[Ashleigh Banfield, Cnn:] Hello everyone. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. It's Tuesday, November 26th. Welcome to "LEGAL VIEW." The bags are packed, the cars are stuffed, the tickets are booked for more than had 43 million of us all planning to travel for Thanksgiving. And there's a mighty storm that's threatened to call the whole thing off. This is what travelers are having to deal with right now. Snow is piling up in Cincinnati, Ohio. And it looks like a virtual white out in Pittsburgh. That's one of those tower-cams that's really not worth its cost on a day like this There are other areas getting pounded with rain and ice, and that makes nothing safe. We've got our holiday travel team on every angle, planes, trains, and automobiles, effectively. We're covering the airports. Martin Savidge is at Hartsfield-Jackson International. Also covering the roads, Alina Machado is live in Atlanta. And tracking where this storm goes next, meteorologist Chad Myers is putting in all of the overtime in the Weather Center on this holiday week. All right, Martin, I want to start with you. There are so many people watching right now, crossing their fingers that theirs will be one of those flights that gets out. And does it just depend on where you're starting, or is it the domino effect that's going to hit everybody?
[Martin Savidge, Cnn Correspondent:] I think it depends on where you're starting and, most especially, when you are starting. For instance, If you're starting out of Atlanta or passing through Atlanta today, then the news is pretty good. In fact, we can show you that news. Take a look at the arrival and departure board here, which is this big, blue screen. And for the most part the flights are on time. I will point out, Ashleigh, that we've been starting to see a little bit of delay creep in, not huge, but you are seeing that at least on several dozen flights maybe delays of 20 minutes, maybe up to 30 minutes. The international flights are being delayed longer. It's primarily a rain event that they're suffering down here, not the ice, and don't even say the word "snow" that some had feared. I talked to the general manager of the airport just a short while ago, and this is his take on things now.
[Louis Miller, General Manager, Hartsfield-jackson Atlanta International Airport:] Actually things are looking very good for us. We're seeing that the traffic is you know, we did our weekly analysis of the passengers we expect to come this week, starting Monday going through next Monday. It's 1.8 million, and it's an increase of about 3 percent over what we had last year. Tomorrow morning is looking like there could be more rain, but the temperatures are supposed to be staying higher. So it's our understanding that it could drop earlier in the evening, but in the morning it's going to be a little bit higher. So we have our team on standby.
[Savidge:] We should point out that there are some problem airports. In fact, we've put together a little map that can highlight a few of them at the moment. They include Atlanta, Dulles, Charlotte, Reagan and Baltimore. The best advice and news that you can use is, of course, many people now have apps and ways to check into the airlines. Do that before you fly. Give yourself 90 minutes, because it's not just the flights. Think about parking, think about traffic, think about other ways that weather impacts getting to and through the airport, not to mention the security lines. And if I wrap it up now, Ashleigh, I can still make the 11:30 to Cancun.
[Banfield:] Well, guess what. I've got a question for you, so you're going to have to catch the next one. That map you put up, Marty, it was great, except it's today's map, and of course, so many people are going to travel tomorrow. And that whole map, my guess is going to sort of move northward up the corridor. Can people can they reschedule to try to get out today and not have to pay those awful fees just because everything is going to be just such a disaster tomorrow?
[Savidge:] Right. Well, a number of the airlines, at least the major ones, we've heard of Delta and US Air, have said that if you go online and want to try and reschedule, they're going to waive the fees on doing that. And that may be a way to go. But I will point out, you know, due to the high volume of traffic, you would think that just about every seat that could be booked has already been booked. So if you're trying to get out on a different flight at a different time, I wish you the best of the luck on that. Be sure to pack your patience and a smile as your best defense. So far, people seem to be bearing up as best they can, Ashleigh.
[Banfield:] Well, I'll deliver this with a smile, Martin. You're finished with me, now, sir, but as for Cancun, I think the next couple of shows have you booked, so I don't think you're going anywhere right away, anyway. Nice sweater. Thank you, Martin Savidge. I want to go out to the roads now. We said planes, trains, automobiles. So the roads, oh, dang, AAA is expecting 39 million drivers out there on those roads, and a lot of them are going to be awful. Alina Machado is live in Atlanta. Take a look at her picture. Oh, Alina, you're the new kid. You got that assignment. I'm so sorry. Oh, lousy weather. Hey, the roads are going to be trouble if it's rain, if it's sleet, if it's snow, for so many parts of the country. Give me the rundown for anybody who's planning to hit the road in the next 24 hours.
