Business travelers choosing to drive
But now that security concerns have stretched airport waits, the hotel company's representatives are settling on a different option: their personal car.
"It's faster and more reliable," said Soleil co-owner Dicky Walia. His partner, Sanjay Mundra, chose to drive Tuesday from Raleigh to a Soleil hotel in Charleston, S.C.
Mandates to get to airports hours before departure times, new security restrictions and snarled schedules are prompting some passengers to bail out of commercial airline trips. Some are driving. Others are chartering planes. And if the extra hassle persists, airline revenue could suffer and some short-haul flights might be canceled.
"It's a concern if there's a big hassle factor," said Helane Becker, an analyst for The Benchmark Company in New York. "If your flight is only one or 1.5 hours long, and you have to get to the airport two hours in advance, is it worth it? It's likely you would drive. This latest terrorist threat has caused people to rethink."
"It would have taken four or five hours, and I would not have been in control of my destiny," he said.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, many former airline passengers began driving to destinations and carriers were forced to cancel some short-haul trips. Becker said there are still 15 percent fewer departures now than in 2001.
Airlines, which are enjoying one of the busiest travel seasons in decades, said they've seen no significant drop in bookings or passengers. With planes filling up, there's no reason to consider dropping flights, they said.
"We haven't seen a lot of people booking away across the system," said Dave Jackson, a spokesman for American Airlines and American Eagle, the busiest carriers at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Neither has Southwest, said spokeswoman Paula Berg. "I'm admitting it (extra hassle) exists, but I'm saying it's not as bad as some people think, and it will improve.
"If everyone adheres to the current security directives — don't wear any metal, don't carry any gels, liquids or water — the security process should move quickly," Berg said.
Some travelers aren't convinced.
Liz Daniel, charter manager at Landmark Aviation in Raleigh-Durham International Airport, said calls for charters are up 30 percent to 40 percent since British authorities uncovered an alleged plot to blow up planes.
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