> News >  

How Airlines and Airports are Taking the Stress out of Thanksgiving Travel

November 26, 2014  | Written by Jessica Sammut
Author Photo

Share

thanksgiving
Therapy dogs, LAX
As much as we all start to get those warm and fuzzy feelings around this time of year, anticipating the holiday season and being reunited with our loved ones, the process of actually getting to our destination is often a source of stress for air travel passengers. This year, a projected 12.3 million roundtrip passengers will be traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday, the highest since 2007. In anticipation of the crowds and stressed-out passengers, airlines and airports across the US are preparing for the increased volume, and some hope to delight passengers as they journey through the busiest travel day of the year.

Staying Connected to Loved Ones

Flying through an airport with Wi-Fi service provided by Boingo? Passengers traveling nation-wide can look forward to free Wi-Fi on Thanksgiving Wednesday. The initiative, launched by Verizon Wireless and coined as “Connection Day,” allows users to stream movies, music, audiobooks and more from their personal devices. “We hope that not only our customers, but everyone, will take advantage of this day€”a day to connect with family and friends, to learn something new about their device, or just to provide a little more entertainment during what can often be a hectic kick off to the holiday season,” shared Ken Dixon, vice president of marketing, Verizon Wireless in a statement last week.

And free Wi-Fi won’t be limited to the ground. Passengers flying low-cost carrier jetBlue will enjoy free Wi-Fi  for the full duration of their flight, and airlines serviced by Gogo will offer passengers 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi. Participating airlines include:

  • American Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Air Tran
  • United Airlines
  • US Airways
  • Virgin America

Furry Friends

LAX, one the busiest airports in the US over the Thanksgiving holiday, will be taking a “furry friend approach” to help passengers manage their stress levels. On the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, pet therapy dogs will be making their way through terminals accompanied by LAX volunteers. Travelers may take some time out from their hectic day to stop and pet the dogs, who are trained to relieve passenger anxiety.

Thanksgiving Goodies

jetBlue, known for their “Terra Blues Potato Chips,” have put a together a fun Thanksgiving campaign promoting their “always free” snack service. They sent out this tweet yesterday, which playfully arranges the infamous chips in the shape of a turkey:

Oh and they’ve got dancing turkeys too:

http://instagram.com/p/v3B9ghgam0/?modal=true

But jetBlue isn’t just all fun, they’ve got games and prizes for Thanksgiving travelers too as part of their #travelhappy campaign. The airline has once again paired up with retail giant Zappos this year to bring travelers unexpected gifts and prizes at the baggage carrousel at JFK airport. If a passengers’ luggage lands on a prize square, they’re handed a gift.

http://instagram.com/p/v3g9ekKJ2x/

The campaign has been a hit on Twitter today:

https://twitter.com/sidburgos/status/537595387063054336

With free Wi-Fi, dancing airport turkeys, therapy dogs and freebies, Thanksgiving travel is looking a little less stressful and a lot more fun.