Thanksgiving travel gets into full swing at Miami, Fort Lauderdale's airports
MIAMI - It's going to be a very busy Thanksgiving in South Florida. According to AAA, four of the five top US destinations for the holiday are in Florida. At the top of the list is Orlando, followed by Fort Lauderdale and Miami at number three.
That means our airports and roads are going to be very busy with people coming and going.
With Thanksgiving only a day away, holiday travel is booming at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. At MIA, they're expecting about 160,000 passengers today. At FLL they're expecting more than 108,000.
Wednesday is expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel day of the week.
At Miami International Airport, travelers arrived before dawn to catch some of the first flights of the morning. The crowds are expected to build throughout the day.
A storm system over the East Coast could cause a snag for some flights, rain and snow may cause some delays.
Flight attendant Ayana Wilson had some advice for those catching flights.
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't stress over things you can't control. It's very easy to do that, so just be optimistic I would say," she said.
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, which ranks as the 17th busiest airport in the country, a similar scene played out Wednesday. TSA is asking travelers to arrive two hours early to accommodate the lines at security and allow time for checking bags if necessary because those lines have been getting long as well.
Some weren't taking any chances.
"Actually I came out three hours early," said one man.
"There was more traffic than usual this early in the morning so that's kind of a sign that it's a special day," said Lorenda Beuker.
"It's been very hectic to get to the airport. It took me 20 to 30 minutes to get here and I was only 10 minutes away," said Monty who was heading to Philadelphia.
Victor Euzebio was headed to North Carolina to spend time with family.
"I'm going to Charlotte, North Carolina, they have a cabin in Peach Mountain, so we spend every holiday in the cabin. It's chaotic, I'm really stressed out. I forgot my watch at home. I don't have my phone on me, it's been crazy," he said.
Nationwide, the TSA expects to screen 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday alone. Sunday is expected to be even busier as people head home.
For those catching a flight, remember to check your flight information for any changes before you leave for the airport.
At FLL the parking garages are closed because they're full. An overflow lot has opened.
There is some good news for travelers, prices are coming down. Plane tickets averaged $268, about 14 percent less than a year ago, according to travel site Hopper.
For those hitting the road, gas prices are also down about 37 cents a gallon from the same time last year. The national average on Tuesday was $3.29 per gallon, according to AAA.
Nearly 3 million people are hitting the road in FLorida this holiday period, with today being the busiest day.
"So far it's been pretty smooth, a couple little hazards from accidents along the way, the pace has been pretty good. Driving has been pretty safe," said Forrest Theune. He left Brunswick, Georgia early this morning — missing the heaviest traffic in the afternoon.
AAA says travel times in metro areas today can be 80% higher than usual. We've already seen back ups in Miami. "So far the road has been very busy. I was just talking to my aunt on the phone and I'm like, 'Ohh..I guess a lot of people are traveling this weekend,'" said Fay Albert
Caitlin and Anne flew in from New Orleans and are driving to Delray Beach. They are taking a little break after a hectic morning.
"We left New Orleans at 5:30 this morning for an early flight, thinking we would beat all the holiday travelers but it was packed," Anne said.
