By:Marcia Abramson
I decided it was time to take to the air again after a hiatus since Sept. 11. It was comforting to see two National Guards in camouflage uniforms at JFK at 7 o'clock on the Wednesday morning before my 8 a.m. flight on AcroMexico to Guadalajara. I was told to get to the airport one and a half hours before my flight, rather than the usual two hours normally recommended for international flights. The porters were at curbside to help with baggage, but no curbside check-ins, not unusual for other than domestic flights. Before getting to the check-in counter, my luggage was screened and I had to walk through a magnetometer. The metal buttons on my jacket set it off. After a wand screening, and it was determined that I had no weapons, I was allowed to proceed to have my passport checked and get a seat assignment.
I was prepared for long lines and three-hour waits, but within a few minutes I was off to the gate and another screening including my purse this time. The security person was wearing plastic gloves as she went through my purse. My friend, classical pianist turned travel writer, Edith Hall, who was traveling with me was concerned that her Tweezerman tweezer would be confiscated. It did not happen and she boarded the 80 percent full plane a happy woman.
The passenger roster consisted of business travelers and families with young children. Everything seemed very normal. In fact, I learned from Liana Feuer of Haber Travel in Lawrence, who I found to be a very savvy web surfer for the lowest available fares, that this week she has seen a pick up in travel. She has booked a few trips to lsrael for people visiting relatives and attending meaningful family functions.
"The snowbirds are flying to Florida, with exodus from Long Island starting after election," she told me. And thus far she has not had any cancellations for the Christmas and Chanukah Caribbean Cruises. She is hoping that this is a sign of things to come and the travel and hospitality industry will become whole again.
Another thing I noticed on the AeroMexico flight was that there were more English speaking attendants and personnel than on previous flights. It is the largest airline in Mexico and continues to lead the industry in on-time departures and arrivals. My flight left exactly on the button and arrived in Mexico City a few minutes early. Our seats were comfortable with adequate leg room, but the food was typical breakfast airline fare with a choice of Mexican burritos. The four-hour flight was uneventful with a complimentary movie and beverages to help pass the time away.
At the airport in Mexico City, I was pleasantly surprised to find a good number of golf carts with English speaking drivers. There is no direct flight front JFK to Guadalajara, and it was just great to find Alex, a courteous young man fluent in English, ready to take us from our terminal to customs and immigration. Alex waited patiently while we were carefully screened with a luggage and passport check. He then took us to our departing terminal.
I had the sense that security was of utmost importance in Mexico and no stone was left unturned to ensure my safety. I also learned that AeroMexico is installing special bullet-proof glass and heavy metal bars on the cockpit doors to prevent unauthorized people from entering this tightly controlled area.
President Bush's proposals for airline and airport security which are being implemented with the National Guard at all commercial airports will make the skies safer than the roadways. The guards are receiving training in airport security techniques from the Federal Aviation Administration. The Air Marshal program patterned after the Israeli government's successful anti hi-jacking regimen and the $500 million fund to modify planes with rigid restrictions on cockpit door openings during flight, the installation of video systems for the cockpit crew to monitor activity in the cabin and unwavering tracking of aircraft locations by the air controllers, are all added incentives for me to get back on the road again.
Congress is working on legislation now to put the Federal government in charge of establishing new standards for all security operations at the nation's 420 airports. This would include intensive background checks on baggage screeners and security personnel. The question of whether they should be Federal employees is holding up the program, but it should be worked out very soon. Getting over our "fear of flying" at this time seems to me our best secret weapon against bin Laden's plan to destroy the American economy. Therefore, a call to your local travel agent is the way to get the ball rolling or the planes flying.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail: mascribe@aol.com
