SAN DIEGO — Airports are busy during the week leading up to the Christmas holiday. San Diego International Airport anticipates one million passengers between December 17 and January 3, 2022, will pass through either taking off to see loved ones for the holidays or returning home before the chaos travel is up.
"Airport passengers have increased 25% over last year, but 20% below 2019," said Nicole Hall with the San Diego International Airport.
AAA predicts more than 100 million people will hit the roads, sky and other forms of transportation over the holidays.
“We're going to North Carolina, to Ashville to visit my husband’s parents and grandparents for Christmas," said Erica Cook, an airport traveler.
“We came out to San Diego to visit my family and we live in Denver so we’re flying home today which we’re glad we chose a Monday before it gets too, too busy," said Kelly Coates, another traveler.
The long lines and flight changes can be stressful enough, but there are additional concerns of COVID-19 cases rising and the omicron variant spreading.
“It’s been a little hectic, we’re hoping for smooth here on out," said Cook.
But the Cooks are looking forward to their baby Jonas getting some family time.
“We haven’t traveled for Christmas for a couple of years now and this is the first time. We were kind of a little worried with the virus, but we just really wanted him to be with his grandparents for Christmas,” said Cook.
It’s a similar story from the Dwyers. With the necessary precautions taken, they say the end game makes it all worthwhile and all they want for Christmas is to see their 97-year-old mother in New York.
“We haven’t seen them for a while, so that will be fun,” said Tom Dwyer, traveler.
The CDC says before traveling to the U.S. anyone two years and older boarding a flight from a foreign country needs to be tested for COVID-19 regardless of their vaccination status.
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