AAA expects about 80 million people will travel this Thanksgiving week, with nearly six million flying domestically and peaking on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday.
That is an increase of two percent compared to last year and an increase of 11% compared to 2019.
At Oakland International Airport, Tribune Store Clerk Annabelle Tantingco said she hasn’t seen those numbers yet.
“Hopefully it will be busy tomorrow,” said Tantingco. ‘I expect so. But now it’s not so busy.’
Tantingco has been working in the store for 30 years. She says she’s seen people’s travel habits change in that time.
“Like 10 years, 20 years ago it was so busy,” Tantingco said. “Thanksgiving was busier than December, Christmas.”
Now the holidays feel less important to her and more like a normal day at the office.
“It’s all the same, especially my store,” Tantingco said.
John Foston heard the AAA report predicting more travel, which prompted him to fly on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. He arrived at the airport three hours early for a flight to Las Vegas.
“I thought it was going to be busy. When I listened to the news, I thought we were going to be super busy. But we’re not,” Foston said. ‘It’s a piece of cake. I just walked up to the kiosk and I’m ready to go.”
Foston wasn’t upset about his early arrival, saying it was better than the alternative.
“I’m this side of 50, so I’ve been young, not knowing it and running through the airport trying to catch my flight,” Foston said of his past experiences. ‘That’s for the birds. I now know I have to get here early. If I’m an hour, two hours early and have time to kill, it’s better than running here to catch a flight or – worse – missing a flight. flight.”
The Oakland Airport is expecting 340,000 passengers during the Thanksgiving holiday period, which started last Friday and ends Sunday. That is a slight decrease compared to last year.
Although many travelers enjoy the smooth and efficient travel experience, Tantingco hopes that it will become a bit busier.
“I want to hurry,” she said. “Because I’ve been working here for a long time. I’m used to it now. I want to be busy.”
It is still recommended that people arrive early and be patient during the holidays as lines can get long.
