With the holidays underway, airports are expecting a rush of travelers who are looking to make it to their destination in time for their celebrations.
In an effort to avoid the congestion of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), people began to flock to regional airports as alternatives. As of Thursday, Long Beach Airport has had zero cancellations despite the ongoing rain and travelers hope this will remain the case over the weekend.
Traveler Willy Wactor said the Long Beach Airport is “such an easy airport to get in and get out.”
According to AAA, 829,000 Southern Californians are taking to the skies for holiday travel. The Transportation Security Administration warned the public to expect long lines at all airports, especially at larger airports such as LAX. TSA also reminds travelers not to wrap presents for a quicker security check.
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Factoring in the rain when planning to travel is advised, even more so when driving. John Montoya, another traveler, is planning for just.
Montoya said his trip from Rancho Mirage to the Bay Area is expected to be an 8-hour drive up North. Montoya is one of the 8.3 million Southern Californians driving over the weekend.
Oliver Wang said he's headed up to Lake Tahoe with the rain in mind.
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“With the weather being so unpredictable these days, with the rain in Southern California — it’s just something we have to look out for,” Wang said. “So I’m going with a few of my buddies and we’re gonna keep each other accountable on the road.”
A lot of travelers said with Christmas on Monday, they have a chance to leave for holiday destinations earlier than expected to minimize the stress.
