Sky Harbor holiday off to smooth start

PHOENIX -- The early hours of the busiest travel day of the year went off without a hitch at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. No delays, no long lines at ticket counters or security checkpoints.

"It's a pretty drama-free day," said Michael Brophy of Travelocity.

Terminal 2 was virtually a ghost town by mid-morning Thursday after flights to the East Coast left. Crowds in Terminals 3 and 4 were steady, but not overwhelming.

A handful of incoming flights were delayed, mainly from Florida which was having bad weather. But, Brophy said some flights were early.

"I saw one that was 35 to 40 minutes early," said Brophy. "I would imagine that it speaks to the good weather we're seeing."

Brophy said he was seeing a few short delays in the east, "in Boston and New York and Chicago, both from an arrival and departure standpoint."

He expected the airport to get busier as the day went on, particularly Terminal 4 where US Airways and Southwest handle more than 70 percent of Sky Harbor's traffic.

There was plenty of parking at mid-day Thursday, Sky Harbor said. Although the West Economy Lot was closed and the East Economy Lot nearly full, there was still space in Terminal 2 Rooftop Economy, Economy Garage A and Economy Garage B.

Brophy noted that experts have predicted travel will be down about 4 percent because of the economy, but he said there are still bargains to be had. More than 125,000 people were expected to travel in and out of Sky Harbor on Thursday.

Early travelers like Marcy Bischoff and Michelle Kennedy did not encounter any hassles.

"I was totally shocked," said Bischoff who was headed for New York and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "I thought, `We need to be there about three hours ahead of time,' and then we just whipped through."

Kennedy was headed to Cleveland to "see snow, that's about it." She added she's glad she gets to come back to the Valley.

The Transportation Security Administration added seven security lanes across four different checkpoints and beefed up its staff at Sky Harbor to deal with the holiday crunch.

Suzanne Trevino with the TSA said there's something new at security lanes this year -- and it's family friendly. "That's the lane where we're better equipped to handle strollers and car seats and additional liquids like formula or breast milk, if you're traveling with it," she said.

Trevino said one thing people keep forgetting is to remove the zip lock bags holding liquids from their carry-on bags when they go through security.

"Put it in the bin so our transportation security officers can take a look at it and then you're on your way," she said. "If you leave it in your bag, we're going to have to rescreen your bag. It's going to hold you up." Sky Harbor's Deborah Ostreicher reminded travelers not to wrap gifts.

"Whether it's in your carry-on or your checked baggage, put the wrapping paper in the bottom of your suitcase," she said. "Then you can carry the gift onto the plane or in your checked baggage, but the TSA may need to unwrap it so don't wrap your gifts."

And, she said, you cannot take more than three ounces of any liquid, including liquor, even if it's unopened and sealed.

Another thing causing concern at security -- wedding rings.

"Most people's wedding rings will not set off the checkpoint, but people are leaving them in the bins behind," said Ostreicher. "I recommend don't take off your wedding ring unless it's absolutely enormous. Don't we all wish we had that."

Ostreicher had a tip on an airport parking deal over the Thanksgiving holiday.

"If you're used to parking in the economy lots at this leisure time of travel for the holidays, now you can park in the terminal garages until Nov. 30 at 40 percent off. So, for a quick trip, you just park in the terminal and walk right to your plane. It's a great deal."

Instead of the usual $25 a day, the garages will cost $15 daily. To get the special parking fees, you must have a coupon found on Sky Harbor's Web site.

www.skyharbor.com