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We are pleased to bring you The Travel
Column, written fortnightly for "The Trinidad Guardian"REMEMBERING 9/11: SHOULD WE STILL TRAVEL?
Do you believe next Wednesday will be one year since the terrorist
attacks on the US World Trade Center and the Pentagon? How could 365 days
go by so fast, and just how much has travel changed since this date? One
thing is sure, despite the sad events of that day, a clear message has
been sent that it is quite impossible for travel of any type to cease in
our interconnected and interdependent world. As expected, air travel fell
dramatically after the attacks, but it has indeed made a strong comeback.
According to the I.A.A.T.C., for January 2002 business-travel levels were
down 50% when compared to January 2001. Passenger traffic for June this
year, however is down less than 10% from a year earlier. We’ve realized
that the notion of staying home to remain out of harm’s way is
unrealistic; bad things can happen anywhere. Many of the risks associated
with travel are the same as those experienced in our everyday lives at
home; vehicle accidents, and slips and falls, like when we’re not watching
where we put our feet while looking at the sights and scenery!
When compared to any other means of transportation, air travel is
probably a thousand times safer. And safety will only be improved in the
wake of improvements in airport security, etc. Ironically, the safest part
of your trip is the time you spend in the air! Take for example, the
airline with the highest level of “accidents” for the last 5 years …
America West lists only 9.48 per 1 million flights. Indeed this is only a
drop in the bucket and you’re by far safer in the air, than driving your
own car here on our roads! For more information on the safety records of
airlines, you can visit
www.airline-safety-records.com. One of the unfortunate consequences of
September 11th, I would imagine, is a dramatic increase in the number of
people worldwide who would choose to drive to their destination instead of
flying. This would no doubt result in a much higher level of road
accidents, and the number of road fatalities for the year, but again
increasing the air safety factor.
The fear of flying is very real, and it’s very common. I myself have
sat next to many a passenger who has gripped the handles of their seat in
anxiety over a take-off, and even imaginatively pressed the brakes for
their pilot on landing! Once you’re seated in an aircraft, really, you
hand over the control of your surroundings to another person, and it’s
easy to experience fear in such a situation. However, don’t assume that
airplanes are unsafe just because to you they may be scary.
Understandably, some of the larger airlines in the US are reporting
that they will be trimming back their flights on September 11th and some
even for a few days before and after. Many travellers indicate that their
reluctance to fly on the date would be more superstitious rather than
being afraid, much like when one hesitates to fly on a day that’s Friday
the 13th. Some of it may also be patriotism and remembrance; so many lives
were lost that day, maybe it doesn’t seem right to schedule a pleasure
trip just then. Michael Wascom, a spokesman for the US Air Transport
Association, played down the fear factor while acknowledging that travel
may be down on the specific day. “It’ll be business as usual that day. In
fact, one of the safest places to be on September 11th will be aboard a
commercial aircraft,” he said, referring to the stepped-up security.
According to CNN.com,
four flights that won’t be operating are the ones that went down in the
attacks. American Airlines has retired the two daily flights, and United
has since renumbered its two but they are both canceled for the
anniversary. The airlines have adjusted their schedules in anticipation of
the decrease in demand, but still the bulk of flights will be operating.
Airports continue to implement increased security measures. This has
meant longer check-in and security lines and longer waits at the ticketing
counters, the gate-screening areas and at the actual gates to board the
aircraft. Here are a few tips to help make your check-in and boarding
process easier.
 | Always arrive early at the airport, at least two hours before the
scheduled departure of your flight. This is especially important if you
need to be in the counter line to check your bags or for other special
needs, like if you’re travelling with young children or with people with
disabilities.
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| Limit your carry on bags, and the items in them. Remember that many
things can no longer be carried on board in the cabin with you, such as
letter openers, knives, box cutters, scissors, tennis racquets, baseball
bats, etc. Anything not allowed in the cabin, must go through in your
checked luggage.
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| Make it easy to be screened. To make them easier to be searched, do
not pack your bags too tightly. Keep your ticket, boarding pass and
passport within easy reach. Wear shoes that can be easily removed and
put back on, and be prepared to show that any electronic item you are
carrying, eg. your laptop, can work.
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| Don’t take extra screening personally. Everyone faces the standard
security measures, but some people are taken aside for an additional
search. In most cases, this does not mean that you are being singled
out, but merely that additional random checks are being made.
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| Above all, maintain a positive attitude!! Even when things go
absolute smoothly, travelling by air can often be very stressful. The
increased security measures will certainly cause delays and may cause
you to be inconvenienced, but they have been put in place for your own
safety. There may be many opportunities for you to become tense or
frustrated and most of us won’t make it past our first stop-over without
a really good sense of humour. |
Source:
Elliott.org
Melanie Waddell, Director
trvlcentre.tt@gmail.com
September 5, 2002 Previous Travel Columns
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