.m. to 8 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“At those times, you can expect to see lines,” Halbrook told the television station. “They could be long; they could be up to 45 minutes.”

Do that, but good luck finding a parking spot; reportedly, all long-term parking spots at ABIA were all taken as of Wednesday night. Under normal circumstances, travelers are urged to call the airport at (512) 530-3300 to check on such things.

Aside from unseasonably warm climate in what is supposed to be winter, Austin is also something of an anomaly when it comes to the holiday airport rush. The holiday crowds pale in comparison to those descending during SXSW and other arts and music festivals for which the city is known, reports KEYE-TV.

The ever-growing city already has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of airport travelers—1,500 more a day from last year. But even with that increased volume, the traffic doesn’t compare to the throngs descending upon the city for its festivals.

In fact, Christmas Eve doesn’t even crack the top ten busiest travel days for the city, KEYE reported.

This year’s busiest day was the Monday after Formula One, with 21,804 people departing Austin. That was followed by SXSW and Austin City Limits.

Halbrook said he expected up to 17,000 passengers to be departing ABiA Wednesday night.

That’s a lot of humanity thrown together in a chaotic setting. So, while at the airport, gripe if you will. But remember: It could be a lot worse.