Enjoy the Ride with Norm

Henry Enjoys His First Ride with Norm

Henry’s mom and dad were some of my very first passengers. Now, with his first flight ever, Henry becomes the third generation of the family to travel with me.

I enjoyed the ride with Henry and look forward to meeting him at baggage claim. I’m pretty sure he’ll love the big slide down with the bags.

(Mother provided the image and approved this post)

TSA Slowdowns at PHL: Not Too Bad

PHL appears to be holding up better than several other major airports in the TSA slowdown tied to the DHS funding fight. PHL’s own security page was showing very short checkpoint waits today, and its departures board is largely on time, which suggests Philadelphia is not currently in the worst-hit group.

The airports getting the strongest warnings are Houston Hobby (HOU) and New Orleans (MSY). Multiple reports say Hobby has seen security waits of around three hours, with the airport warning that fewer TSA lanes are open because of the shutdown. New Orleans has warned of waits of up to two hours.

For a traveler leaving PHL today, I’d treat it as better than the headline airports, but not normal. A reasonable read from the reporting is that PHL is less disrupted than HOU/MSY and probably less problematic than the hardest-hit periods at ATL/CLT, but still worth padding your arrival time because the national situation is unstable.

We did it! More than 1,000 followers, 800 likes, 3 minivans and 175k miles traveled over the last three years. Thanks to all of you for your continued support, trust, patience and friendship. Here’s to the future, let’s all try to Enjoy the Ride.

Sunday, January 25, Travel Update

To avoid Sunday’s possible cancellations and delays a number of my passengers have already changed flights to Saturday, Monday and even Tuesday. If you have the flexibility, contact your travel agent or airline and investigate the possibilities. You may need to be creative and look at Wilmington, Allentown, AC even Newark or JFK. Plan ahead and be flexible.

Safe travels to you all!

❄️ Snowfall Prep for This Sunday ❄️

A little planning now makes snow day much easier for everyone!

• Stock up on rock salt / ice melt before stores sell out
• Make sure shovels are easy to grab (and not buried in the garage!)
• Get the snow blower ready — test it, top off fuel, and check shear pins
• Connect with neighbors:
– Check in with anyone who has a slow blower
– See if local teenagers want to earn a few dollars helping out
• Move cars off the street when possible so plows can do their job properly
• Consider fresh baked goods (or coffee!) as a thank-you for neighbors who lend a hand

✈️ If You’re Flying This Weekend:
• Track your flight closely for delays or cancellations
• Have alternate travel plans ready just in case
• Go slow, allow extra time, and be flexible — winter weather happens

Stay safe, stay warm, and let’s look out for each other! ☃️

Today’s Password is “Slow”
5:45am, Paoli - most streets are clear but starting to accumulate and slick in spots. Drive safe, drive slow!

Got Baggage?

Anyone who’s played a game of curbside Tetris at 4:00 a.m. knows airport transportation doesn’t always serve real people with real baggage. You also know that many “third rows” are best suited for small children, not adults traveling with suitcases.

This 6-passenger Toyota Sienna is built for:
• Adults riding comfortably
• Full-size luggage staying in the cargo area
• No lap bags, no curbside Tetris

Enjoy the ride — we have room for you and your baggage.

6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over this Thanksgiving holiday period

Nearly 82 Million Americans Projected to Travel over Thanksgiving WASHINGTON, DC (November 17, 2025) - AAA projects 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period from

A Note of Appreciation to Our Passengers

The past 40+ days have been some of the most stressful many airline travelers can remember. Between the countless delays, cancellations, last-minute rescheduling, and all the uncertainty that comes with it, it’s taken a real toll on everyone trying to get where they need to be.

Yet through all of it, I’ve seen remarkable examples of patience, understanding, and good spirit from my passengers. You’ve rolled with the punches, stayed kind, and made the best of some really challenging circumstances — and for that, I’m truly grateful.

There are encouraging signs that smoother skies may be ahead, and I’m hopeful the end of this rough stretch is finally in sight. Thank you all for helping me enjoy the ride.

Thank you for continuing to show grace under pressure — it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Quick summary of local airport delays and cancellations (numbers are FlightAware “today” snapshots pulled during this session — Nov 5, 2025):

• PHL (Philadelphia) — Delays (today): 7, Cancellations (today): 3.

• JFK (New York) — Delays (today): 22, Cancellations (today): 6.

• EWR (Newark) — Delays (today): 23, Cancellations (today): 4.

• BWI (Baltimore) — Delays (today): 0 (no clear delay count on FlightAware page), Cancellations (today): 1.

"According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), half of its Core 30 airports—the busiest U.S. airports monitored by the FAA—had staffing shortages over the weekend. This includes the three major New York City area airports—LaGuardia (LGA), John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and Newark Liberty International (EWR)—that saw nearly 80% of their air traffic controllers absent at some point since Friday"

Flight Delays Surge as Staffing Shortages Hit Half of Busiest U.S. Airports Amid Shutdown Air traffic controller absences due to the shutdown are causing hundreds of flight delays at the nation’s busiest airports.

“The worst of the staffing interruptions was at Orlando International Airport…By Thursday night, the airport was reporting average delays of about 2 hours and 40 minutes, with some flights delayed for nearly 12 hours, and several canceled”

Air Traffic Controller Staff Shortage Causes Delays in Orlando and at Other Airports The F.A.A. warned that a lack of certified air traffic controllers in Orlando could cause delays throughout the East Coast.