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There was a blissful calm at Terminal 7 at Los Angeles International Airport around 5am on Wednesday. At that time, travelers leaving town early on July 4th were able to quickly unload their bags and arrive at the gate in a short order.
The traffic was light, the crowds were sparse and it was easy to pass the security line.
But it didn’t last long.
By 6am, the airport scene shuffled around the check-in kiosk, rather weaving bags towards the baggage, highlighting parents running towards security, urging the awful kids to catch up.
This was the type of scene that tourists should expect this weekend to see LAX and other travel hubs, with millions expected to drive, fly, or ride trains around town for vacation.
According to the American Automobile Association, more than 72 million people across the country traveled over 50 miles from June 28th to July 6th, an increase of around 2 million travellers compared to last year.
According to the AAA, around 61.6 million people will travel by car over the weekend on their holiday. This is an increase of 2.2% from last year. Wednesdays and Sundays are expected to be the busiest traffic days, and the afternoons are the busiest times to drive. The AAA recommended that travelers be inspected regularly prior to their trip to ensure emergency kits are available in the event of flat tires or batteries dead.
According to the release, around 4.78 million people were expected to travel by bus, train and cruise.
Air traffic is particularly overwhelming, with more than 18.5 million travelers expected to fly across the country from Tuesday to Sunday, according to a release from the Transportation Security Agency. This is after an already busy summer. Last week, TSA announced on June 22 that it had experienced its busiest travel day.
“We are pleased to announce that we are a great opportunity to help you,” said Jessica Maley, regional spokesman for the TSA. “The main point for passengers is that we are staffed and ready.”
According to LAX spokesman Justin Upshaw, Lax is projecting more than 1.5 million travelers over the weekend of July 4th, with the busiest day expected to be Sunday.
The fact that Friday’s holidays will drop could lead to an increase in travel beyond the weekend, he said.
“Next week we’re seeing higher numbers still maintained,” he said. “That can suggest that people are taking a break next week, leaving early and leaving this weekend, or staying next week and starting a trip.”
Upshaw suggested that travelers would go to the airport about two hours earlier on domestic flights and three hours earlier on international flights.
Other local airports are also hoping to see a surge in passengers next week or so.
Hollywood Burbank Airport has seen passenger volume rise by 2.6% between Monday and July 8th compared to last year, with the busiest day expected between Thursday and next Monday.
Officials at Long Beach and John Wayne Airports had no traveler forecasts throughout the week, but both said they were hoping for a surge in travelers early next week.
At LAX on Wednesday, some travelers arrived at the airport and were ready to handle the disruption of the holiday.
Stephanie Hebert was among them. She was back in Boston after helping her best friend arrive at the airport earlier than usual. Without her mother’s warning, Hebert would have missed her flight, she said.
Hebert said she travels a lot for her work. Her biggest tip for stressful days at the airport? shout.
“It’s not shameful to be openly crying at the airport,” Hebert said. “You can cry, you can do whatever you need to do to get where you need it. Scream it!”
Bennett Kariaga lives in Hollywood, but was born and raised in Hawaii. He was in the airport on standby on Wednesday morning, hoping to get on a flight to Hawaii and camp on the beach with his family for the fourth time. He said he took another two days off before his holiday in case he was delayed or troubled with finding a flight.
“We’re ready to roll over if necessary… we could roll over on our next flight,” he said. “I wanted to come here and go further than that, and there’s no need to emphasize that you know, miss a flight or miss a day at camp.”
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