Record number of travelers expected for Memorial Day weekend

Experts across the country are expecting more fliers and drivers for this year’s Memorial Day weekend which may mean longer lines at security checkpoints and traffic. 

Experts are expecting the upcoming holiday weekend to be the third-busiest Memorial Day for traveling on record, with more than 17 million passengers flying across the country, according to the travel app Hopper.

San Francisco International Airport is expected to serve nearly 150,000 passengers this Memorial Day weekend as people travel for the holiday.

Oakland International Airport expects to serve around 130,000 passengers. 

But like most holiday traveling experiences, leaving early, and giving yourself plenty of time is crucial.

"I stress about getting [to the airport] on time and not missing my flight," said Cindy Paulazzo, a traveler at SFO told KTVU. "I got up early, and I just got here as quickly as I could." 

It’s not just flights that are seeing an uptick, road trips are expected to be up nearly 6% from the previous year, AAA estimates. 

AAA also estimates more than 37 million people will hit the roads this weekend, an uptick perhaps due to a recent drop in the price of gas.

"Despite being down over 10% from a year ago, gas prices remain a headwind for auto travel to surpass pre-pandemic levels," AAA said in a recent report.