President Bush unveils measures to ease holiday travel delays

WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Tuesday unveiled several new measures designed to ease holiday travel and protect travelers from lost bags and lengthy tarmac delays.

The president said the military will open three new flight routes to airlines in Colorado, Arizona and Southern California during the busy Thanksgiving travel rush in addition to the routes off the East Coast that were made available last year.

Fees for lost baggage and airline consumer violations will also be raised by mid-December in time for the Christmas travel push, Bush said.

In an attempt to lessen the chances that passengers will be stranded for hours on the ground, Bush announced plans to require that airlines file airport-specific plans for how they will handle the lengthy tarmac delays that prompted calls for a passenger bill of rights.

"A lot of our citizens are nervous about travel," Bush said. "They are saying, 'Will traveling home for the holidays be a wonderful life or will it be the nightmare before Christmas?' "

Labor and consumer groups immediately criticized the steps as ineffective and inadequate.

"This is a different year, same gift," said Doug Church, spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union that has been at odds with the administration over contract and pay issues. "I don't think there is any relevance to today's announcement. It's all for show."

Kate Hanni, the self-styled advocate for passenger rights after her family was stranded for about eight hours on a flight in December 2007, said that the consumer measures did not go far enough.

"We hope that the Obama administration will suspend or overturn these non-regulation regulations," Hanni said.

Even though airline delays have fallen this fall as financially troubled carriers have cut flights, the holiday season brings an upsurge in demand and flights are expected to be packed.

The Air Transport Association, which represents large airlines, predicts that average flights will be 90% full during the Thanksgiving period. That means that many flights will be completely filled, making it difficult for airlines to accommodate passengers who miss connections.