If you have not purchased an airline ticket for inter Samoa flights for today and tomorrow, your only chance is to standby at the airport and hope that a confirmed passenger is late or doesn’t show up for the flight. It may also be good to pray for a miracle.

Polynesian Airlines, Inter Island Airways and Samoa Air are all reporting full flights — and this is usually the case heading into the Mother’s Day weekend. Many local residents are traveling today and tomorrow, because Samoa is a day ahead.

“Traffic to Samoa is one of the busiest air travel times for inter Samoa flights and Polynesian Airlines remains committed to ensure that we continue to serve the traveling public,” Polynesian’s local station manager Toe Loia told Samoa News yesterday.

The Samoa government owned airline has scheduled six flights each for today and tomorrow with all  flights fully booked. Saturday’s flights, ( which arrive on Sunday in Apia) are still doing well with passenger loads.

For locally-based Inter Island Airways, an airline official said they have three flights each for today and tomorrow. The official also says the airline is monitoring passenger demand before making any decision on whether or not to add any extra flights.

Inter Island is also operating flights on Saturday, although with light passenger loads. The airline reported full flights yesterday and tomorrow for Fitiuta Airport in Manu’a.

Samoa Air’s local agent, David Prescott said there are four flights today to Samoa — three to Fagali’i Airport on Upolu and one to Maota Airport on Savai’i island.

For tomorrow, it’s three flights to Fagali’i airport and one to Faleolo International Airport. Prescott said the carrier is also taking a lot of cargo on the flights as Samoa Air is offering rates that are “very affordable for our residents” heading into Mother’s Day. (See yesterday’s Samoa News edition for the airline’s special fares.)

All three airlines say that they are also prepared to bring these passengers back, which will start on our Sunday, which is Monday in Samoa.

As of yesterday, there were still available seats on today’s sail of the MV Lady Naomi, according to the local agent, Polynesian Shipping, which also says the total amount of cargo taken on the outbound sail won’t be known until later this morning. The Samoa government- owned vessel arrives this morning and departs later this afternoon.