CHICAGO (WLS) — Days before Christmas, travelers hit the skies and the roads Monday to go celebrate with family and friends around the country.
Monday is expected to be the busiest day at O’Hare Airport and nearly 243,000 passengers are expected to be screened. And while it’s been obviously busy, thing appear to be running smoothly and on schedule for travelers.
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“We’re flying back home to visit family and to actually care for my mom, who is coming out of the hospital soon,” said Rita Dianati, who was flying to Atlanta.
“I am going out to Denver to visit with my granddaughter who lives there, and my son is meeting us. My grandson is meeting us. So, we’re all getting together,” said Shirley Zelinsky, who was on her way to Denver.
While the lines have been long all day, they’ve moved quickly; wait times, for the most part, have been under 15 minutes.
“I feel grateful. I could be running late, but I’m glad that the security line isn’t too long, so I’m no longer running late I don’t think,” said Analise Lariviere, traveler.
Still, many travelers weren’t taking any chances. Some signed up for Clear right at the airport.
“I had this experience yesterday in San Diego where it took 45 minutes to get through TSA and I just know I don’t ever want to experience that again,” said one traveler, who didn’t share their name.
But even as air travel reaches record numbers, with no major weather events around the country both inbound and outbound flights Monday were, for the most part, running smoothly.
More than 3.6 million people are expected to fly through Chicago’s airports between Dec. 20 and Jan. 2, and overall holiday travel is expected to break records this year.
TSA is asking that you give yourself extra time to get through security, two hours for domestic and three hours for international flights.
If you’re traveling with gifts, TSA recommends leaving them unwrapped in the event it triggers the alarm and further inspection needed.
“It’s just the right day. Shouldn’t be too bad,” said Gabriella, who is flying to London. “So far, so good. My husband got an upgrade, so we’re in good shape.”
“I’m really happy to be flying out of here. Hopefully, we got on. We’re flying standby, so we’ll see,” said Alyssa, who is traveling to San Diego.
AAA said close to 120 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between now and New Year’s Day, most of them by car. The group warns travelers that airports and roads are expected to be packed through the weeklong holiday stretch.
AAA says driving is still the preferred method, with nearly 90 percent of travelers are expected to hit the road to get to their destination.
Gas prices are also lower than last year, with the national average around $3.04 for regular and any little bit helps during the holiday season. Chicago area gas prices are down more than 30 cents a gallon for regular unleaded since mid-October.
The busy holiday travel period is capping a year-long rise in passenger volume at O’Hare; the most recent data shows it’s up more than 8.5% compared to 2023.
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