SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – There will be plenty of hugs, bags at airports, and filled gas tanks this Thanksgiving travel season.
There will be some who are staying close to be with their loved ones.
“I’m going home to Orange County for Thanksgiving, for the holidays,” traveler Mric Green told ABC 10News.
And some are going far distances.
“I’m heading to Tampa, actually,” Anthony Jackson, who is traveling to Florida, said.
“I’m going to Boston, Massachusetts,” another traveler said.
There’s a boatload of people expected to be traveling this holiday season, and AAA Southern California spokesperson Anlleyn Venegas said, “Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as Sunday and Monday, are expected to be the busiest not only on the roads but also at the airports.”
AAA Southern California said for the San Diego region, the number of Thanksgiving travelers will break a record for the second year in a row.
With 4.6 million Southern Californians taking a trip this holiday, some looked to beat those frustrating travel times at the airport on Monday.
“The pricing is one thing, the craziness. I’ve travelled during the heat of the holiday season, and it never was the best move,” Jackson said. “It just works out way better to get ahead of it. Like right now, you see how it is. It would be way worse during the holiday season.”
But some weren’t so lucky.
“I actually tried to change my flight because I heard it’s supposed to be so busy. And then, I just couldn’t get it because a lot of airlines aren’t allowing a lot of standby anymore,” said Jayden Wilson, who is traveling to Oregon.
For those not flying, they are getting ready to find ways to beat the traffic.
“It’ll be Wednesday sometime after work when I’ll be going,” said Brianna Bushnell, who is also traveling to Orange County. “I try to leave a little later in the evening, a little later in the evening, like 7 or 8, hoping that that traffic will go down.”
And with gas prices going down, especially seeing that in San Diego County it’s 50 cents cheaper than a month ago and about 20 cents lower than a year ago, people might be able to breathe easier when making those holiday road trips.
“Well, right now, yeah. Maybe a few weeks ago not so much. But right now, it’s a little bit better,” Bushnell said.
“At the end of the day, people are going to travel because they need to travel, or they want to. So, I think yeah, gas prices suck but, like, people are going to do what they got to do,” Green said.
AAA Southern California told ABC 10News if you are hitting the roads, the earlier you leave the better on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Also, if leave any time after 6 or 7 at night, you’ll be in good shape starting your Turkey Day travels.
