Airline group predicts 45 million air travelers over holidays

Airlines for America predicted Wednesday that U.S. airlines will carry about 45 million travelers between Dec. 17 and Jan. 4.

That would be up about one million, or 2 percent, from the comparable period in 2013, the trade group of U.S. air carriers said.

The group expects the busiest travel day to be Friday, Dec. 19. The lightest days will be days just before and on the holidays themselves: Wednesday, Dec. 24; Thursday, Dec. 25; Wednesday, Dec. 31; and Thursday, Jan. 1, A4A predicts.

Honeywell Aerospace on Tuesday released a survey on what annoys travelers during holiday trips, annoyances that would apply at other times of the year as well. Said Honeywell:

• Nearly three in ten would most want to avoid “the arguer” while dealing with the challenging baggage and security check lines, while others say this about “the line-cutter” (17 percent) or “the disorganized traveler” (15 percent).
• Plug your nose. The No. 1 in-flight passenger attribute Americans most want to avoid is “the smelly traveler” (41 percent).
• Emitting unpleasant smells is also the quickest way to become the most unwanted airline seatmate, with passing gas (64 percent) and not wearing deodorant (60 percent) considered top passenger blunders.

Honeywell also checked on the issue of children and babies. It appears travelers are opposed to screaming babies and misbehaving children.

It said 72 percent of responds would “consider confronting a fellow traveler who was not stopping their child from kicking their seat”; 29 percent have confronted parents about reprimand a child; and 45 percent “think all passengers should get free ear plugs in the case of a screaming baby.”

Honeywell said the pet peeves survey “was conducted by Kelton, a leading global insights firm, between Nov. 14 and Nov. 24, 2014, among 1,041 Americans ages 18 and over who have taken a flight at least once in the last 12 months, using an email invitation and an online survey.”