More Washington-area residents, and others across the nation, are riding trains and buses after U.S. air travel was disquieted by a reported terrorist plot to blow up American jetliners this week.
Amtrak’s nationwide rail service — which carries more than 69,000 passengers daily — reported a 15-percent increase in reservation calls on Friday, spokeswoman Tracy Connell said.
Greyhound officials, meanwhile, said they are prepared to add buses — upping their 16,000 daily departures — in response to travelers avoiding airport delays.
While aviation facilities alone received tightened security instructions from the Department of Homeland Security, both Amtrak and Greyhound raised their own security measures — such as more frequent identification checking and heightened police presence at Amtrak stations.
Amtrak police canine teams were seen at Union Station on Friday, and Connell saidsuch measures could continue through the weekend.
A small choice such as choosing to pack a laptop in luggage instead of carrying it on the plane could make a difference in a travel experience for commuters, said National Business Travel Association spokesman Caleb Tiller.
Overseas travelers are avoiding British airports, where electronics such as laptops, cell phones, and PDA’s are prohibited — and flying through Paris instead, said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend.
He added Americans’ travel frequency recently returned to pre-Sept. 11 numbers, and he fears the latest news of terrorism stint will jolt the airline industry once again.
“It will weigh heavily on the minds of a lot of travelers” Townsend said. “In the short term, the impact will be that people who have not yet booked flights, and have trips that are drivable, will probably drive rather them do the long lines.”
