Market attendees face air travel challenges
By Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, April 20, 2008
High Point — A wave of cancellations by American Airlines and the sudden shutdown of discount carrier Skybus created travel woes for a number of marketgoers, but organizers don't believe the airline problems hurt attendance.
Most of the headaches affected attendees as they were trying to get home, as American cancelled thousands of flights during market week to inspect wiring on its MD-80 aircraft.
Market organizers said an undetermined number of marketgoers had their return trips rerouted, and some airport shuttle schedules were adjusted to accommodate those needing rides to the Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham airports.
"I really don't think it had a significant impact on Market though some may have been inconvenienced," said Market Authority President Brian Casey. "It was unfortunate, but those that wanted to get here found the means to do so, and we worked to help make that happen."
Lee White, owner of Travelquest, a travel agency that maintained two offices in the market area, said he only knew of one group of designers who were unable to get to Greensboro from Dallas late in the week. Travel agents simply couldn't find empty seats on any flights to the three major North Carolina airports, he said.
"Since planes usually fly full these days, it can be difficult for other airlines to accommodate people when a flight is cancelled," White said.
White said his office assisted more than 30 attendees whose American flights were cancelled during market week, and helped about 20 additional people who had tickets for Skybus. Many others undoubtedly made alternate flight plans on their own, he said.
Skybus, a discount carrier that had been developing a hub operation in Greensboro, suspended operations without warning three days before the market's official opening day.
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