Air travelers arrive hours early to beat holiday rush
ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now) — The busiest travel days are here. More than 115 million people are expected to hit the road or board a flight for the holidays.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport already saw a few delays Thursday morning.
More than 7.5 million passengers are expected to fly this holiday season — beating 2019’s travel record.
“I was just trying to beat the traffic. I know security lines can be really long during the Holidays,” said passenger Elle Varner.
Best and worst times to drive out of the DMV for your holiday trip, according to AAA
The number of total domestic travelers this year is up 2.2 percent over last year, according to AAA.
AAA expects more than 2 million Marylanders to travel over the holidays — 90 percent of whom will be driving.
It says more than 4 million Americans will take alternative transportation.
The busiest days on the road are expected to be Saturday, Dec. 23, and Thursday, Dec. 28.
AAA says the best time to hit the road is before lunchtime or after 7 p.m.
It warned that the DMV could also see peak traffic on Friday, Dec. 29 at 3:45 p.m. along the Baltimore/Washington Parkway.
Get ready, the holiday rush to airports and highways is underway
“Make sure we got here early enough just in case there were any delays or long lines,” said passenger Darrel Connelly.
AAA said the extra traffic could add about an hour of travel time for your trips.
The Department of Transportation said so far, 2023 has seen the lowest flight cancellations in the last 5 years.
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