Some Flights Arriving Early At Palm Springs Airport

PALM SPRINGS – Some passengers say this was one of the smoothest travel holidays in recent memory with some flights arriving early.

Passengers fill the baggage claim area at Palm Springs International Airport. When many are used to complaining about holiday travel delays, this time arrivals actually had something good to say.

“Actually, the plane from Phoenix to here was early,” says Jim Herr arriving from Lancaster Pennsylvania.

Girls field hockey teams are arriving from points north for an Indio tournament.

“We got to our last flight 20 minutes early and we got here 10 minutes early,” says Maggie Schroeder arriving from Wisconsin.

Looking at the packed baggage claim room, arriving flights appeared to be full.

“I probably travel 6 months out of the year on a plane. This was the easiest trip other than waking up in the middle of the morning with bags under my eyes,” says Billy Abajian from New Jersey.

Airport employees still do extra sanitizing to combat swine flu. Passengers we talked to say they neither feared the flu, or the recession. But nationally, the AAA says air travel will be down 7 percent this Thanksgiving weekend. That leaves Palm Springs International Airport having to compete with nearby Ontario International Airport.

Airport Director Tom Nolan says, “We have a niche. People from this area realize we’re so convenient that having to drive to other Southern California Airports just isn’t in the mix for them.”

Perhaps one person best able to judge how well Palm Springs Airport is doing is the man at the resort booking desk, just watching everybody walk on by.

“Last year, we didn’t have much of a season at all. Already, this early in, we seem to have some movement in the economy. We’re happy with what’s going on,” says Austin Ray.