[Alina Machado, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, Ashleigh, it's really going to depend on where you are, right? If you're in the South, if you're here in Atlanta, for example, if you're driving through, you're probably going to be dealing with this, just a steady rain, wet, slick roads. But if you go further north, you're going to be dealing with probably a wintry mix, possibly icy roads, snowy roads. The AAA says more than 43 million people are going to be traveling for this Thanksgiving holiday, and most of those, about 90 percent, are going to be getting in their cars and driving somewhere. So you can expect a lot of traffic, a lot of volume. And that, of course, is not a good thing when you factor in this weather. A couple of areas that you might want to keep an eye out for. If you're going to be traveling on 40 between Knoxville and the North Carolina mountains, be careful. Especially in some of the higher elevations, you could be encountering some wintry mix and some slicker roads. Also, if you're heading south of Washington, D.C., on 95, later this afternoon, when that heavy rain is expected to move in, that could cause some problems. So the bottom line is, if you're going to be driving, be aware of when where you're going, especially maybe even consider changing when you leave. If you're going to leave today and the storm is hitting in that area where you're headed, consider leaving tomorrow. It's really going to be a wait-and-see approach, Ashleigh, for many people many of the people who are going to be traveling out for Thanksgiving.
[Banfield:] But, you know, really, do your research before you head out on the road. And my apologies for that assignment. Next year, you will be on that flight to Cancun. Alina, thank you and happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend. All right, I said planes, trains and automobiles. Let's talk train now, because Amtrak is planning to shuttle 140,000 passengers just in the northeast corridor. Across some of the routes, you see right there in red. And Amtrak is saying, are you ready, drum roll, not expecting to have any issues, so that might be the best mode of transportation. And even if you're not traveling, you may very well have relatives who are traveling to you or traveling somewhere that you may be worried about. So let's get the forecast. Chad Myers, I said, has been working overtime. That is an understatement. Hey, AAA said, Chad, that 43.4 million of us Americans are going to be traveling 50 miles or more in the next couple of days, so you, my friend, are a very important person right now. What's it looking like?
[Chad Myers, Ams Meteorologist:] And considering my house and the station are about 12 miles apart and I'll be traveling all of those day, I am not one of those traveling 50 miles. That's the good news. Something, you know something I haven't heard anybody talk about, and you and I spend so much time in airports. If you're a pair of ballet flats away from carry-on or checked bag, carry on, because it's so much easier to change your plane if you're holding your bag than to try to find the bag after it's under the plane. If your plane is canceled, if your plane is delayed, and they send you even to a different airline, you have all of your stuff. You can go. If all the stuff is under the plane or on the train somewhere, it's not going to come to you where you want it to be. Try to pack and if you've got a pair of UGGs and the UGGs aren't going to fit in your carry on, wear them, and then carry on. Don't try to put things under the plane if you don't have to. Pittsburgh, it's been snowing there all day, up to 32, but there's still an awful lot of mess for you there right now. Temperatures are going up here, and this is going to be the case. Above here is snow, right? Pittsburgh. Yeah. I know; it's snow and fog. It's been snowing a lot. The mountains around Pittsburgh are a nightmare. If you've never been there, the easiest way to go up is to go take the Duquesne Incline. You know, I mean, the up-and-down mountains of Pittsburgh in a snow event, my parents grew up in Wilkes-BarreScranton, and they used to say that the salt trucks sand, salt, ash would have to back up the hills so that the back tires could get traction because the salt would be coming out the back of the trucks and trucks would be backing up the hills because they would need the traction just to get up those hills.
[Banfield:] Oh, wow.
[Myers:] Here's the snow line tomorrow. Here's the snow line on Thursday. Here's the snow line on Friday. And Pittsburgh, you're always going to be in it. That's the issue for the next couple of days. You know, it's not going a big event for I-75, I-95 down here in the South. It's just a rain event for you. Tornado watch for parts of Florida, believe it or not, like we need that. But all this pink through here, that's where the icing is. A little bit farther to the north, that's where the snow is. Ashleigh?
[Banfield:] You have just coined a brand-new classification, it is a "salt-truck- going-backyards" day. Chad Myers, I'm going to check in with you in a little bit. I know the models keep changing, so if you could stick around maybe 20 minutes or so? Excellent. Thank you very much. CNN, by the way, has made this very crucial decision to laser focus in on Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the international airport there. And if you have ever wanted to be in the belly of the beast, this is one fascinating inside look, you guys. On October 28th, more than three dozen journalists descended upon this airport and documented their journey after months and months of research. You can check this whole thing out at CNN.comATL24. CNN.comATL24, and I'll tell you, the sausage-making inside that airport is absolutely fascinating, and you barely ever see any of it. Ever been to a hockey game? If you're a hockey fan, and I am one, you expect some big hits. In fact, the place goes wild. But those big hits can be mighty harmful, and now, some former NHL players have changed their tune and they suing the league for not doing enough to prevent brain damage and concussions. Have we heard this one before? You bet. Going to get the LEGAL VIEW, next.