The boarding on Southwest was a little strange.  This was the first time the whole family flew on this airline and we were not used to the boarding process.  But it went smooth.  The plane took off on time and landed on time with no issues.  Overall, flying Southwest from Islip was a pleasure that I hope to repeat.

Flying home from Fort Lauderdale was another story.  We fly home on Spirit Air which has been compared to the subway of the skies.  I chose this airline based upon price and you get what you pay for.  But I get ahead of myself.  First observation was that there was a whole bunch more people in Fort Lauderdale than Islip.  The lines were relatively long but moved quickly.  I was most concerned with how long it would take for us to get through security.  But in the end, it only took us 20 or 25 minutes.  We went through the normal metal detectors.  I saw these new ATI scanners buy we were not selected to use them.  My conclusion is that the TSA handled the Thanksgiving crowds well.  From my limited vantage, it seemed that more woman were being selected for these scans than men.

The waiting area for Spirit Air was over crowded with no room to sit.  There were lines at the few shops in the terminal.  It felt like a commuter terminal.  The plane boarded reasonably well and we left only 5 minutes late (which these days is like on time).  We ended up landing on time.  My biggest grief is with the leg room and the lack of amenities but once again you get what you pay for.

My conclusion is that Southwest and TSA did a great job this Thanksgiving.  I like the comparison of Spirit Air to a subway, it gets you there but you don't always enjoy the ride.