MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - The unofficial start to summer is underway, and millions of Americans are taking advantage of the long weekend to travel, despite deadly weather that has claimed at least 18 lives across multiple states and is possibly causing major travel disruptions.
“We’re leaving from Chicago to go to the Big Island in Hawaii,” said Will at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Airports were packed on Friday, with the TSA setting a record for the most travelers screened in a single day. Nearly 3 million (2,951,163) people went through security checkpoints at airports across the country.
“We booked our tickets like three months in advance just to get a good deal,” said one traveler.
“We just got off a cruise from the Caribbean and we’re flying back home to Atlanta, but our flights delayed unfortunately,” said another traveler.
Airports like Miami International Airport were packed Monday forcing extended stays for some travelers in an unwanted way.
“Will we got bumped but they were very helpful trying to get us a couple of standbys, so we should get home in a couple of hours than we had originally planned,” said Mary.
In South Florida, Miami International Airport expects to see more than 160,000 travelers every day this weekend. At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, officials expected over 630,000 passengers between Thursday and Tuesday. This marks more than a 5% increase compared to last year, with Monday projected to be one of the busiest days.
“So far it’s been pretty good. It’s a little confusing going into the bigger airports, but other than that it’s been very nice,” said one traveler.
It’s not just the skies that are crowded. Approximately 38 million Americans hit the road, setting another record.
“We haven’t seen numbers like this for Memorial Day in nearly 20 years. We’re not just talking about pre-pandemic numbers. We are surpassing pre-pandemic numbers,” said Aixa Diaz of AAA
Despite the cost of a vacation being up about 3.5% since 2019, Americans are undeterred from traveling.
“I get to hang with family and friends, so I’d say that’s priceless, right? Anything to hang out with family and friends,” said one traveler.
“Our cruise was packed. It certainly felt like there was a lot of- anyone who says the cruise industry is struggling, it didn’t feel like it this weekend, but it was fun,” said another.
Travelers are being advised to check with their airlines for updates in case of any delays and always be sure to arrive early for flights.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.