Travelers should brace for long waits at airports and lengthy traffic on the roads as an estimated 109 million people are set to travel between December 23rd and January 2nd this year – a 34 percent increase from the same time period in 2020.
A dramatic 27.7 million more people than in 2020 will travel 50 miles or more this holiday season, with eight percent less travelers than the same point in 2019.
Of those travelers, 6.4 million will be boarding airplanes, more than twice the 2.3 million that did so during the holiday season during the height of COVID in 2020. In 2019, 7.33 million holiday travelers traveled by airline, compared to 6.7 million in 2018 and 6.5 million in 2017.
Over the past three days, the Transportation Security Administration has screened more than two million passengers each day at airports nationwide, double the number of screenings carried out this time in 2020.
A ripple of flight delays and cancellations led to major delays at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Saturday. On Sunday, officials expected 27,256 passengers, almost triple from 2020’s numbers according to KENS 5.
Lines for TSA checks at the Texas airport wrapped around the airport on Monday.
On Sunday, officials expected 27,256 passengers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, almost triple from 2020’s numbers
Of this year’s holiday travelers, 6.4 million will be boarding airplanes, more than twice the 2.3 million that did so during the holiday season during the height of COVID in 2020. In 2019, 7.33 million holiday travelers traveled by airline, compared to 6.7 million in 2018 and 6.5 million in 2017
A ripple of flight delays and cancellations led to major delays at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Saturday
Airport passengers took to Twitter to complain of longer-than-normal wait times as AAA predicted that more than 109 million people would travel more than 50 miles this holiday season
TSA lines were extraordinarily long at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Saturday, causing some to miss their flights
Lines for TSA checks at the Texas airport wrapped around the airport on Monday due to cancelled and delayed flights
At Los Angeles International Airport, up to 3.5 million travelers are expected to pass through between December 17 and January 3rd. There were 45 million travelers during that period in 2019, but this year’s prediction is higher than the 1.85 million passengers seen at that time in 2020.
After Sunday, peak travel days are expected between December 26 and January 2nd, with more than 200,000 passengers expected each of those days. Friday, according to LAX officials, was the busiest day the airport saw since 2020.
‘That trend will continue each Sunday for the next three weeks, with busy days in between,’ LAX tweeted.
After Sunday, peak travel days at LAX are expected again on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, when more than 200,000 passengers are expected during each of the days.
Travelers are pictured at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday. Friday, according to LAX officials, was the busiest day the airport saw since 2020
Travelers documented the congestion at LAX on social media. After Sunday, peak travel days are expected between December 26 and January 2nd, with more than 200,000 passengers expected each of those days
Undeterred by the new Omicron COVID variant, thousands queued at San Francisco International Airport on Monday
After Sunday, peak travel days are expected between December 26 and January 2nd, with more than 200,000 passengers expected each of those days. Friday, according to LAX officials, was the busiest day the airport saw since 2020
The Chicago Department of Aviation estimates that O’Hare and Midway International Airports will see twice as many passengers this holiday season than last year, with O’Hare expecting to see more than 1.2 million travelers between Tuesday and Monday of next week.
During the 10-day Thanksgiving holiday, the TSA screened more than 658,000 people at New England airports, and had their busiest day of the year on November 28 with 77,365 people. The TSA expects high travel volumes to continue there through the December holidays
In New York, John F. Kennedy International Airport tweeted that they ‘STRONGLY advised that you obtain a test PRIOR to coming to the airport if a negative test is required to travel to your destination’ as lines for tests at the airport extended as long as four hours, according to PIX 11.
Logan International Airport urged passengers to get their COVID tests before arriving via Twitter on Monday if they need a negative test result to get to their final destination, citing ‘busy holiday travel’
In New York, John F. Kennedy International Airport tweeted that they ‘STRONGLY advised that you obtain a test PRIOR to coming to the airport if a negative test is required to travel to your destination’ as lines for tests at the airport extended as long as four hours
On Sunday, even TSA pre-check passengers were caught waiting in long lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City (pictured)
At Logan International Airport, some international travelers are waiting for periods as long as five hours at testing centers in Terminals A and C before being turned away when those centers close
At Logan International Airport, some international travelers are waiting for periods as long as five hours at testing centers in Terminals A and C before being turned away when those centers close.
The airport urged passengers to get their COVID tests before arriving via Twitter on Monday if they need a negative test result to get to their final destination, citing ‘busy holiday travel.’
‘They go very slowly,’ George Reilly of Brewster told Boston 25 News of the PCR testing lines at Logan.
Reilly told the outlet that he got a PCR test before trying to board a flight to Paris to see his daughter on Sunday.
His test was taken 49 hours before the flight, one hour over the 48-hour window, and he was turned away. He was forced to stay behind and take a new test for $250 at the airport, but was delayed another day after a five-hour wait in line.
Appointments are fully booked at Logan’s testing centers for the next several days, but walk-ins are still accepted.
‘I think that they’ve got to organize this a little bit better because there are tons of people that need this and are here,’ Reilly told Boston 25.
Phil Iredale of Rhode Island called his wait in line to get a PCR test at Logan International ‘an ordeal.’ He said he tried to make an appointment for the Terminal C testing site, but that the site was fully booked for the next week.
‘This is the only option, is to wait in line here,’ he said. ‘Accessibility for tests is quite tricky… The testing sites, they need more of them, especially when the rules change as well.’