SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — It is Christmas Eve and at San Diego International Airport only a handful of people were waiting at the ticket line and at TSA by Tuesday evening.
Flights in and out of San Diego seem to indicate the skies were trouble-free – for now. Travel is typically light on Christmas Eve compared to the days leading up to it as millions head home for the holidays.
San Diego visitor Michael Kuns said that this year instead of gifts, he treated his grandkids to an experience – a weeklong vacation in San Diego
“Instead of having 50 gifts under a tree, we make memories,” he said.
The Yonenson family surprised the kids with a scavenger hunt - three major airports in the last three days, surprising the kids with a new city at each stop.
While all may seem calm for now, the day after Christmas is expected to bring high airport traffic and delays that could last through the new year.
Passengers are advised to arrive early for their flights and check with their airline for delays.
According to travel experts, the best day to fly, if you want to avoid delays and large crowds, is Christmas Day itself, but travelers would be sacrificing part of their holiday.
Also, the AAA predicts that if you are driving, traffic delays are expected to be the worst on Thursday, the day after Christmas - which also coincides with a winter storm that is predicted to slam into the San Diego region over the next couple of days.