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Hi {{Name|Fellow Traveler}},
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday if you celebrate it. Again, thank you for your support; it is truly appreciated.
If you traveled or are traveling, I hope that went well. The travel issues will continue over the weekend as people return home, so plan accordingly. Remember that some of the airports are under construction, so that will add to your woes.
Also, to add to the melee, Airbus is recalling about 6,000 A320 family aircraft, so that may affect your travels. The U.S. carriers that use the A320 family are: allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, jetBlue, spirit and United. There are several non-U.S. carriers that use this type as well. Keep your apps peeled and watch your emails for re-accommodations if your flights are affected.
Good luck out there.
I’m a day late as I was just tired last night, so though I’d get up early and do the newsletter, I was up early, but dilly-dallied, so here we are :-).
I have a list of Black Friday/Cyber Monday travel deals at https://passrider.beehiiv.com/p/kerwin-at-passrider-com-black-friday-travel-deals.
My goal today is to continue categorizing the photos and videos; once I've finished, I can process them and create articles and videos on YouTube for your enjoyment.
I have some jetBlue travels coming up next week, as I do their 25 for 25 challenge. Will see if I can complete the 25 destinations. I’m trying to weave them into my travel plans.
The end of the year is approaching fast, so start planning your travel for the Christmas Holidays.
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From The Airport To the City By Train
I created this post about the U.S. airport that has train service. There are not many of them, as you will see. Take a look and let me know what you think. I’ll be adding more updates and also covering other countries, so stay tuned. Check my work and ensure that I got it right.
Dubai Airshow Re-cap
You can view highlights of the show at https://www.passrider.com/dubai-airshow-2025-highlights/.
the Comac Business Jet
Hurricane Melissa Relief Continues
Please continue to think of the people in Jamaica as they try to get back on their feet. This includes my own family members, who also had damage to their homes. They all survived, thankfully, but as you can imagine, it’s pretty hard on them and their neighbors.
I’m amazed at the number of organization that does the work of getting people back on their feet. Hats off to them.
This young man in Jamaica, Colaz Smith, has a YouTube channel and he’s taking donations, and then buying supplies for the affected people. These are the people in areas hard hit, but difficult to get to. Head over to https://colazsmithtvtours.com/helpjamaica to donate. You can see his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@Colazsmithtv.
Montego Bay Airport (MBJ)
These organizations need your financial support. TIME magazine has a great article with some helpful links; please check it out: https://time.com/7329186/hurricane-melissa-caribbean-impact-victims-how-to-help-relief-organizations/.
Jamaica is coordinating its efforts at https://supportjamaica.gov.jm/donate.
This is a good starting point. Monetary donations are preferable, allowing recipients to use the funds as needed.
UNICEF and the International Red Cross also have resources set up.
TRAVEL EVENTS CALENDAR
Christmas Day - Thursday, December 25, 2025
Boxing Day - Friday, December 26, 2025
New Year’s Day - Thursday, January 1, 2026
Passrider Schedules Premium
And if you want more functionality from the airline schedules, consider upgrading to Passrider Premium at https://www.passrider.com/join.
✈️ Passrider Non-Rev Travel Tip of the Week
Non-Rev Tip of the Week: Think Like the System, Not the Traveler
Thanksgiving week is one of the toughest times of year to non-rev — but not because of the crowds. It’s tough because the system itself is maxed out: fewer backup aircraft, full airports, and no slack in the schedule.
To survive it, you have to think like the system does.
1. Position Ahead of the Surge.
If you’re not where you need to be by Wednesday night, you’re behind. Use smaller hubs or alternate airports to get into position early, even if it means overnighting nearby.
2. Follow the Aircraft, Not the Passengers.
Look for aircraft routing patterns, not just passenger demand. A lightly booked outbound flight today may turn into tomorrow’s oversold return. Knowing where planes are repositioning can help you catch an opening others miss. Many of the airplanes allow you to track incoming flights, or you can use flightradar24.com.
3. Avoid “Dead-End” Airports.
During peak periods, avoid airports with limited onward connectivity (like regional outstations). If your flight cancels, you may be stranded. Bigger hubs give you more recovery options. SOP.
4. Travel Light, Think Fast.
With limited staff and long lines, agility is your edge. Go carry-on only, pre-download boarding passes, and move fast if a gate agent offers an open seat.
5. Have a Ground Plan B.
Don’t wait until you’re stuck. Know which trains, buses, or rental routes connect your target cities, and keep those apps ready. Sometimes, the quickest route home is on wheels, unless you have a John Candy moment in Planes, Trains and Automobiles :-).
Pro move: Thanksgiving is not a week for spontaneity, although :-). — it’s a week for systems thinking. If you can anticipate where the network will crack, you can slip through the gaps and make it home while others are still waiting for standby to clear.
Also, consider international trips as usually the loads are lighter.
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That’s all I got.
Thank you for traveling with me. See you next week.
Kerwin
Passrider.com
Check out my latest book: Major Airlines and Their Hubs (Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, Oceania, South America)
Podcasts - https://www.passrider.com/whit
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