=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/c/a/2006/12/22/BAGQTN4KOV= 3.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, December 22, 2006 (SF Chronicle) Flights begin leaving Denver airport/Blizzard grounded travelers for 2 days Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer (12-22) 11:49 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- The first flights to leave Denver International Airport since Wednesday took off this afternoon, providing some relief for thousands of travelers stranded in airports across the county as a result of the pre-Christmas blizzard that pounded Colorado. Not all passengers whose flights were canceled in recent days will be leaving right away, however. Airlines say it will be days before all travelers can be booked onto new planes. Some people may not get flights until after Christmas. The Denver airport opened two runways around noon MST and plans to open = at least one more by this evening. The airport, the nation's fifth busiest and a hub for United Airlines, has been shut down since Wednesday when a blizzard dumped 2 feet of snow in the Denver area. Officials at Bay Area airports warned passengers to arrive at least an hour and a half early for domestic flights and two hours early for international flights, regardless of whether they are supposed to go through Denver. Today is shaping up as one of the busiest travel days of the year, and the Denver delays have caused a backlog of passengers trying to fly out. San Francisco International Airport spokesman Mike McCarron said 20 flights a day normally depart for Denver, 15 of them United. Today, four flights to Denver on United were canceled, but the airport's 10:50 a.m. flight left on time and most of the remaining flights are scheduled to take off. United is offering full refunds to customers whose flights were canceled. Passengers flying in or out of Colorado on United are also allowed to make one change to their itinerary without the regular fees applying, according to the airline's Web site. Six flights a day leave for Denver out of Oakland International Airport, but the first three today were canceled. Officials are optimistic, however, that the remaining flights this afternoon to Colorado will be able to take off. At Mineta San Jose International Airport, things are "pretty much busine= ss as usual," said airport manager Jeff Jaeger. "I expect today to be a pretty heavy travel day," he said. "We're going = to have long lines." Oakland airport spokeswoman Cyndy Johnson agreed. "This is going to be one of our heavier travel days, and it will be heavy though Saturday morning," she said. Johnson reminded travelers about new security rules requiring that carry-on liquids or gels be in containers of 3 ounces or smaller. Passengers may carry only as many as can fit into one quart-sized, zip-top bag. E-mail Marisa Lagos at mlagos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -------------------------= --------------------------------------------- Copyright 2006 SF Chronicle