Crowds expected as Bay Area gears up for Thanksgiving travel rush

Record Thanksgiving travel predicted in Bay Area this week

Millions of Americans are expected to hit the roads and skies this week, with Bay Area airports urging travelers to arrive early amid record holiday demand.

OAKLAND, Calif. - With Thanksgiving just days away, Bay Area airports are bracing for large crowds, long lines and potential weather delays as millions of Americans prepare for one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

AAA says Thanksgiving is the single busiest holiday for travel, surpassing Christmas. 

Airports across the region are advising passengers to arrive early and monitor conditions, especially with storms expected to impact several parts of the country.

Bay Area airports, including Oakland, are urging passengers to build in extra time this week for check-in, security and unexpected delays. Oakland officials expect about a quarter-million travelers to pass through the airport by next Sunday.

Thanksgiving travelers

Local perspective:

Some families have planned their travel around the rush.

"This is months in planning, especially with two little ones. It's not something you can just spring day of. Our idea of going Sunday to Wednesday to kind of avoid the Thursday traffic and the weekends afterwards, and even today coming a little bit early to beat any kind of TSA lines," said Lauren Songponnopachon of Walnut Creek.

Others are traveling early to save money.

"We looked at options to go to Seattle now or next weekend, and it was a third of the price and said we'd rather see family. It doesn't have to be that specific day," said James Gronek of Oakland.

Tuesday is expected to be one of the busiest days for air travel nationwide. The National Weather Service is urging passengers to check forecasts as storms approach multiple regions.

Some travelers said they were already feeling the pressure.

"We came from a party that we had to leave early to get here and we accomplished that and we're flying back east and we're a little nervous. We're not flying until Tuesday. Today we have a short trip down to Southern California and I understand Tuesday is the heaviest travel day," said Joan Mikkelsen of Berkeley.

AAA estimates at least 82 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving, slightly higher than last year. Most travelers are expected to drive.

SFO anticipates a slight increase in traffic from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. San Jose Mineta International Airport also expects lines at check-in and security and advises passengers to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights.