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E L L I O T T ' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

November 24, 2004

Car Rental Wait Times On the Rise
Enterprise ranks highest in satisfying rental car customers, followed by Hertz, according a study released Tuesday. The J.D. Power and Associates study, now in its ninth year, measures customer satisfaction among business and leisure customers who rented a vehicle at or near an airport. The study also showed that wait times to pick up rental cars have increased significantly over 2003. The study found that 43 percent of all rental car customers had to wait an average of 19 minutes for a shuttle bus to pick up their rental car -- up from 11 minutes in 2003. (NBC4) Posted 6:35 a.m.
• Earlier: Avis, Hertz Lead Pack in Survey
• Best (and Worst) Car Rental Companies (Elliott.org)

I should also say congratulations to Enterprise. However, as someone who follows these surveys, I'm not sure how reliable they actually are. And after yesterday's report on dinging, I have to admit, I'm a skeptic.

For Holiday Flight, Pack Right
Preparing for a holiday trip once meant packing the right things. Now it includes preparing for airport security. And that means not packing the wrong things. Packing is still important, but looking ahead also can speed air travelers on their way, said Mike Young, head of the Transportation Security Administration's Cleveland operations. At Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, for example, "every security checkpoint can access any gate," Young said, meaning that a flight from Concourse D does not require the use of that checkpoint. (Plain Dealer) Posted 6:45 a.m.

30 Worst Airport Waits
Despite worries about long waits as air travel picks up again, airport-security checkpoints haven't created the gridlock that some feared - even with new requirements, such as taking off all coats and jackets. But don't mention that to people waiting at Fort Lauderdale's Terminal D. There, the wait at 5 p.m. on a recent Thursday was 63 minutes. At Washington's Reagan National Airport, it took some travelers 59 minutes to get to the front of the line at 7 a.m. on a recent Monday. The Transportation Safety Administration - created after the 2001 terrorist attacks to run airport security - has been under pressure from frustrated airlines and passengers alike to cut screening wait times. (WSJ) Posted 6:50 a.m.

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Want an Upgrade? Say 'Thank You'
For most Americans, the Thanksgiving holiday is synonymous with travel. And this year looks like one for the record books, with AAA projecting that more than 37 million Americans will hit the road. For me, Thanksgiving means more than that. More than the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with cranberry sauce, someone carving the turkey, and the fight over who gets to pull the wishbone. It means a lot of request for Joel's airline upgrade techniques. (Travelcomment.com) Posted 6:55 a.m.

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Airports Review Groping Allegations
An urgent review is under way at US airports today after hundreds of women complained that security staff were using the terror threat as an excuse to grope them. The new searches include patting around the groin, buttocks and breasts, often carried out by male staff. (Evening Standard) Posted 7 a.m.

In Norfolk, Planes Run Out of Gas
Thanksgiving travel got off to a rocky start at Norfolk International Airport on Tuesday. US Airways had to cancel two morning flights - one to New York and one to Washington - because the airline ran out of gas. The interruption was the result of the fuel vendor not delivering, said Amy Kudwa, spokeswoman for U.S. Airways. "Our understanding is that the company that delivers fuel to the airport had operational problems." (Daily Press) Posted 7:05 a.m.

Listen Up, Now: Leave Your Guns at Home
Is it possible the word still hasn't gotten around? Leave your handguns and knives at home when you go to the airport. The chain saw, land mines and gunpowder, too. More than three years after the Sept. 11 attacks, air travelers still are trying to carry thousands of potentially deadly items on planes every month. (AP) Posted 7:10 a.m.

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