1 Million Travelers Expected Through DIA Over Thanksgiving Weekend
DENVER (CBS4)- About one million travelers are expected to make their way through Denver International Airport over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Those crowds started early Wednesday morning.
Most major flights were leaving on time with no delays out of DIA but airport officials are urging travelers to give themselves plenty of time. They are recommending that passengers arrive about two hours before their departure time to get through security checkpoints.
The Pikes Peak Shuttle Lot was full by 6 a.m. but the Mt. Elbert lot still had room.
Although travel seemed to be busy but moving slowly, it wasn't the case on the East Coast. One of the busiest, most stressful travel days of the year posed special challenges in the crowded Washington-to-Boston corridor as travelers on their way to Thanksgiving celebrations contended with a nor'easter packing rain and snow.
Hours before snow was forecast to begin Wednesday, more than 200 flights were canceled at airports in the northeast.
Major northeast cities were likely to see moderate to heavy rain most of the day, though New York could see 1 to 4 inches of snow while its northern suburbs could get 6 to 8 inches, the National Weather Service said. And higher elevation areas west of the Interstate 95 corridor could see as much as 6 to 12 inches before the nor'easter exits Wednesday night.
Major airlines dropped their ticket-change fees for people flying in and out of the Northeast, allowing passengers to try to sneak on an earlier flight, though that appeared to be a challenging proposition since most planes were filled.
United said it was planning to cancel 100 flights Wednesday in and out of Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey — a small fraction of the traffic there. Delta planned to cancel 57 flights.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports, said it was lining up extra staff and snow removal equipment in the event of a heavy snowfall. Crews were prepared to work in 12-hour shifts if necessary, officials said.
