Families and solo travelers at Philadelphia International Airport described Monday’s airport conditions as “better than normal,” following more than a week of disruption tied to federal flight reductions.
The FAA lifted its emergency order Monday morning, allowing airlines to resume regular scheduling ahead of one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Traveler Barry Schneider, who flies to Charlotte weekly for work, described his Monday travels as “perfect.” It was a response rarely heard throughout the past 10 days, when dozens of daily cancellations forced some passengers to spend the night at gates, miss important events and even postpone honeymoons.
Twelve-year-old Jude Gallagher, who returned from a hockey tournament in Nashville, said he wasn’t sure they’d even make it to the ice.
“I thought it was going to get canceled, the tournament,” he said.
But in the end, his team played — and made it home on time.
“We were good … we got to play,” he said.
Travel experts say stability may have arrived just in time. According to AAA spokesperson Jana Tidwell, an estimated 6 million Americans are expected to fly for Thanksgiving — a number she says could have been lower if restrictions had remained in place.
“It looks like things will be OK for the Thanksgiving travel period,” Tidwell said.
She added that AAA originally anticipated travelers might cancel flights altogether and switch to driving.
“AAA was anticipating that many people who booked air travel for the Thanksgiving travel period could have likely changed those plans to a road trip,” Tidwell said.
For now, Tidwell says passengers should still plan for typical holiday congestion: allowing extra time, checking flight status frequently and preparing for larger crowds.
PHL officials say they are finalizing travel projections for Thanksgiving week and expect to release them by Tuesday or Wednesday.