Check it out. The federal government is going to speed the flow of holiday travelers next week! Maybe you’re more optimistic than I am, but it’s just something about the government getting involved that typically results in a mess.
The Air Transport Association expects 27 million passengers during the 12 days surrounding Thanksgiving.
This is the worst year on record for aviation delays, and the White House is trying to ease congestion not just during the holidays - but for next summer’s busy travel season as well. ” We want to make sure next year does not duplicate what happened this year,” a White House official said.
I guess airline tickets must be less expensive for most folks. When I priced tickets for Thanksgiving break for Tieki Rae coming home they were well over $1000, many reaching $2000+. Needless to say, poor Tieki has to wait until Christmas break to come home. 
Oh, and this little snippet:
President Bush is also expected to announce raising compensation for passengers who are bumped off an overbooked flight. The Transportation Department has been drafting proposed increases for passengers ranging from $200 to more than $600.
Additionally at New York’s JFK airport, one of the nation’s most delayed airports, the government is considering slightly altering landing and take-off patterns to speed up arrivals and departures.
First of all, I love it when Tieki gets bumped because it means a free trip. However, who’s going to pay for this increased compensation the White House is talking about?
I realize the federal government has to be involved in the aviation industry, but isn’t less really more? They think they can speed up travel and make the airlines run efficiently, when government itself runs so inefficiently? Just saying.
Are you traveling over Thanksgiving? Leave a comment regarding holiday plans. 
Don’t leave anything so specific that leftards and islamofascists can locate and harass you, but do share if you feel so inclined. For the first time ever (not counting last year when my husband was in the hospital) I have the entire week of Thanksgiving off. AND … I think we are just planning to stay home, relax, eat, and watch football! Doesn’t that sound spectacular? Of course, the only thing that could make it better would be if we were loaded and could afford those $1500 airline tickets to bring the Tiekster home. (Don’t tell her I called her that!)
Sending out some link love to: 2nd Verse Same as the 1st, 4Simpsons, Big Dog’s Weblog, Brit and Grit, Defiant Infidel, Doctor Bulldog, Foehammer, Grizzly Groundswell, Haemet, Helvidius a Pachyderm, I Pandora, John Kaiser, Mommyzabs, Next Stop Lauderdale, Nuke’s News & Views, Political Cowboy, Queen of Swords, Jeffrey Weaver, The Midnight Sun, Toast, TotalTransformation, Velvet Hammer, and Woman Honor Thyself.
Let’s not leave out some Conservablog Friends: Blogs for Thompson, Ohio for Fred, Wyoming Vote Tracker, Blue Collar Muse, Conservative Common Man, DPGI v.3, and Publius Forum
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We need more of the free market, not less! I didn’t realize the Feds were responsible for setting the rates when people get bumped.
Hi Neil,
Yeah, I’m not sure if the feds are responsible for setting the rates when people get bumped, but it sure sounds like they want to be.
Hey — your forgot to share your Thanksgiving plans … you know, where we go around the table and say at least one thing we are thankful for.
I’m planning to travel across town from near the airport to 8 miles up Southfork in a car.
Oooo …. Scott, the leftards will never find you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for the link love!
My girlfriend was not able to make it home over the Thanksgiving holiday because of a combination of ticket prices and a relatively short holiday offered by her school.
She’s not so happy about it as it will be her first thanksgiving apart from family. But I’m not too disappointed as it means we’ll be celebrating it together with some relatives in the area.
Hi Matthew,
That sounds fun. Yes, the ticket prices are outrageous and as a student, the break is too short to really get your money’s worth.
In Tieki’s case, she’ll be home 3 weeks to the day of Thanksgiving. So, we’ll just keep missing her and counting the days till Christmas break.
You are welcome for the link love.
I can read woman. I know when you call me the Tiekster. Psh…
My Thanksgiving plans are to sleep a lot in my dorm, go over to some campus pastors’ house for dinner, and then sleep some more. Oh yeah, in between all that I’ll be doing 1000+ pages of reading for my foreign policy class. FUN!
I know you can read — but I was anticipating you being too busy with your homework and studying to drop by. I underestimated you!
Tammi -
Thanks for the link love, girl!!
Yah! The Feds are gonna help. We should all be running in terror at the thought of THAT!
The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy is flying home for 2.5 days from his school at TGiving! That flight is setting those involved back almost $500. He’ll be home at Christmas, too. He’ll be taking the same set of flights. That cost? Just a hair over $200.
This is the Free Market at work. I have no problem with supply and demand inflating prices. Especially since this is nothing new. It happens every year at this time so it’s not like we don’t know it’s coming.
But the Feds ought not be involved with this process. Especially not in the matter of establishing prices paid to inconvenienced passengers. That should be left to the airlines to deal with.
The people who are excited about getting a couple of hundred dollars for being bumped don’t consider that those **actual cash dollars** being paid by the airlines must be made up for somewhere. That somewhere is the ticket prices we all pay the rest of the year. Better options are those which you mentioned - free flights. Not all flights are fully booked. I’m guessing MOST flights are not. But they are still going where they are supposed to go, full or not. Thus giving a seat on that flight to a previously inconvenienced passenger costs the airline little or nothing and makes the passenger feel as if they’ve been compensated for their trouble. It may not be as nice as money, but it works.
But the Feds are never stingy about spending other people’s money. Since that’s all they do, they’ve gotten pretty good at it.
Blue
Hey Blue!
You are most certainly welcome!
It makes me very happy to know that you are going to get to spend Thanksgiving with your son.
With the airline prices you mention, you must be able to fly from major airport to major airport. Wyoming has no major airports. 
So, if two or more of us are flying, we typically fly out Denver (400 miles away) or Salt Lake (300 miles away). However, for one person, it just ends up more economical to fly in and out of Wyoming.
Howdy… Thanksgiving plans 2007 ~ My Lil Trooper just got back from Iraq! Thanksgiving this year will be… well, something that I am very THANKFUL for!
We will not be out any travel money… again, something to be very thankful for!
Hi CavMom!
Words cannot express how happy that makes me! Please tell your Lil Trooper that our household is grateful to him. Be blessed over Thanksgiving and enjoy every second!