Passengers adjusting to airport rules

Although nearly all major airports have resumed service, passengers now must deal with intense security and abbreviated schedules in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks.

The Federal Aviation Administration had ordered an unprecedented ground-halt -- canceling all commercial flights in the nation -- following last week's deadly hijackings. Since then, security has been tightened and routine air travel disrupted, with some major carriers scaling operations by up to 20 percent.

Yesterday, at Philadelphia International Airport, police swarmed through the terminals and baggage areas. All knives have been banned. Terminals, once a place where friends and families said their goodbyes before stepping on a plane, are now closed to anyone without a ticket.

But travelers are being patient with the new regulations and procedures. In fact, most people at Philadelphia International Airport welcomed the changes as necessary precautions.

"It's probably one of the safest times to fly, unfortunately," Doug Silvernale said while checking in before his flight to Munich, Germany.

And Carol Bloch, also on her way to Munich, welcomed the new security measures, even though she had to get to the airport earlier than she normally would have.

"I think we really need it," Bloch said. "I don't have any problem. I feel very secure."

Ron MacDonald, about to fly to South Africa, said that added security would definitely make people feel better about air travel.

"Undoubtedly, you feel safer with more security," MacDonald said.

MacDonald said that he was very confident about his flight across the Atlantic.

But while passengers are returning to the air -- and feeling safer doing it -- airlines themselves are struggling. Major carriers lost billions of dollars during their forced grounding last week, and are now asking the federal government for assistance.

Leo Mullin of Delta Air Lines, after meeting with Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, said that Delta faces "the biggest challenge in our history."

And US Airways, which uses Philadelphia as one of its central connecting hubs, said on Monday that it expects to cut around 11,000 jobs as it reduces capacity by approximately 23 percent. The company's decision comes on the heels of a similar announcement by Continental Airlines, which said it would slash 12,000 jobs over the weekend.

In general, the time now required before boarding international flights is between three and four hours, about an hour more than is normally recommended.

But even on domestic flights, passengers are told to arrive at the airport much earlier than normal. A traveler who wished to be identified as Mark, on a business trip to Florida, said that he was told to get to the airport at least two hours before departure time. However, he went on to say that he felt generally safe about flying.

"I fly all the time for business," Mark said. "I guess that I'm a little bit more apprehensive, but not really."

Mariah Diesel, flying to Albuquerque, N.M., yesterday afternoon, got to the airport with two and a half hours to spare but thought that dealing with the extra security was well worth it.

"I feel pretty safe," Diesel said. "I think [the added security] is a good thing. I think it makes people feel a lot safer."

For Laure Bresson, who wanted to return to France yesterday, the delays and cancellations were a bit more serious. Bresson was not apprehensive about flying, but rather about finding a flight home.

"I don't know if I can fly home today, so I'm nervous," Bresson said.

However, Bresson said she did not notice any of the extra security. "It seems normal to me," she said.

Armed guards and high security have long been fixtures in many European airports.

But Tjitse Brueker, a traveler flying in from the Netherlands yesterday to visit family in the United States, found the security measures to be a hassle.

"I find security very tight," Brueker. "I've gone three times through security since I've left Boston this morning."

Brueker said that he had been made to empty his pockets by guards at all three checkpoints. But although Brueker did not enjoy having to deal with the extra security checks, he said that it was necessary in light of last Tuesday's events.

"I don't like it, but what can you do?" Brueker asked. "We need it."

And according to Katherine Moody, having just come in from Paris, security overseas is even tighter. She said that at Charles De Gaulle airport, she had waited for four and a half hours before boarding her flight back to the United States.

Even with the added security, Moody still said she was apprehensive before stepping on the plane.

"I wasn't shaking or anything, but let's just say I was hyper-vigilant," Moody said.

But Moody also said she was definitely happy that security in airports was being stepped up.

And security will soon become even tighter in air travel, as the FAA plans to place hundreds of armed, plainclothes air marshals on domestic flights. The current air marshal program began in 1985 after a hijacking of a TWA flight, but marshals have not been in frequent use since.

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