As the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaches, millions of Americans are expected to travel, and experts say Thursday could be the busiest travel day of the week.
At San Francisco International Airport, there was a steady stream of passengers heading into Terminal 3, joining millions of travelers nationwide who have decided to travel by air.
According to AAA, after the pandemic essentially shut down the holiday last year, travel this year is expected to "nearly return to normal." The agency expects nearly 47 million Americans to travel for the holiday, a 40% jump from 2020.
For some of the travelers at SFO, the chance to get away is exciting.
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"It is nice to be back with family and to travel and being able to see other people because for a long time it was miserable not being able to be around people not being able to interact socially," Marketsa Howard said.
Traveler Bert Kaufman added: "Yeah, I know, it’s actually surprising to see a lot of people here. But I think that America is moving again, and we are opening up."
Before embarking on that holiday trip, travelers should keep in mind a few possible bumps on the way: Be sure to double check your departure time as some airlines are still canceling or delaying flights due to the pilot shortage; reserve some extra time to get through security at airports as the Transportation Security Administration also is experiencing a shortage in agents, which could make baggage checks take a little longer.
