Busy weekend ahead for travelers

Today is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the year as more people take to the runways, freeways and railways to get out of town for Thanksgiving weekend.

According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, almost 3 million travelers are expected to take advantage of the time off work and school to visit family, friends or just take some vacation time, Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring said.

During the Thanksgiving holiday last year, about 160,000 people flew in or out of John Wayne Airport, which was more than the previous year, airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said. The airport doesn’t make projections about future traffic, but this year is expected to be busier than last based on this year’s numbers.

“Based on last year’s travel … we’re looking at almost 30,000 people, which is almost double a regular day,” Wedge said of the number of anticipated passengers on heavy travel days — today and Monday after the holiday.

Because of the dramatic increase in passenger traffic, John Wayne Airport personnel are urging travelers to be aware of what they can and can’t take through the security checkpoint.

This Thanksgiving, emphasis is on the 3-1-1 rule, Wedge said.

Airline travelers are only allowed to take one clear quart-sized bag containing three-ounces or less of any liquids, gels or creams they want to take with their carry-on luggage.

If passengers forget to put their items in a bag, airport staff have about 500,000.

Wedge said there are many items people may not realize are prohibited.

She included mascara, shaving cream and lip liner as items that must be limited to three ounces. Bottled water is not allowed through security, but if purchased after the screening process, it can go on the plane, Wedge said.

Wedge suggested passengers arrive two hours before they’re scheduled to take off. She said passengers should try to get a ride to the airport from friends, family or a hired shuttle because parking spots become scarce as more flights leave the runway. She also suggested printing boarding passes from home if the airline offers the online service.

As always, passengers are only allowed one carry-on and one personal item aboard the plane.

The busiest days on the road and at the airport are going to be today Thursday and Monday, Wedge and Spring said.

“This weekend will be pretty slow because Saturday and Friday people will already be to their location,” Wedge said.

About 80% of people heading out of town will be driving, Spring said.

“It’s important even if you’re not taking a long trip and just going to visit family and friends, to plan for heavy traffic,” Spring said. “Most of them start taking off on Wednesday at some point, but what we’ve found in recent years is it’s nearly as congested on Thursday for people just going down the road a ways to visit family.”