STORY:
Airlines Y2K Ready

Millions of dollars spent to alleviate flyer fears but passenger count still low

IAfter spending $16 million on a campaign to allay customers concerns an industry trade group says the skies will be safe this for New Year's Eve travel. It appears their campaign is calming concerns but not increasing passenger traffic.

The Air Transport Association’s Aviation Millennium Project polled 800 adults in September. The group found that only 19 percent believe the computer Y2K bug will cause problems with the nation’s airline service. That number is down since a CNN/Gallop poll conducted in June, which found 48 percent, worried about the computer bug.

In fact, the latest survey found that only 2 percent specifically changed their travel plans because of safety concerns. 82 percent of those polled said they had at least a fair amount of confidence in major airlines being prepared for the Y2K computer bug.

The association’s Millennium Project kicked off in March of 1998 and has collected Y2K information from more than 500 airports. The association says all technical systems are a go and that the airline industry is in great shape and will be ready for the year 2000.

Despite the surveys and the vote of confidence from potential flyers, the airlines are canceling flights due to lack of interest this New Year. Many airlines have slashed their flight schedule on New Year’s Eve.

Northwest Airlines cut its schedule by 10 percent and Delta slashed its flights 18 percent. United airlines are trimming 27 percent of its flights on December 31 and 15 percent on January 1. The interest in flying is just not there this year the public wants to be grounded despite the continued reports that all is Y2K ok with the airlines.

As a precaution this New Year Amtrak trains will stop at midnight. In fact, they will pull into stations shortly before the clock hits 12 and then get moving again after the New Year begins. At sea, the Carnival cruise line ship Sensation will skip a run to New Orleans and pull in at Gulfport, Mississippi to celebrate the New Year and to be near land when the clock strikes 12.

DATE: 12/15/99

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