How Long Will I Be Stuck in This Airport? A Thanksgiving Travel Forecast
If you're one of the tens of thousands of people who are trapped in one of the United States' many fine airports on this Thanksgiving Eve, you may find yourself wondering when the hell you're going to get out of here and on to your destination. Here's a quick forecast for your (eventual) departure.
New York/LaGuardia
Number of Cancelled Flights: 107 departures so far today.
Number of Delayed Flights: Almost all of them.
Current Weather: Very low clouds, gusty winds, light snow, planes are required to operate on instruments right now (IFR).
Your Forecast Departure: You could be one of the lucky few who manages to get out today as opposed to tomorrow or Friday. A comet could smash through the atmosphere and wipe out civilization, too. Anything is possible! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Misery Number: 7 (trips to a curiously-scented Hudson News for a Diet Coke.)
New York/JFK
Number of Cancelled Flights: 15 departures so far today
Number of Delayed Flights: A good number of them.
Current Weather: Same as LaGuardia.
Your Forecast Departure: Since the number of cancellations is far lower than the hundreds of flights that depart JFK every day, you'll probably get out today!
Misery Number: 4 (times that creepy guy will stare into your eyes while he picks his teeth with his boarding pass.)
Newark Liberty
Number of Cancelled Flights: 83 departures so far today.
Number of Delayed Flights: Most of them.
Current Weather: Very low clouds, gusty winds, rain/snow mix, visibility around one mile.
Your Forecast Departure: Maybe tonight, but if you're stuck in Newark at this point, you're probably not getting out until tomorrow.
Misery Number: 8 (babies screaming.)
Philadelphia
Number of Cancelled Flights: 82 departures so far today.
Number of Delayed Flights: Almost all of them except for that one cowboy pilot who just knows he can nail that landing.
Current Weather: Low clouds, snow, gusty winds, marginal visibility.
Your Forecast Departure: Tonight, if the precipitation stops and your plane is already at the gate...otherwise, tomorrow.
Misery Number: 9 (calls from your mother asking if you're sure there are no other flights today???)
Washington National
Number of Cancelled Flights: 34 departures so far today.
Number of Delayed Flights: 70 or so at the moment.
Current Weather: Clouds around 1,000 feet, a stiff 17 MPH wind from the north, good visibility, no precipitation at the moment.
Your Forecast Departure: If your plane is there, you're golden. If your plane is stuck down the cancellation chain...you might make it to where you're going by tomorrow.
Misery Number: 5 (times your friend will tell you she will always call it NATIONAL Airport and not REAGAN Airport, because it's already named after a president, thankyouverymuch.)
Charlotte
Number of Cancelled Flights: 12 departures so far today.
Number of Delayed Flights: More than a hundred.
Current Weather: Mostly cloudy with light winds.
Your Forecast Departure: Probably today, but the vast majority of people flying through Charlotte come or go on a regional jet, and those are the first ones delayed or cancelled due to bad weather or cancellations down the chain.
Misery Number: 2 (jerks who refuse to stand to the right so we can walk to the left.)
Chicago O'Hare
Number of Cancelled Flights: 15 departures so far today.
Number of Delayed Flights: 160 at the moment.
Current Weather: Cold, cloudy, breezy.
Forecast Departure: Probably today, unless you're heading to the East Coast.
Misery Index: 2 (gagging whiffs of whatever it is they're cooking at that god-awful place two gates over.)
Minneapolis
Number of Cancelled Flights: 19 departures so far today, almost all due to planes stuck on the East Coast.
Number of Delayed Flights: A few of them, but delays are only about an hour coming and going.
Current Weather: Low clouds, poor visibility, intermittent snow.
Your Forecast Departure: Probably today!
Misery Number: 1 (senator with a wide stance)
Hopefully you'll be able to get to where you're going today in a timely manner and in one piece. If you're stuck at an airport, take in the fine scenery of snow gently falling on top of the airplanes that aren't taking you anywhere. Happy Thanksgiving!
[Image: AP | Cancellation/delay info via FlightStats]
