ST. LOUIS — Severe weather is being blamed for thousands of flight disruptions nationwide. Airlines are preparing for a rush this Fourth of July weekend.
The Federal Aviation Administration predicted Thursday would be the busiest travel day for those flying to their holiday destinations.
Thursday evening, there were just a couple of cancellations and about nine delayed flights at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
Those flying out this holiday weekend are hoping it won’t be a repeat of the recent new year travel fiasco.
Air travelers, get ready for the holiday rush.
"Heading back to Savannah,” Carrie Kahn said.
"I'm going back to New York,” Octavia Chan added.
"I'm traveling back to Columbia, South Carolina to visit friends and family for the family reunion,” Trasean Tolen said.
He has already been met with an unexpectedly long travel day.
"I've been here since 12 this morning. I'm finally about to board my flight,” he said around 6 p.m. Thursday.
Why so long?
"I've been getting a lot of notifications. Things have been delayed,” he said, pointing to two delays in one day. "They said it was a storm."
In addition, more passengers are hitting the friendly skies. Some 2.8 million people are expected to fly Friday.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it believes the holiday travel weekend will reach its peak Friday, surpassing the current single-day travel record set nearly two weeks ago.
"When I left Savannah Saturday the TSA line was all the way to the front door … It was like an hour long Saturday,” Kahn said.
There were a little under a dozen delays or cancellations at St. Louis Lambert, but with so many people flying, expect the unexpected.
"A few bumps in the road,” Chan said, referencing an issue with her ID and luggage.
"But you’ll be on time for your flight?” 5 On Your Side asked.
“You know what, God's got me. That's all I can say,” she said.
Over the past couple of days, a few of Kahn's friends were impacted by the travel disruptions.
"Not a bad place to be stuck so they're having some fun in St. Louis,” she said.
Friday morning, TSA will update media on how agents are preparing for the rush and what they suggest you should do to make for a smooth travel experience.