ST. LOUIS — Families traveling out of St. Louis got ahead of the complexities that come with holiday travel.
Just days away from Thanksgiving, and with the holiday spirit in the air, many are gearing up to reunite with loved ones.
As families across the country prepare for the annual feast, a surge in travel is expected, making roads and airports bustling hubs of activity.
For those venturing out to spend Thanksgiving with family, the impending travel rush may set new records, according to travel experts.
"This time everyone goes kind of crazy. Takes off at the same time. We just chose to get out of here a little earlier," One traveler connecting out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport said.
This sentiment resonated with the family of four who have learned their lesson about holiday travel.
"We spent two and a half hours at the TSA checkpoint, so we decided not to do that again," Isaac McCallum said.
"I haven't had all of my kids together in about three years, and so this will be a perfect time together. I want to get out there as early as I can and avoid the number of people that are going to be here," Sherri Arnold, who was on her way to Seattle, said.
With AAA anticipating 4.7 million people to fly over Thanksgiving this year, a 6.6% increase from the previous year, it's crucial to be well-prepared.
Travel experts advise arriving at least two hours early for domestic flights and four hours early for international flights.
Samantha Shawhan, a travel agent, recommends booking early and investing in travel insurance due to the unpredictability of travel, citing incidents like the Southwest shutdown and unpredictable weather.
"People need to make sure if they are flying domestically to be there at least two hours early and if they are flying internationally at least four hours early and that is from the boarding time," Shawhan said.
Families at the airport did convey they were pleased to be back traveling again after strained travel that disconnected families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's been really hard the last couple of years trying to get to locations, so it'll be nice to just be normal," one traveler said.
"Now that we're able to actually get out and see our families again, it's okay," another traveler said.
The roads are expected to be equally congested, with over 49 million people planning to drive.